''In 1999'' is a 1912 one-act comedic short play by

William C. deMille William Churchill deMille (July 25, 1878 – March 5, 1955), also spelled de Mille or De Mille, was an American screenwriter and film director from the silent film era through the early 1930s. He was also a noted playwright prior to moving into ...

, originally produced by

Jesse L. Lasky Jesse Louis Lasky (September 13, 1880 – January 13, 1958) was an American pioneer motion picture producer who was a key founder of what was to become Paramount Pictures, and father of screenwriter Jesse L. Lasky Jr. Early life Born in to ...

, that was popular upon its release. Its gags are based on a future where gender roles are reversed.

Production

The piece debuted at the

Fifth Avenue Theatre Fifth Avenue Theatre was a Broadway theatre in New York City in the United States located at 31 West 28th Street and Broadway (1185 Broadway). It was demolished in 1939. Built in 1868, it was managed by Augustin Daly in the mid-1870s. In 1877, ...

on Broadway in New York City on February 5, 1912, and starred

Florence Nash Florence Nash (née Ryan) (October 2, 1888 — April 2, 1950) was an American actress and author. She was sister to theater and movie actor Mary Nash. Early life Florence was born to James H. and Ellen Frances (née McNamara) Ryan. She and he ...

, Joseph W. Jefferson (son of

Joseph Jefferson Joseph Jefferson III, commonly known as Joe Jefferson (February 20, 1829 – April 23, 1905), was an American actor. He was the third actor of this name in a family of actors and managers, and one of the most famous 19th century American comedia ...

),(2 May 1919)
Joseph W. Jefferson Dies; Son of the Famous Actor Starred Years Ago in "The Rivals"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' and Minnette Barrett.(6 February 1912)
Mock Problem Play is Rich in Satire - Mr. de Mille's "In 1999" Shows What May Happen if Woman Has Her Way
''

''Grau, Robert.
The Stage in the Twentieth Century: Third Volume
p. 280 (1912)(10 February 1912). ''Review'', ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

''(9 March 1912)
The Feminists Break into Vaudeville
''

Collier's ''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened in 1905 to ''Collie ...

'', p. 46 The sketch was performed for a number of years in theatres throughout the United States.deMille, William C
Hollywood Saga
p. 130 (1939) ("which was played for years all over the country by Joseph Jefferson, the younger, with Florence Nash and Minette Barrett.... my first production for Jesse L. Lasky ...") Considered a satire of the popular

problem play The problem play is a form of drama that emerged during the 19th century as part of the wider movement of realism in the arts, especially following the innovations of Henrik Ibsen. It deals with contentious social issues through debates between th ...

s of the day, the sketch is set in 1999 and portrays a world of the future where women and men have reversed roles from 1912, with husbands performing domestic chores and the women spending time at their clubs, and tells the tale of a love triangle with the typical speeches reversed by gender. It proved particularly popular with female audience members.Kibler, M. Alison
Rank Ladies: Gender and Cultural Hierarchy in American Vaudeville
p. 48-49 (1999)Bleiler, Everett F
Science-fiction, the Early Years
p. 190 (1990)(14 May 1912)
In "1999" Not So Good
''

Brooklyn Eagle :''This article covers both the historical newspaper (1841–1955, 1960–1963), as well as an unrelated new Brooklyn Daily Eagle starting 1996 published currently'' The ''Brooklyn Eagle'' (originally joint name ''The Brooklyn Eagle'' and ''King ...

'', p. 15, col. 3

Lawsuits

The sketch was also popular enough to be stolen and fought over. ''

'' magazine reported in July 1912 that "the Meymotts" had copied the play, after Lasky has rejected an offer for the English rights, and presented it in England under the title ''In the Future'', and also copyrighted it there first.(5 July 1912)
Protection from "Thieves" Need by American Acts
''

'', p. 6(15 June 1912)
"1999" "Copy" A Hit
''

'', p. 2, col. 2 Iza Hampton Barnes, an actress, also sued Lasky, deMille, and the three actors, claiming ''In 1999'' was stolen from her sketch titled ''The Woman of Tomorrow''.(20 December 1912)
Play Theft is Charged Again
''

The Sun (New York) ''The Sun'' was a New York newspaper published from 1833 until 1950. It was considered a serious paper, like the city's two more successful broadsheets, ''The New York Times'' and the '' New York Herald Tribune''. The Sun was the first successf ...

'', p. 9, col. 5.(15 June 1912)
Injunction for ''In 1999''
''

'', p. 3, col. 3 DeMille's defense to Barnes' suit claimed that the gender-reversal concept existed in "numerous writings and compositions" predating 1910, and that ''In 1999'' was first written by deMille while he was in college in 1899, and named ''Rollo''.(13 September 1912)
Lasky's Defense
''

'', p. 8, col. 1

References

{{reflist, 2

External links

''In 1999'' A Problem Play of the Future
(Samuel French, publisher) (1914 publication of play, at archive.org) Comedy sketches 1912 plays Fiction set in 1999 Plays set in the 1990s