Roxie Hart (1942)

Dancer Ginger Rogers (Roxie Hart) agrees to confess to a murder in order to further her career. Female murderers are always getting off in Chicago and dodgy lawyer Adolphe Menjou (Billy Flynn) knows how to milk the situation for maximum publicity. Does the plan work? Reporter George Montgomery (Homer) tells the story in flashback.The film starts well but it soon becomes clear that it is going to continue in a rapid-fire dialogue manner which I find grates. So, that's what the film does. Everyone talks too quickly and the whole film seems to only have one joke. It never really develops. Add to that a pretty annoying cast and watch things drag on. It's a pity that the story didn't dwell more on Iris Adrian as "Two-Gun Gertie" whose story seemed like it could be far more interesting. Also, the rivalry between Ginger and socialite criminal Helene Reynolds as "Velma" wasn't developed. To the detriment of the story. The best parts of the film are when Ginger dances and she only does this twice.I notice that on YouTube there is a clip of her dancing the Charleston in a scene that was cut from the film. What!! It's precisely what the film needed more of and would have been the film's best bit. Who on earth decided to cut it? It's a gem. The film is OK if a little irritating.

This delightfully funny original version of the late 1920's Broadway hit "Chicago" is a surprise to those who thought that "Chicago" started as a movie musical starring Little Miss Alice Faye. While Elizabeth Taylor was definitely wrong when she quoted that line in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", she was definitely looking into the future as less than 10 years later, Broadway would be taken by storm with a musical of the same name, songs by Kander and Ebb, and a delightful "Forbidden Broadway" quote by an actor portraying Jerry Orbach who indicated that he starred in the flop production of "Chicago" which ran for two years.Roxie is here on her own, no sidekick in Velma Kelly, although there is a character named Velma here, she is apparently no relation to the murderess from Cicero. Absent here also are a lot of the dirty one-liners that made Ginger Rogers wince when she heard of what the book of "Chicago" included. Also gone is that infamous line, "I Gotta Pee!", which Broadway legend Ethel Merman raised her eyebrows over. Yet, this slightly cleaned up "Chicago" is funny enough on its own without all the sexual insinuations, still potent with its publicity loving characters who shine when their names are on the front pages, even if their address is the Cook County Jail.Adolphe Menjou, disheveled with hair a mess, is far from his dapper tuxedo wearing usual self as he plays publicity thriving attorney Billy Flynn. It is made clear to the audience that Roxie isn't a murderess, only pretending to be so she can get some publicity. In other words, this is sort of a "Nothing Sacred" type scam, and one that still holds up even though its been re-done in a more famous way as an extremely long Broadway musical revival and an Oscar Winning Best Picture.Also extremely memorable is Sara Allgood in the role of the matron, calmly reading her movie magazine as Roxie and another inmate have a catfight (with actual cat screeches in the background), and her sudden movement to stop it. Allgood even gets in on the action, dancing along when reporters show up to watch Rogers do an impromptu musical number ("The Black Bottom") which also includes "sob sister" Mary Sunshine (Spring Byington) who obviously doesn't have the same plot twist as the musical. Milquetoast extroardinaire George Chandler is picture perfect as Rogers' unappreciated husband. A ton of other characters not part of the much altered musical appear, played with comic perfection by such talents as Nigel Bruce, Lynne Overman, William Frawley and Phil Silvers.Then, there's the addition of a love interest for Rogers, played by handsome George Montgomery, another character eliminated from the musical. There's enough here to make this stand alone from the musical, and Rogers' gum-snapping floozy is certainly one of her best parts, a throw-back to the characters she played a decade before, and far from those elegant sequined dressed ladies she played when dancing with Fred Astaire.Who better to direct such a sharp look at society and the need for attention than William A. Wellman who could take on a woman's picture with ease as he could a men's action film. This speeds along at a breakneck pace and is practically excellent in every department. So if you feel like rollin' your stockings down and buying some aspirin at United Drug, just remember, all you jazz fans, that long before Kander and Ebb got their hands on Roxie's garter belt, somebody else had been there first. Whatever happened to class? It used to be trash with class, and these teachers will give you a lesson you'll not soon forget.

This is the same story as "Chicago"(2002), and the musical, but without the music. It is done as screwball comedy and has a great deal of energy and fun.The movie is pretty faithful to Maurine Watkins play "Chicago," but due to the Hays Moral Code, Roxie could not be found innocent of a murder she committed. Its ironic that a moral code forced the filmmakers to lie, as in real life Beulah Annan was clearly guilty. Despite being guilty, a great publicity campaign "The prettiest little murderess in Chicago" had gotten her off at her trial. According to the Hays Code, a guilty person had to be punished for their crimes (unlike real life), thus she had to be guilty and punished or innocent and found innocent at her trial.The cast is superb. Adolphe Menjou, may have had despicable politics, but he was a delightful actor. He matches Richard Gere's great performance in "Chicago" as the ultimate shyster-lawyer, Billy Flynn.I think this is the best of Ginger Rogers great performances outside of her legendary Astaire/Rogers musicals. She is better in this than the soap opera "Kitty Foyle" She had won an academy award for "Foyle," just before she did this movie, Here she's at the peak of her career and she's positively glowing and confident, doing some amazing line readings and hilarious bits of business. The moment where she's questioned about what color she saw when she blacked out is amazing. She takes about five seconds to answer - "...Purple." One can almost see the wheels turning in her mind as she tries to figure out the correct answer.Lynne Overman, who plays a veteran reporter, Jake Calahan, was a great comic supporting actor of the 1930's. Unfortunately, he died in 1943, just two years after this picture. He played the second lead in half a dozen Dorothy Lamour movies and also supported four or five Fred MacMurray movies and four or five Ray Milland films. He co-starred with everyone from Cary Grant to W.C. Fields to John Wayne, He also gives a definitive laid-back cynic performance.The supporting cast is delightful. Bruce Cabot (the best Dr. Watson), Phil Silvers (the best Sgt. Bilko)and William Fawley (from My Three Sons) pop up here and there and deliver hysterically funny lines.The first time I watched it after seeing "Chicago," I was a bit disappointed. However, the second and third times, I started to really embrace the style and humor. I have now seen it about seven times and it really holds up well.Incidentally, This is better than the 1927 silent version of "Chicago". That version is not as faithful to the play, less cynical and only has about one-third the gags and laughs that "Roxie Hart" does.

At first it's hard to conceive of Ginger Rogers as a brunette, with a wad of gum in her mouth, talking like she came out of Brooklyn, New York. Nonetheless, you will get used to her and she gives quite an amazing performance as the damsel up on charges for murder.This movie is a tribute to sensationalism and that even accused murderers will do anything to keep themselves viable in the news.A year after her gut-wrenching Oscar nominated performance in the memorable "How Green Was My Valley," Sara Allgood is reduced and wasted in the role of Mrs. Morton. The part was greatly lengthened for Queen Latifah.Highlights include Ginger and George Montgomery dancing to the Rock Bottom. Sara and Spring Byington, as the lady reporter, Mary Sunshine, try to keep up with the tapping. Byington never looked younger than in this film.William Frawley looks like a younger Fred Mertz here and does some pretty good scene stealing as the bartender and juror member.