Chicago (1927)

Director:

Frank Urson

Writers:

Maurine Dallas Watkins (play)
Lenore J. Coffee (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 December 1927 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

DRAMATIC STORY OF A JAZZ CRAZED WIFE (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

Based on a true crime story, the movie is about a wild jazz-loving and boozing wife Roxie Hart who kills...

Plot Keywords:

Satire | Bill Collector | Rainstorm | Photographer | Tobacconist

Cast

Phyllis Haver	...	Roxie Hart
Victor Varconi	...	Amos Hart
Eugene Pallette	...	Rodney Casley
Virginia Bradford	...	Katie
Clarence Burton	...	Police sergeant
Warner Richmond	...	Asst. District Attorney
T. Roy Barnes	...	Reporter
Sidney D'Albrook	...	Photographer
Otto Lederer	...	Amos' partner
May Robson	...	Mrs. Morton - Matron
Julia Faye	...	Velma
Robert Edeson	...	William Flynn
Viola Louie	...	Two Gun Rosie
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sidney Bracey	...	Bill collector
Robert Brower	...	Juror
Robert Dudley	...	Insurance agent
Jim Farley	...	Detective
George Kuwa	...	Flynn's servant

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

DeMille Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Presented by the San Francisco Silent Film Festival to a sellout house of 1400 at the Castro Theatre on Saturday December 2, 2006.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007) (TV)

excellent version of the famous story of Roxie Hart

I really liked this film, viewed from the UCLA print. Phyllis Haver, now all but forgotten, shines as Roxie Hart, a good time girl who despises her husband and seeks sugar daddies for fun. As soon as you see her pretending to sleep, having discarded her garter with bells attached, you know she's trouble.

So Roxie kills, and goes to jail, and because she's blonde and pretty, she's taken up by the media in this wild world of flappers and jazz. Those familiar with the musical film with Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones will be wondering 'where's Velma?' but that character isn't in the forefront at all. This film is all about Roxie, and, more than the musical version, to some extent about her cuckolded husband Amos. Here we see his point of view on several occasions, and even follow him in scenes where Roxie doesn't appear. Victor Varconi puts in a lovely performance as Amos in this film.

Haver might dominate the proceedings, and lights up what is already a fast-moving and effective bit of jazz fluff, but there's a good, if brief performance from Eugene Palette as well. As Casely he is very watchable indeed.

As this was a late silent, the acting styles are mainly naturalistic, and the fact that it does not have sound, only titles, doesn't matter a bit when it comes to following the story. Miss Haver acts her heart out anyway and you can feel her contempt, her fear, her desperation, just as you would if you could hear it.

A superior film, and one which occasionally makes it out for public showings. A great pity it isn't on DVD as it is extremely enjoyable and deserves a wider potential audience.