To try and kick-start her show-business career, our heroine admits to a Chicago murder. But although Cook County don't seem to let dames swing, and even with top slippery lawyer Billy Flynn... See full summary »
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To try and kick-start her show-business career, our heroine admits to a Chicago murder. But although Cook County don't seem to let dames swing, and even with top slippery lawyer Billy Flynn, it's all something of a gamble. Written by
Jeremy Perkins <jwp@aber.ac.uk>
The storyline had to be changed in this version in order to placate the Hays Commission code; both the silent (Chicago) and modern (Chicago) versions are more faithful to the original 1926 play. See more »
It's a wonderful irony that the non-singing original Roxie Hart, so familiar from the stage show and movie of 'Chicago' was played by one of the top musical stars of the '30s - Ginger Rogers.
And how she sells it - she could so have topped Renee, good as she is, had the musical have been available then.
But the 'straight' play is well worth a look. Adolphe Menjou never disappoints, and gives the tastier Richard Gere a lesson in character acting.
Another in the wonderful, scathing films of my Hollywood at its best, satirising itself and the media, along with 'His Girl Friday', 'The Stand-in', and, in more serious vein, 'Citizen Kane'.
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It's a wonderful irony that the non-singing original Roxie Hart, so familiar from the stage show and movie of 'Chicago' was played by one of the top musical stars of the '30s - Ginger Rogers.
And how she sells it - she could so have topped Renee, good as she is, had the musical have been available then.
But the 'straight' play is well worth a look. Adolphe Menjou never disappoints, and gives the tastier Richard Gere a lesson in character acting.
Another in the wonderful, scathing films of my Hollywood at its best, satirising itself and the media, along with 'His Girl Friday', 'The Stand-in', and, in more serious vein, 'Citizen Kane'.