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Chicago (1927 film)
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Wikipedia article
'Chicago' is a 1927 American silent crime comedy-drama film produced by Cecil B. DeMille and directed by Frank Urson. The first film adaptation of Maurine Dallas Watkins' play of the same name, the film stars Phyllis Haver as Roxie Hart, a fame-obsessed housewife who kills her lover in cold blood and, after trying to coerce her husband into taking the blame, is put on trial for murder.
Plot
The plot of the film is drawn from the 1926 play 'Chicago' by Maurine Dallas Watkins which was in turn based on the true story of Beulah Annan, fictionalized as Roxie Hart (Phyllis Haver), and her spectacular murder of her boyfriend.
The silent film adds considerably to the material in Watkins' play, some additions based on the original murder, and some for Hollywood considerations. The murder, which occurs in a very brief vignette before the play begins, is fleshed out considerably. Also, Roxie's husband Amos Hart has a much more sympathetic and active role in the film than he does either in the play or in the subsequent musical. The original ending is altered to have Roxie punished for her crime, in keeping with Hollywood values of not allowing criminals to profit too much from their crimes.
Cast
* Phyllis Haver as Roxie Hart
* Victor Varconi as Amos Hart
* Virginia Bradford as Katie
* Robert Edeson as Billy Flynn
* Eugene Pallette as Rodney Casley
* Warner Richmond as Asst. District Attorney
* T. Roy Barnes as Reporter
* Clarence Burton as Police sergeant
* Julia Faye as Velma Kelly
* May Robson as Matron Mama Morton
* Viola Louie as Two Gun Rosie
Preservation status
The film was long difficult to see, but a recent print was made available from the UCLA Film and Television Archive, enabling the film to play at festivals and historic theaters around the country. This has greatly improved the reputation of the film. Flicker Alley released the film on Blu-ray on October 6, 2020.
A print of 'Chicago' also survives at the Gosfilmofond Russian State Archives.
Adaptations
The plot was adapted to stage in 1975 with music and lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb. It was a critical and commercial success, and was made into a musical film in 2002, starring Rene Zellweger as Roxie, Catherine Zeta-Jones as fellow murderess Velma Kelly, Richard Gere as Billy Flynn, Queen Latifah as Mama Morton, and John C. Reilly as Amos. The film was also a hit and won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2003.
See also
* 'Roxie Hart' (1942)
* 'Chicago' (musical)
* 'Chicago' (2002)
References
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