kidboots In 1924 all America was gripped by the Chicago trial of Beulah Anann for a "crime of passion' - murdering her lover, Harry Kalstedt, then apparently playing "Hula Lou" on the phonograph for about 4 hours before she decided to tell anyone about it. A couple of years later it was turned into a movie and gave Phyllis Haver, formally known as a supporting comedienne, the role of her life. The film was based on the hit play "Chicago" of the year before, Beulah became Roxie Hart and it opened out the play considerably, with some additions based on the original murder and some concocted by Hollywood screenwriters. Completely remastered and with a hummable musical score this may have been Pathe's most prestigious film - all about "a little girl who was all wrong in the big city"!! Amos Hart (Victor Varconi) is just besotted with his flapper wife Roxie who yearns only for wealth, only maid of all work, Katie, appreciates Amos's kindness. Roxie has a "sugar daddy" (Eugene Palette) who desperately wants to give Roxie the air but she cuts him off first - shooting him through the door. Disillusioned Amos sizes up the situation but still takes the blame for the murder - however the D.A. is convinced Roxie is guilty as hell!! With the help of a publicity chasing news hound (T. Roy Barnes) who builds her up as "Chicago's Most Beautiful Murderess" and convinces her that in a few days women will be naming their babies after her - the celebrity of Roxie Hart kicks in!!There is a hilarious fight in the woman's prison between Roxie and "Black Narcissus" with cries of "Peroxide" and "false hair!!" and they all get entangled in the prison gym equipment with May Robson acting as referee. Kind hearted Amos has to find the money to pay for the top lawyer he wants to hire and in desperation robs the lawyer but soon realises that the money is the proceeds from a recent bank robbery. The lawyer earns his money but it is an uphill battle - "when I say virtuous look as though you know what virtuous means"!!! Roxie is found not guilty in a very funny performance in which she has the all male jury eating out of her hand and looks set to bask in her notoriety for a long time to come but when "Two Gun Rosie" slays her lover in court Roxie realises that celebrity is fickle and as disposable as yesterday's newspaper. (I thought I saw pretty Sally Eilers as one of the goggle eyed flappers in the courtroom scene). The movie finishes on a depressing note for Roxie who, even though cleared of murder, by Hollywood standards was not allowed to get off scot free for her crimes. Even Amos is left pondering what might have been at the movie's ambiguous ending.Reviewers praised Haver to the skies for her performance - "astoundingly fine" and "makes this comedy most entertaining". She then appeared in D.W. Griffith's "The Battle of the Sexes" and a minor Lon Chaney movie "Thunder" but then it was all over for her. In 1929 she married a millionaire, William Seeman, and cited "an Act of God" clause to get out of her contract. "A millionaire wants to marry me and if that ain't an "Act of God" I don't know what is"!!!

Michael_Elliott Chicago (1927)*** (out of 4) The first screen adaptation of the Broadway hit has Phyllis Haver playing Roxie Hart, a morally questionable young woman who murders her lover (Eugene Palette) in cold blood when he says he's leaving her. Her husband (Victor Varconi) must try and raise money to hire a lawyer (Robert Edeson) but even he is quite crooked and things don't get any easier once the trial becomes a media sensation. CHICAGO was turned into an Oscar-winning musical in 2002 and Ginger Rogers played the role in a 1944 film (ROXIE HART) but this silent version has been pretty difficult to see up until a few years ago when UCLA restored it. There was a lot of hype going into this movie because so many people have talked it up to be something terrific and while it really didn't reach that level, it's still a pretty entertaining little movie. Frank Urson does a nice job directing the film and I really enjoyed that free-spirited, Jazz-like feeling he brings to the movie. There are some very strong moments including the opening murder sequence, which I've read was extended here compared to what was on the stage at the time. The way the murder scene breaks down was quite interesting visually and the way they show the murder was pretty ambitious. Another terrific sequence happens when Roxie enters the jail and is introduced to the various characters in there. May Robson plays one of the women and does a nice job but the cat-fight that breaks out between Roxie and another woman was very well done and quite a lot of fun. Then, there's some nice drama as the husband is forced to do some crooked things just to protect the wife who was cheating on him. The entire cast does a nice job but there's no doubt that the picture belongs to Haver. She's perfect as the freewheeling girl and I really loved the breezy nature she brought to the character. I thought the way she just floated on screen really brought the character to life and just look at the way she brings out that flirtatious nature. Edeson is just fine as the crooked lawyer and Varconi really stands out as the husband. Palette would become a very well-known character actor and it was a lot of fun seeing him in this early bit. CHICAGO does have a few problems with one of them being that it runs a tad bit too long. I think a few of the scenes just run on and on and a little bit of editing would have helped. Producer Cecil B. DeMille's stamp is all over the picture but at the same time I can't help but wonder what he might have done with the subject matter.

drednm Phyllis Haver stars here as Roxie Hart in a story based on a hit Broadway play from 1927. Just about everyone is familiar with the story. Roxie plugs her lover and tries to pin it on her sap of a husband Amos. But while in jail she becomes a tabloid queen, especially after lawyer Billy Flynn enters the picture. He's an expert on law and headlines, especially after he gets his $5,000.Haver, who looks a lot like Laura La Plante here) is terrific as the hard-boiled Roxie as she learns the ropes in prison and in the court room. Haver never misses a comic or ironic beat. Victor Varconi plays the hapless Amos, but he has a whole subplot here that's not in the famous musical versions of this play. Billy is played by Robert Edeson, the matron is played by May Robson, and Casley is played by Eugene Palette. There is no Velma Kelly in this story but Roxie's rival in prison, who is unnamed, is played by Julia Faye.The film was produced by Cecil B. DeMille and although Frank Urson gets credit for direction, many think the film was directed by DeMille.This new DVD release by Flicker Alley is a gorgeous print with solid music by the Mont Alto Orchestra. The sound effects are amusing.

tybalt-2 Last night the Sam Goldwyn theatre at the Academy in Los Angeles was filled to capacity for the screening of this 1927 silent movie. The print was a restoration, by UCLA, of the original nitrate copy from the DeMille family's archives. It was a full length version, with a 10 min. intermission. Johnny Crawford's orchestra provided a live musical accompaniment, based on original scoring notes. A standing ovation at the end proves that a really well performed silent movie can stand the test of time. Phyllis Haver had a range of expressions from A to Z - fantastic - and the courtroom scene, played for comedy, was truly a highlight. If a DVD is made, as has been suggested, you're in for a treat.