Customer Reviews

Roxie Hart

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Most people these days will want to see this film in order to compare it to the musical CHICAGO. ROXIE HART was the film adaptation of a previous stage hit CHICAGO, which introduced to the world the character Roxie Hart and her attorney Billy Flynn. I think it would be a shame if that was the only reason people watched this. Ginger Rogers turned in one of the half dozen best performances of her career in the title role (though in 1942 I think she was better in Billy Wilder's film debut as a director, in THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR). For those who only know her from her musicals paired with Fred Astaire, this film could be a surprise. Ginger had actually managed by 1942 a number of excellent non-musical comedic roles. It is ironic to compare this film with the 2002 musical version, and realize that the nonmusical version starred a musical star, while the musical starred a nonmusical actress (though Renee Zellweger acquitted herself very well indeed).

Adolph Menjou is great as Billy Flynn. Menjou is sometimes today remembered more for his nonscreen activities than his acting. He cooperated with the House Un-American Activities Committee in the forties in ferreting out "communists" in Hollywood, which has placed him historically in a rather poor light. He is also remembered for being one of the best dressed men of the 20th century, appearing regularly at the top of lists of the best dressed men in the world for years. He was a star of the silent screen, but while he made a number of very good films in the sound era (including a tremendous role as a corrupt French officer in the great Stanley Kubrick anti-war film PATHS OF GLORY), his success was haphazard.

This is a very satisfying film, and one can enjoy it either on its own merits or by comparing it with the recent Oscar-winning musical and Tony-winning stage musical. Either way, it is a film that the more recent versions shouldn't make us forget.

We all know about the 2002 Academy Award Winning Musical "Chicago", starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere and Renée Zellweger, but not too many people knew that this story had been filmed before as plain comedy in 1942.

Ginger Rogers does an excellent job portraying the rather vulgar & low-brow, but very appealing Roxie Hart, who is being judged for shooting a man, something she, in fact, didn't do...but, which oddly enough, she must pretend she did, in order to gain public notoriety & "stardom", in the late `20s Chicago!

She has to convince a Jury (integrated by men-only) to acquit her not-guilty, the poor young thing! (Rogers), helpless, shy, "demure", ...she just had to fight for "her honor"....and in the process she (hilariously) displays (in front of the Jury) many-a-smile and lots of "legs" (and batting eyelashes too!), to obtain it!!

Adolphe Menjou is excellent as her attorney, the "best in town", guiding her through all kind of schemes to gain both the acquittal and the press-coverage she so desperately needs to show "her talents" and become a "public name"...BTW, you have to watch Rogers dance the blackbottom!

George Montgomery is good as a young reporter who falls for Roxie, and the rest of the cast is filled with great character actors like Lynne Overman, Nigel Bruce, Spring Byington, William Frawley, Sara Allgood, Phil Silvers,...all of whom give expert and flawless performances.

The story was filmed before as a silent in 1927, as "Chicago", with Phyllis Haver as Roxie Hart.

Fox's DVD edition is great, giving us a great, sharp, crisp (in glorious Black & white) copy of the film.

I watched this out of curiousity after becoming a fan of Chicago the movie. It's fun to compare and contrast the modern version against this Ginger Rogers vehicle. Check out familiar characters (such as the prison matron "Mrs." Morton and Mary Sunshine) new characters (the reporter who has a crucial role in the end) and even missing characters (no Velma Kelley.)

This 1942 film has the title character as a woman on trial for shooting a man who is strongly implied to be her lover. Unlike the Roxie Hart in Chicago, this Roxie is innocent and only on trial for publicity to bolster her show business career. Rogers is a lot of fun and chews the scenery as the gum snapping Roxie. In retrospect, it seems a natural that this story became a musical. Aside from a brief tap dance sequence, it's too bad Rogers couldn't show off her musical talents here.

Make note to watch for the totally different but funny ending.

Based on the same play as the current hit musical "Chicago," this outstanding movie has much of the same dialogue and a surprising amount of the same pungent satire (Adophe Menjou IS Johnnie Cochran). The movie's chief asset is Ginger Rogers, who gives the greatest performance of her career. She's fearless enough to play Roxie as a vain, selfish knucklehead and skillful enough to somehow make her sympathetic. Plus she does two wonderful solo dances that demonstrate once and for all that she had absolutely no need of her ex-partner... whatshisname. And, finally, those legs... wow. The movie has slight flaws: Roxie has been made innocent of murder (maybe) and a fairly icky framing device has been added. And, of course, the Kander and Ebb songs are missed. Nonetheless, this is a great, great movie -- hard, fast, and hilarious.

Never has a girl with so little done so much. When a 1920s has-been showgirl's husband shoots a burglar in her apartment, "Roxie Hart" (Ginger Rogers) decides to take the wrap. Why? Good business...and because outside of 15 minutes in the pen she becomes the biggest little murderess in old Chicago. Based on a true story, but this time played strictly for laughs, the bawdy, gaudy and luscious Roxy kicks up her high-stepping heels into one of the most publicized trials of the last century. There's much to admire in the story and Rogers is outstanding as the vixen turned hot property. Adolph Menjou costars as Roxy's ubiquitous attorney.

TRANSFER: Kiss! Kiss! Bang! Bang! This one's a winner. Despite a few scenes that lay claim to considerable film grain and minor mis-registration (resulting in some minor pesky halos) this DVD is minted from a remarkably clean camera negative. The gray scale is wonderfully realized, with rich, deep, solid blacks. Occasionally the contrast level appears a tad on the low side but only occasionally. For the most part what you get is a genuinely impressive looking transfer. The audio has been rechanneled to stereo with predictable dated characteristics.

EXTRAS: A couple of trailers that illustrate just how awful this DVD might have looked if the good people at Fox hadn't worked some digital magic on this restored print.

BOTTOM LINE: Get ready to shoot it out with "Roxie Hart" on DVD!

Loosely based on the 1924 trials of Chicago murderesses Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner, as well as the exploits of notorious defense lawyers W.W. O'Brien and William Scott Steward, playwright Maurine Dallas Watkin's play CHICAGO was a popular stage success of 1926--a wickedly funny satire on fame and the American justice system. It was also a popular silent film of 1927. But when Hollywood returned to the story in 1942 the movies were under the infamous "production code," and there was simply no way the story could be filmed as originally written. The resulting film was a very loose adaptation in which the role of Velma Kelly was largely cut and Roxie Hart herself became less sinner than a fame-hungry dimwit who pleads guilty to a crime of which she is innocent in order to gain media fame.

ROXIE HART is one of those films that goes off with a bang when it works and dies with a fizzle when it doesn't. The great success is the cast: both Ginger Rogers and Adophe Menjou are knock-outs in the leading roles of Roxie and her slick-and-slimy defense attorney Billy Flynn, and the supporting cast (which includes a host of famous faces, including Nigel Bruce, Phil Silvers, Sara Allgood, Spring Byington, William Frawley and Iris Adrian) is hard to beat. The jail house scenes are a scream--yes, Ginger coaxes everybody into dancing "The Black Bottom"--and the court room scenes even more so--with Ginger showing as much false emotion as she does leg.

On the other hand, the film uses a framing device in which a reporter (George Montgomery) tells the story of Roxy to a bar-room audience some twenty years after the fact, and it creaks, plods, thuds, brings the movie to a slow crawl, and then gives us a surprise ending that's not only completely unsurprising but which has the effect of undercutting the entire premise of the film. When ROXIE HART flies, it really flies; when it falls, it does so with the thump of an over-cooked poundcake.

Even so, the film was still appealing enough to intrigue Broadway star Gwen Verdon, who was so fascinated by the general premise that she begged then-husband Bob Fosse to transform it into a stage showcase for her own talents. Fosse agreed it would make a great musical, but he ran afoul of original author Watkins, who had had a change of heart about her play over the years and didn't want to see it resurrected. When Watkins died in 1969 her estate felt differently, released the rights, and by 1975--with all its sin blackened humor restored--CHICAGO began to prove its worth on the musical stage. An Academy-award winning film version aside, it is currently one of the most widely admired and widely performed musicals on the world stage.

Getting back to ROXIE HART--well, no, it ain't no CHICAGO. But that awkward framing device aside, fans of the later musical will enjoy seeing this variation of their favorite musical, and certainly no one can argue with the calibre of the performances. The DVD is not mint, but it is close, and it comes with two film trailers. Recommended, as long as you don't expected too much.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

william wellman's 'roxie hart' deserves mention because he was able to keep a breathless pace and stinging cynicism in this 1943 adaptation of mauirne watkins' 'chicago'. this is no easy feat, considering 20th century fox felt the need to portray roxie as 100% innocent! and, the studio also had a character added in to the story to give contract player george montgomery a major break as rogers' romantic foil.

no matter--ginger rogers is a dizzy delight as roxie. she dances up a storm in two great sequences, manages to wear the slightly meretricious costumes with style and tosses off her lines in a daffy, shrill voice that makes you love her. she is matched scene for scene by adolphe menjou as slimy lawyer billy flynn, sara algood as tough matron momma morton and iris adrian as a scuzzy, unglamourous two gun gertie.

it's not 'chicago' okay? but watch, enjoy and appreciate what it is because it's so much fun!

Ginger Rogers ability as a comedienne has NEVER been more apparent than in the cynical Willaim Welliam directed comedy "Roxie Hart"!Based on real events in 1920's Chicago. Roxie (Ginger) is accused by the Cook County D.A. as having shot and killed a "talent agent" who was getting a little too friendly with Ginger.Naturally the Chicago press builds up the case due to the fact that Ginger is quite a "dish" who doesn't mind showing off her(GREAT)legs to the photo-happy press and the ALL MALE JURY,with William Frawley serving as foremen. Not only does Ginger thinks that these diversion will get her off,but that the publicity will help her budding show biz career!The story is told in flashbacks,from cica 1941, by newspaper reporter,George Montomgery(good-surprisingly!)who during the trail has fallen in love with Roxie!"Those were the good old days",Montgomery tells bartender Frawley,as a crowd gathers in the saloon to drink, and think of those days and the beautiful Roxie.Other than Ginger the comedic anchor of the film is Adolphe Menjou,as not so honest attorney Billy Flynn.Menjou gives the comedic performance of his life,somewhat hammily,but right in character!Menjou and Ginger are ably assisted by Lynn Overmen,as an extremely cynical Chicago newspaper reporter (A GREAT COMEDY PERFORMANCE) Frawley,Spring Byington,Sara Allgood, Iris Adrian, Phil Silvers,Nigel Bruce,Pierre Watkins(as the D.A.),and as Ginger's sappy husband George Chandler.Oh,yes Ginger does a couple of dance numbers that are of immense,toe tapping, pleasure,with the added attraction that Ginger again puts her beautiful legs on display! FIVE STARS!!!

If ever you wanted to see the true power of publicity on public opinion and how it can shift a population's way of thinking on a particular topic then you need go no further than the rollicking farce "Roxie Hart". It paints a very "warts and all", view of newspaper people in general and about "publicity" in particular and contains one of the best performances by Ginger Rogers after she had finally moved on from her famous teamings with Fred Astaire at RKO. Here she plays a very different type of character as the fast talking, gum chewing, show girl Roxie Hart who becomes the darling of Chicago after she confesses to a murder she didn't commit for the sake of publicity. Famed nowadays more for being based on the original Broadway play of 'Chicago", this fast and funny film deserves to be better remembered in its own right not only for its wonderful expose of the devious side to the newspaper world but also for displaying the often overlooked comedy talents of Ginger Rogers in a perfect partnership with co star Adolphe Menjou in one of his most outrageously comical roles........

"Not Guilty Verdict in Trial of Blond Who Shot Friend Six Times Accidentally!"
"He Refused to Take Me to See Victor Mature Claims Woman on Trial for Life!"
"No Recollection of Picking Up Axe, Jilted Girl Testifies!"
"Crowd Cheers as Jury Clears Red-Head of Driving Car Over Electric Refrigerator Salesman!"

Roxie Hart, one of the funniest and most cynical Hollywood comedies, starts out with these newspaper headlines, and it just gets better. It's 1927 and Roxie (Ginger Rogers) may or may not have shot her lecherous agent. Her dim, loving husband at first agrees to take the fall. Then he finds out about some hanky-panky, so Roxie is arrested and sent to the Cook County jail. She quickly realizes a great lawyer like Billy Flynn (Adolphe Menjou) can put on such a show that she'll get off and the publicity will finally bring that big break in show biz she's always dreamed of. Sound familiar? This is what the stage and film version, both named Chicago, were based on. Surprisingly, they followed the story line almost exactly.

And what a story it is. The movie takes ambition, greed, the media, the public, lawyers and the justice system and then squeezes every jaundiced laugh out of each one. "Laugh and the world laughs with you," says Flynn, "weep and they'll think you're a chump."

Ginger Rogers does a great job as the dumb but crafty, gum-chewing Roxie. She's "the prettiest woman ever tried for murder in Cook County," says Homer Howard (George Montgomery), a young reporter who falls for her. Roxie always has an eye out for the main chance, and if she were any smarter she'd be hard to like. Rogers even gets a chance to dance a couple of times, once a wonderful and surreal strut to The Black Bottom when she's in jail during a press interview. Suddenly, all the reporters, including Mary Sunshine, join in.

The real star, for me, is Adolph Menjou. He plays Flynn with just enough ham to be funny and just enough honesty to be uproarious. When some vital testimony is thrown out as hearsay, Flynn turns to Roxie and whispers, "You see in New York or Los Angeles or some other sissy town, that'd be the end of it. Nothing but law. But in Chicago the law doesn't count. It's justice we're after. What'ya say, kid?" And he puts her on the stand for a cross examination that would even have the talking heads on Fox and MSNBC singing his and Roxie's praises. I seldom laugh out loud during movies, but Menjou's florid, manipulative cynicism had me wiping my eyes.

Since this is a comedy, Roxie gets off, partly through the judicious exposure of her gams to the all-male jury. And because Roxie's story is told in flashback by Homer in 1942 while he's waiting in a bar during a rainstorm, there's a nice twist at the end.

There are no extras to speak of. The black and white DVD transfer looks great.