“Of Blonde”

ROXIE HART—“Don’t you worry, my dear. The American public will fight to the death for you and your wee one.”  Remember Chicago, the superhit musical from 2002? Like moi, if you’re among those who’d rather forget another example of fawning critics & awards overkill, take a right turn back to 1942. Gum-chewing, gams-flashing Ginger Rogers heads a choice cast relishing Nunnally Johnson’s snappy screenplay under spirited direction from William A. Wellman. As with a 1927 silent, the 1975 stage musical and its ensuing 2002 flick, the plot came off the play Chicago, a satire that reporter-turned-playwright Maurine Dallas Watkins spun from a pair of court cases that made sensational headlines in the early 1920s.

“This Picture is dedicated to all the beautiful women in the world who have shot their men full of holes out of pique.”

The tale is told years later in a bar by veteran Chicago reporter ‘Homer Howard’ (George Montgomery) about how back in 1927 when he was a cub on the job, he witnessed the trial of ‘Roxie Hart’ (Ginger Rogers) a showgirl.  She was accused of killing a booking agent, plugging him a half dozen times when he was in the apartment she shared with her dork husband ‘Amos’ (George Chandler), who’s not a lot of help when it comes to protecting his wife, from other men or a murder rap. Spellbinder defense attorney ‘Billy Flynn’ (Adolphe Menjou) takes Roxie’s case (she’s not the easiest person to handle) and the charges, her demeanor and the stir caused by the trial overshadow other ‘lady’ cons who are jealous of Roxie as she charms judge & jury and bewitches freshman journalist Homer. How’s this hoopla gonna end?

Johnson’s script crackles, and wily maverick Wellman directs it with breathless pacing on the order of His Girl Friday and other classic screwball romps. Menjou, 52, is an oratorical dynamo; this is one of his best, certainly funniest and most energetic performances. It’s also a topper for venerable character fella Chandler (1898-1985) who slammed 472 film and TV credits between 1928 and 1979, eighteen in 1942 alone. Brief slices of ‘tough dame’ hilarity come from a couple of vexed skirts who tussle with Roxie in stir; hoity toity ‘Velma Wall’, dished out by Helene Reynolds, 27, and ‘Two-Gun Gertie Baxter’, perfectly sourpussed across by Iris Adrian, 30.

Gable’ish hunk Montgomery, 25, had been around, mostly uncredited and in low-budget westerns, for seven years; after 38 parts this signaled a leap up, as were immediate pairings with Maureen O’Hara, Gene Tierney and Betty Grable. He’s very good here, handling, with convincing makeup, the older, wised-up Homer in the bar scenes, alternating with the appealing eagerness of his fresh younger self.

Front and center, Rogers, 30, has a field day with the role; flirty, coy, brazen, self-aware and sexy (she’s in great shape and shows it off) and also gets to cut loose in dizzily funny numbers, one a riotous impromptu free-for-all called “Black Bottom”, where she’s joined by a cadre of supporting players who cut comic rugs, and the other by herself in a dandy tap number on a stairway. There’s more fun and actual ‘moves’ (without edit cheating) in these two gag gigs that in the entire fake glitz noise stomps pasted into the 2002 remake.

Excellent b&w lensing is the work of Leon Shamroy. Hermes Pan staged the happy dance numbers.

Iris Adrian, 1912-1994

The deck is flush with ace character actors; Lynne Overman, Nigel Bruce, William Frawley (with a great wrapup), Phil Silvers, Sara Allgood, Spring Byington, Morris Ankrum, Milton Parsons (doing the dry-sly radio broadcast during the trial), Jeff Corey and Mary Treen. Future Today host Hugh Downs, 21, can be glimpsed as a reporter. Box office of $3,100,000 was less than expected but was still enough to cover the tab. Roxie Hart is a tart treat.

Helene Reynolds, 1914-1990

JAKE: “Listen, Roxie, you are a very lucky girl. Today you are nobody and who cares. Tomorrow money couldn’t buy the publicity you’ll have. Column after column of it. Pictures, measurements, what’cha eat, what’cha drink, how ya feel when you get up in the morning, advice to young girls…”    BENHAM: “On the radio...”    JAKE: “Everybody in the country will know ya. They’ll fight to see ya like when you cross the sidewalk from the patrol wagon to the courtroom door. They’ll want your autograph. They’ll grab your clothes for souvenirs. They’ll want to kiss ya so they can tell their grandchildren.”    BENHAM: “A million dollar production and you’re the star!”    JAKE: “I’m tellin’ ya, honey, you’ll be right up there with Peaches Browning, William Jennings Bryan, Queen Marie, Ma Ferguson…”    BENHAM: “Mutt and Jeff…”    JAKE: “Red Grange, Duke Snyder, Aimee Semple McPherson, Barney Google… Don’t you understand, dear? This is Chicago, the city of opportunity…”

* Rogers Wilco—in 1942 Ginger Rogers was the highest paid star in Hollywood. She brightened big hits The Major And The Minor (14th place) and Tales Of Manhattan (some cite 7th, Cogerson says 18th), plus the oddball Once Upon A Honeymoon (36th). That the seemingly surefire Roxie Hart was back in the pack at 84th is puzzling. The year being stuffed with comedies might account. Reviews were mixed, as they are today in the fog of Blogland, though to this witnesses delight we found that our favorite reviewer shares our enthusiasm for this flick as well as the frown wrinkle over the gaudy remake. At any rate, back in the day Roxie and her reputation had swell company on the receipts rung they occupied—This Gun For Hire, I Married A Witch, The Talk Of The Town, The Glass Key. Heck, they all out-grossed The Magnificent Ambersons!