Roxie Hart

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Thanks to the success of Rob Marshall's Chicago, the inspiration for that film, William Wellman's Roxie Hart, was finally made available to the public on DVD. Starring Ginger Rogers, the movie is presented in a standard full-frame transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1. English soundtracks are rendered in both Dolby Digital Stereo, and Dolby Digital Mono. English subtitles are accessible. There are no supplemental materials of any consequence, but this reasonably priced title should be worthwhile to any fan of Chicago or Rogers. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Mono, Dolby Digital Stereo
• Screen: Black and White
• Subtitle: English
• Features:
  • cc [None specified]

AWARDS

• National Board of Review

•     Won Best Acting - 1942 (Ginger Rogers)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Ginger Rogers - Roxie Hart
       Adolphe Menjou - Billy Flynn
       George Montgomery - Homer Howard
       Lynne Overman - Jake Callahan
       Nigel Bruce - E. Clay Benham

• Director:

  William Wellman

• Producer:

  Nunnally Johnson

• Play Author:

  Maurine Watkins

• Screenwriter:

  Nunnally Johnson

• Cinematographer:

  Leon Shamroy

• Composer (Music Score):

  Alfred Newman

• Editor:

  James B. Clark

• Art Director:

  Richard Day, Wiard Ihnen

REVIEWS:

• The second screen version of Maurine Watkins' play (the first, Chicago, was released in 1927) and the inspiration for the Bob Fosse musical and its Oscar-winning 2002 film is a snappy little comedy. Producer/writer Nunnally Johnson cleverly begins the story in the present day, with veteran reporter Homer Howard (George Montgomery) recalling the good old days, 15 years before, when Chicago was a wide-open "city of opportunity," replete with charismatic gangsters like Al Capone and sensational trials like the one involving an aspiring dancer, her boyfriend, and her jealous husband. A bartender (William Frawley) eggs him on to tell the story of Roxie, and in another clever touch, the barkeep shows up in the flashback in a key role. Ginger Rogers gives a one-note performance, though an enjoyable one at that, as the gum-chewing Roxie, and Adolphe Menjou, as her mouthpiece, Billy Sullivan, rumples his hair and suit for the trial until he looks like John Barrymore. Rogers does get to dance twice, once in a jailhouse number accompanied by a gang of reporters (including Spring Byington as Sunshine Mary), and again in a solo number on the jail's iron steps to impress the smitten Homer. There are other pleasures, including Phil Silvers as Babe, who orchestrates his fellow tabloid photographers as they frequently interrupt the trial to take posed photos (which the judge always seems to sneak into) and the reactions of Roxie's farmer parents to her arrest (Pa: "They're gonna hang Roxie." Ma: "What did I tell you?"). Director William Wellman keeps things moving along, though there are still some dry patches, and the ending, forced by the Production Code, is a limp joke. For the record, Roxie has two jailhouse rivals, though neither of them are as strong as the musical Chicago's Velma Kelly. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide
• The second screen version of {$Maurine Watkins}' play (the first, {#Chicago}, was released in 1927) and the inspiration for the {$Bob Fosse} {\musical} and its Oscar-winning 2002 film is a snappy little {\comedy}. Producer/writer {$Nunnally Johnson} cleverly begins the story in the present day, with veteran reporter {%Homer Howard} ({$George Montgomery}) recalling the good old days, 15 years before, when Chicago was a wide-open "city of opportunity," replete with charismatic gangsters like {%Al Capone} and sensational trials like the one involving an aspiring dancer, her boyfriend, and her jealous husband. A bartender ({$William Frawley}) eggs him on to tell the story of {%Roxie}, and in another clever touch, the barkeep shows up in the flashback in a key role. {$Ginger Rogers} gives a one-note performance, though an enjoyable one at that, as the gum-chewing {%Roxie}, and {$Adolphe Menjou}, as her mouthpiece, {%Billy Sullivan}, rumples his hair and suit for the trial until he looks like {$John Barrymore}. {$Rogers} does get to dance twice, once in a jailhouse number accompanied by a gang of reporters (including {$Spring Byington} as {%Sunshine Mary}), and again in a solo number on the jail's iron steps to impress the smitten {%Homer}. There are other pleasures, including {$Phil Silvers} as {%Babe}, who orchestrates his fellow tabloid photographers as they frequently interrupt the trial to take posed photos (which the judge always seems to sneak into) and the reactions of {%Roxie}'s farmer parents to her arrest (Pa: "They're gonna hang {%Roxie}." Ma: "What did I tell you?"). Director {$William Wellman} keeps things moving along, though there are still some dry patches, and the ending, forced by the Production Code, is a limp joke. For the record, {%Roxie} has two jailhouse rivals, though neither of them are as strong as the {\musical} {+Chicago}'s {%Velma Kelly}. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide

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