Roxie Hart (1942)

Very disappointing...

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Streetwise dancer Roxie Hart (Ginger Rogers) confesses to a murder she didn't commit, hoping the publicity will help her career. Not looking to pass up the publicity himself, flashy lawyer Billy Flynn (Adolphe Menjou) takes her case. Fun, light comedy from William Wellman based on the play Chicago, previously filmed in 1927 and more famously turned into a stage and screen musical. Nunnally Johnson wrote the screenplay. It's a funny movie with a good pace and some fine performances. Ginger is outstanding in one of her best roles. She's backed up by a stable of solid comic actors. Most people today will be more familiar with the 2002 version but hopefully will find the charms in this one.

Roxie Hart (1942) *** (out of 4) Fast paced comedy about a showgirl (Ginger Rogers) who admits to a murder she didn't commit just so she can get her name in the media. This story was previously made in 1927 as Chicago and it was later turned into the Oscar-winner Chicago in 2002. As for this film, it's fun from start to finish and the 75-minute running time flashes by without any dull moments. The true highlight here is Ginger Rogers who is downright brilliant as Roxie. Not only does Rogers perfectly capture all of the character's wit, she also brings a fair portion of sexuality to the role even though most of it ended up getting cut due to the Hayes Office. The supporting cast is full of terrific character actors and they all add great supporting. Adolphe Menjou is wonderful as the showbiz lawyer who wants to turn the trial into something like a movie production. George Montgomery, Nigel Bruce and Phil Silvers.

There was a real Roxie Hart, and in 1942, she was played by none other than Ginger Rogers with red hair. It's basically the same story as "Chicago" with some changes. What remains the same is that Roxie is a darling of the press, and her trial is a media circus. The difference here is that Roxie didn't shoot anyone, and she and her husband do divorce. Also, the matron doesn't have a song. Roxie's story is told in flashback by a reporter (George Montgomery) who has avid listeners in a coffee shop, particularly the man behind the counter (William Frawley) - who we see as the story continues was actually on the jury! As in "Chicago," Roxie loses the limelight when a fresh news story comes along, but she manages to get the crowd back when she announces she's pregnant.Ginger is great as Roxie and dances "The Black Bottom" and taps up a storm. She's very sassy and flirtatious, seemingly having a good time. Adolphe Menjou is just right as Billy Flynn, who knows every trick in the book to get Roxie declared not guilty. The film has a wonderful group tap number, too, which is excellent.All in all, a fun ride, with a great ending. Fans of "Chicago" will find the film interesting and entertaining.

The corn is definitely more than green in this uninspired farce which is broadly played by every member of the cast except GEORGE MONTGOMERY.Based on the same story that CHICAGO was based on, ROXIE HART has GINGER ROGERS, chewing gum and batting her eyes while on the witness stand when she gets caught up in a murder trial in rowdy '20s Chicago. Rogers is too cute for words, emerging as a caricature throughout.Hers is not the only overly flamboyant performance. ADOLPHE MENJOU is a bit over-the-top as her lawyer, but GEORGE MONTGOMERY gives one of his most natural, effortless performances as the man who narrates the story and takes part in the screenplay.Someone else has cited him as "that guy George Montgomery that I never heard of" and says he's the reason the film fails to succeed. Not true. Actually, it's the Ginger Rogers role of a tootsie type of hoofer who prevents the film from becoming the comedy it aspires to be. That plus heavy-handed direction from William Wellman, a man usually associated with heroic male action films and not comedy or satire.Definitely belongs among those films from Rogers that failed to reach their potential--chiefly because of a misguided performance on her part. This came shortly after her Oscar-winning role as KITTY FOYLE, so it's an example of how she vacillated between good and bad roles during this phase of her screen career. She seems to be enjoying herself enormously as the center of attention, but it's all to no avail.As for GEORGE MONTGOMERY, he was far from being a sub-standard leading man as the other commentator suggested. His star was on the rise in the early '40s and he was also well-known as the husband of the legendary singing star and TV personality, DINAH SHORE.