Chicago (1927): Cast & Plot
Chicago is a 1927 crime drama directed by Frank Urson, starring Phyllis Haver as Roxie Hart, Julia Faye and Eugene Pallette. It is based on Chicago by Maurine Dallas Watkins and Thomas H. Pauly. It runs 1 hour 43 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 43m (103 min)
- Director
- Frank Urson
- Studio
- DeMille Pictures Corporation
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Chicago About?
The premise of Chicago without spoilers, adapted from Chicago by Maurine Dallas Watkins and Thomas H. Pauly. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Based on a true story, Roxie Hart, a two‑timing, drinking wife, murders her lover after he leaves her, then uses her charm and clever legal maneuvers to evade conviction. The tale served as the foundation for Kander and Ebb’s 1975 Broadway musical and the Oscar‑winning 2002 film adaptation.
Chicago Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- jury trial
- dumb cop
- dumb husband
- wife cheats on her husband
- lie
- courtroom stageplay
- courtroom drama
- courtroom
- court
- affair
- courtroom trial
- legal
+38 more Show fewer
- love affair
- attorney
- law
- based on stage play
- witness
- prosecution
- stageplay
- legal trial
- infidelity
- murder play
- stage thriller
- justice
- reference to roxie hart
- stage
- legal comedy
- adaption
- adaptation
- jury
- murder trial
- housewife
- in cold blood
- lover
- roxie hart character
- trial
- tobacconist
- stolen money
- satire
- reporter
- rainstorm
- prosecutor
- pocket watch
- player piano
- photographer
- pawnshop
- murder
- mirror
- marriage
- manhole
Chicago Cast & Characters
Phyllis Haver leads the cast as Roxie Hart, with Julia Faye as Velma and Eugene Pallette as Rodney Casley. Directed by Frank Urson; 11 actors are credited in all.
- Director Frank Urson
- Phyllis Haver as Roxie Hart
- Julia Faye as Velma
- Eugene Pallette as Rodney Casley
- Victor Varconi as Amos Hart
Also Starring in Chicago
· 7 more- May Robson Mrs. Morton - Matron
- Robert Edeson William Flynn
- Warner Richmond Asst. District Attorney
- Clarence Burton Police sergeant
- T. Roy Barnes Reporter
- Viola Louie Two Gun Rosie
- Virginia Bradford Katie
More from Frank Urson
One more film directed by Frank Urson: The Night Club.
Chicago Plot Summary
What happens in Chicago from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Roxie Hart, Phyllis Haver watches Velma Kelly, Julia Faye perform Overture/All That Jazz at The Onyx, a neon-lit Chicago nightclub where dreams of stardom shimmer in the smoke and music. Seeking fame, Roxie enters a fraught liaison with Rodney Casley, Eugene Pallette, a furniture salesman who swears he knows the right people. After the curtain falls, Velma is arrested for killing her husband and sister, caught in bed with them, and Roxie’s envy begins to fester in the glow of the spotlight she craves. A month later, Casley admits to Roxie that his connections were a lie to woo her, and in a surge of rage she shoots him dead.
Full summary
The whole story of Chicago, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know Chicago?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which character shoots Rodney Casley in a fit of rage?
Cars in Chicago
2 cars on screen: the 1926 Star Six and the 1925 Yellow Cab Model O-4.
-
1926 Star Six Minor role -
1925 Yellow Cab Model O-4 Background role
Seen Chicago?
Movies Like Chicago
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Chicago, Roxie Hart and Chicago Confidential.
Chicago FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast, the book behind it and post-credit scenes of Chicago, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Chicago?
Chicago runs 1 hour 43 minutes (103 minutes).
When was Chicago released?
Chicago was released on December 23, 1927.
Who directed Chicago?
Chicago was directed by Frank Urson.
More films by Frank Urson Who is in the cast of Chicago?
Chicago stars Phyllis Haver as Roxie Hart, Julia Faye as Velma and Eugene Pallette as Rodney Casley, among 11 credited actors.
Is Chicago based on a book?
Yes. Chicago is adapted from Chicago by Maurine Dallas Watkins and Thomas H. Pauly.
Does Chicago have a post-credit scene?
No. Chicago has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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