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Chicago: With the Chicago Tribune Articles that Inspired It
Jake Callahan, exhalting in his great fortune at finding the story of "the most beautiful murderess," precisely characterizes Watkins’s satirical take on murder and its aftermath—a view she formed while covering two similar and equally sensational murder trials for the Chicago Tribune.
Watkins opens this comic drama with a brutal dramatization of the same situation the women in her articles faced: a vengeful Roxie has slain her lover for mistreating her. And then the fun begins. A boring, run-of-the-mill murderess until her frank confession creates an opportunity for profit, Roxie begins a transformation to rival that of Pygmalion’s statue. She becomes, as Thomas H. Pauly points out in his introduction, a "tabloid Cinderella."
Watkins opens this comic drama with a brutal dramatization of the same situation the women in her articles faced: a vengeful Roxie has slain her lover for mistreating her. And then the fun begins. A boring, run-of-the-mill murderess until her frank confession creates an opportunity for profit, Roxie begins a transformation to rival that of Pygmalion’s statue. She becomes, as Thomas H. Pauly points out in his introduction, a "tabloid Cinderella."
- GenresPlays
196 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 12, 2025
"I never hear of a man's bein' killed but I know he got just what was comin' to him... But you musn't say it."
A reprinting of the original "Chicago" play along with the sensational articles that preceded it. This edition also includes an introduction with some commentary on the play and the original murder trials that eventually inspired Watkins to write the play.
It is very interesting to compare this original play, written only 2 years after the murder trial cases, with the later musical adaptation (and subsequent film adaptation of the stage musical); certain lines or references in the later Chicago adaptations surprisingly came straight from the 1926 source material, while other elements of the musical adaptations were spun out of single references.
For instance, Roxie Hart's desire to be a vaudeville star, a central component of her character's motivation in the later adaptations, is nothing but a one-off mention at the end of the play when she admits to her (ex) husband that she's got plans to do the circuit for a year.
The play seems better suited to the time period... while the later adaptations are very much a mid-century and late-century take on the 1920s, the play feels more "in the moment" as it was written quite literally 2 years after the inspiring events took place. This is a positive in that it feels contemporary, but it does mean it feels a little more niche and focused on Chicago specifically compared to the later adaptations that have a broader thematic feel.
I do think that reading the play script is best done with this edition, as it includes an introduction with necessary context and the actual articles that inspired it.
A reprinting of the original "Chicago" play along with the sensational articles that preceded it. This edition also includes an introduction with some commentary on the play and the original murder trials that eventually inspired Watkins to write the play.
It is very interesting to compare this original play, written only 2 years after the murder trial cases, with the later musical adaptation (and subsequent film adaptation of the stage musical); certain lines or references in the later Chicago adaptations surprisingly came straight from the 1926 source material, while other elements of the musical adaptations were spun out of single references.
For instance, Roxie Hart's desire to be a vaudeville star, a central component of her character's motivation in the later adaptations, is nothing but a one-off mention at the end of the play when she admits to her (ex) husband that she's got plans to do the circuit for a year.
The play seems better suited to the time period... while the later adaptations are very much a mid-century and late-century take on the 1920s, the play feels more "in the moment" as it was written quite literally 2 years after the inspiring events took place. This is a positive in that it feels contemporary, but it does mean it feels a little more niche and focused on Chicago specifically compared to the later adaptations that have a broader thematic feel.
I do think that reading the play script is best done with this edition, as it includes an introduction with necessary context and the actual articles that inspired it.
June 11, 2017
Maurine Watkins was the lady who wrote the original screen play for Chicago, first produced in 1925. She was one of the first female reporters in Chicago to cover the police beat and she this was how she came to cover the murders and trials of the women who would become the inspiration for her play. It could be said that Ms. Watkins was a one hit wonder. None of her later reporting and none of her later work in theater or Hollywood would be as important of have the success of this play. This is the play that would become the silent movie: Roxie Hart and later a Ginger Rodgers Movie CHICAGO The Original 1927 Film Restored and later the Fosse and Ebb Musical and later still the movie/musical. Not bad for a one hit wonder.
This book gives you an introduction that will help you to understand the history of the play and Ms. Watkins role in creating some of the press that her play lampoons. It is also the analysis of Professor Pauly, author of the intro, that the initial attraction of the play was the fact that it allowed the New York audience to laugh at the pretenses of a Chicago, thinking it could be a rival to the more sophisticated people of New York.
The last part of this book is the collected newspaper articles of Ms. Watkins from her days covering a Chicago that would not convict attractive or rich female murderesses. These articles are a major addition to the value of this book. Some of the best and most cynical humor in the play and in the later musical derived directly from the real women of murderesses row. Mrs. Beulah Annan The most Beautiful "woman ever charged on Murderesses' Row " did shoot her lover, Harry Kalstedt when he threatened to leave her. It looks as if she let him bleed out over three hours before calling her husband to tell him she had shot an intruder. Like Roxy, Beulah would gain sympathy by claiming to be pregnant.
Twice married, former cabaret dancer Belva Gaertner would be charged with the shooting death Harry Law. He was found in her car, shot with her gun and she would be found spattered with blood. Her defense was that she was too drunk to remember what had happened and therefore had to be innocent. Not quite as pretty as Buelah, Belva would be known as the most stylish woman on Murderesses' Row. Both women would be found innocent.
Between the introduction and the reprinted newspaper coverage is Ms. Watkins' script. The three acts and brief prologue, read fairly quickly, about 110 pages. If you have seen the recent movie Chicago (Widescreen Edition) you have most of the plot details. The Earlier Ginger Rodger version is very close to the play as Ms. Watkins wrote it. Over all, the action in all version are the same but the lines and dark humor vary. Gone is any reference to the dead lover as a line to a stage carrier. Instead we find out that Fred Casley's major crime was that he was trying to be "A daddy on $60 a week with a family on the side". In the later acts the friction between Lawyer Billy Flynn and Roxie will be sharper and as described staged to produce more physical humor.
If you were a fan of the block buster musical or if you like me, want to know the full story, you don't know Chicago until you have this book.
This book gives you an introduction that will help you to understand the history of the play and Ms. Watkins role in creating some of the press that her play lampoons. It is also the analysis of Professor Pauly, author of the intro, that the initial attraction of the play was the fact that it allowed the New York audience to laugh at the pretenses of a Chicago, thinking it could be a rival to the more sophisticated people of New York.
The last part of this book is the collected newspaper articles of Ms. Watkins from her days covering a Chicago that would not convict attractive or rich female murderesses. These articles are a major addition to the value of this book. Some of the best and most cynical humor in the play and in the later musical derived directly from the real women of murderesses row. Mrs. Beulah Annan The most Beautiful "woman ever charged on Murderesses' Row " did shoot her lover, Harry Kalstedt when he threatened to leave her. It looks as if she let him bleed out over three hours before calling her husband to tell him she had shot an intruder. Like Roxy, Beulah would gain sympathy by claiming to be pregnant.
Twice married, former cabaret dancer Belva Gaertner would be charged with the shooting death Harry Law. He was found in her car, shot with her gun and she would be found spattered with blood. Her defense was that she was too drunk to remember what had happened and therefore had to be innocent. Not quite as pretty as Buelah, Belva would be known as the most stylish woman on Murderesses' Row. Both women would be found innocent.
Between the introduction and the reprinted newspaper coverage is Ms. Watkins' script. The three acts and brief prologue, read fairly quickly, about 110 pages. If you have seen the recent movie Chicago (Widescreen Edition) you have most of the plot details. The Earlier Ginger Rodger version is very close to the play as Ms. Watkins wrote it. Over all, the action in all version are the same but the lines and dark humor vary. Gone is any reference to the dead lover as a line to a stage carrier. Instead we find out that Fred Casley's major crime was that he was trying to be "A daddy on $60 a week with a family on the side". In the later acts the friction between Lawyer Billy Flynn and Roxie will be sharper and as described staged to produce more physical humor.
If you were a fan of the block buster musical or if you like me, want to know the full story, you don't know Chicago until you have this book.
July 29, 2018
I have been wanting to read the original Chicago script for decades-and I can now say that I have! This edition of the script also included Ms. Watkins' original articles from the actual trials that inspired her play. The play itself, reads as brilliantly in 2018 as it was intended in the 1920s, and it's sad to admit that when it was adapted into a musical in 1975 and revived in 1996, nothing in the script or in society has changed!
November 28, 2015
I borrowed Maurine Watkins' play Chicago from a friend because I've seen multiple version of the musical and the movie, and after learning more about Watkins, I wanted to read the play itself.
Unfortunately, to some degree, I think my familiarity with the musical and movie versions spoiled a little bit of the story for me, because not only did I already know what was going to happen, I was disappointed by the simplicity and straightforwardness of Watkins' play.
The story is that of Roxie Hart, a murderess who does anything she can to stay in the limelight following all the publicity she receives initially for her killing. She scuffles with other women in jail and with her own husband, because all she wants is fame, even more so than freedom.
The trouble is that the play builds all of that stuff up and then quickly lets it down; there was very little investment in Roxie's character, and the conflict with Velma or Liz or even Jake didn't really extend through the end of the play the way it does in the stage adaptations of it. So I had this vision in my mind of how all of their relationships were going to go, and then very little of it was actually fulfilled.
Still, it was a good read to know where the story actually came from, and the real newspaper articles that Watkins wrote were also included, which provided an even more interesting look at the stories behind the murders.
Unfortunately, to some degree, I think my familiarity with the musical and movie versions spoiled a little bit of the story for me, because not only did I already know what was going to happen, I was disappointed by the simplicity and straightforwardness of Watkins' play.
The story is that of Roxie Hart, a murderess who does anything she can to stay in the limelight following all the publicity she receives initially for her killing. She scuffles with other women in jail and with her own husband, because all she wants is fame, even more so than freedom.
The trouble is that the play builds all of that stuff up and then quickly lets it down; there was very little investment in Roxie's character, and the conflict with Velma or Liz or even Jake didn't really extend through the end of the play the way it does in the stage adaptations of it. So I had this vision in my mind of how all of their relationships were going to go, and then very little of it was actually fulfilled.
Still, it was a good read to know where the story actually came from, and the real newspaper articles that Watkins wrote were also included, which provided an even more interesting look at the stories behind the murders.
January 27, 2011
The inventor of Roxie Hart was culpable in so many ways to the outrages of justice--the fusion of journalism and entertainment--the perversions of reality--in the time of all that jazz. Oh, she was brilliant. The original Chicago was not a musical. This magnificent lady wrote with the most viperous(is there a word?) tongue of all. Oh, I am swooning. An introduction in this book is brilliant as well. I am writing-or I thought I was--a novel that would span time--but i can't get out of 1924-26 Chicago. Perhaps the inspiration for Hecht's 'Front Page,' Pauline was one of the first women to attend Yale Drama school.The original "Play Ball" is, as we know, brilliant. What we didn't know was how the author of the play helped manipulate the clarion call in the era of 'sob sisters' and young women who, for a while in Chicago, seemed to walk on water and escape murder convictions. That was in 1924. It would change during the Bobby Franks murder. There was nothing romantic in the Leopold-Loeb trial.
February 18, 2012
I read only the play version of this. I didn't have the extra articles in my version.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews