The movie Chicago was produced by Cecil B. DeMille in 1927 and directed by Frank Urson. It was drawn from a play by Maurine Dallas Watkins which was in turn based on the true crime story of Beulah Annan, fictionalized as "Roxie Hart" (played by Phyllis Haver), her fellow death-row inmate Belva Gaertner, and their spectacular involvement in the murder of their boyfriends.
The Watkins play was again filmed in 1942 as Roxie Hart, starring Ginger Rogers (in the title role), and Adolphe Menjou as Billy Flynn. Notable minor players were Nigel Bruce and Phil Silvers: the movie was directed by William A. Wellman.
