Phyllis Haver shines as Roxie Hart, the unfaithful wife of Amos Hart who, in a fit of rage, shoots her lover dead after he dumps her. Amos attempts to take the blame but the DA tricks Roxie into messing that up. Now in jail, Roxie is delighted at the media attention (Chicago's most beautiful murderess! Roxie Riddles Romeo!). Billy Flynn is Chicago's most successful defense attorneys, but his retainer fee - $5,000 (in 1927!) - is far too much for Amos to afford... until Roxie puts her charms to work. Amos manages to pony up $2500, but Flynn demands the rest by tomorrow. Amos gets the rest by stealing from Flynn himself(!), and so Billy Flynn goes to work preparing Roxie for the trial. I don't want to spoil the rest, so you'll have to watch the movie and experience the amazing courtroom scene for yourself.
I really can't praise Phyllis' performance as Roxie Hart enough. I had actually first fallen in love with her talents in the 1923 Buster Keaton short The Balloonatic, where she plays a resourceful, no-nonsense outdoorswoman. When Buster takes too long to save her from an angry steer, she sighs, grabs the bull by the horns and wrestles it away, much to Buster's shock. I guess we shouldn't be too surprised, though, as this is what happened when Buster made the mistake of 'getting fresh' with Phyllis earlier in the film...
That Phyllis manages to make the audience sympathize with Roxie Hart, an unfeeling, unfaithful murderess, is just spectacular and a comment on Phyllis' acting chops.
