Chicago

Trivia: In 'Cell Block Tango', the scarves represent murder. While the other four murderesses carry only one red scarf, Velma carries two (one for her husband and one for her sister) and Catalina has one white scarf to show that she alone is innocent.

Trivia: Hunyák's story in the cell block tango (translated from Hungarian) is "What am I doing here? They say my famous lover held down my husband while I chopped off his head. But it isn't true, I am innocent. I don't know why Uncle Sam says I did it. I tried to explain it at the police station but they did not understand me."

Trivia: Roxy Hart was based on Beulah Annan, who murdered her lover after he said he was leaving her. Velma Kelly was based on Belva Gaertner who murdered her younger, married boyfriend and used the same defense that she was suffering from a black out.

Trivia: Catherine Zeta Jones specifically requested to have a short haircut for this movie so that the audience see her face and there would be no doubt that she did all the dancing herself.

Trivia: In 2003, Chicago became the first film musical to have won an Oscar for "Best Picture" in 34 years, the last winner was Oliver.

megamii

Trivia: Billy Flynn was based on "Easy Eddie" O'Hare, a Chicago mob lawyer of the 1920's. O'Hare's son, Butch, was a decorated Navy flyer killed in World War II. The Chicago airport was named in his honor.

Trivia: In the scene where Roxie is waiting to meet the Matron, a fellow inmate asks her if she has had Morton before. The actress is Chita Rivera, who was the original Velma Kelly years ago.

Factual error: In the scene where Roxie is placed in the "paddy wagon" to be taken to Cook County Jail, the prosecutor refers to himself as District Attorney Harrison. However, the court system in Illinois doesn't have district attorneys; rather, they have state's attorneys. The original play by Maureen Watkins correctly calls him a state's attorney.

More mistakes in Chicago

Billy Flynn: Now look, I don't like to blow my own horn. But believe me. If Jesus Christ lived in Chicago today and if he had $5,000 and he'd come to me, things would have turned out differently.

More quotes from Chicago

Question: Does Roxie get back together with her husband at the end? We see him leave, but they don't explain it. Perhaps the stage play explains this.

Answer: Amos wants to reconcile when the trial ends but Roxie walks away. (The end of their marriage is not explained in the stage play, either.) One is led to believe Roxie leaves Amos and goes on to stardom.

JustJudy

More questions & answers from Chicago

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.