screenntay ay BILL CONDON BASED ON THE MusicaLrLay CHICAGO Book oF me musicat pLarsy BOB FOSSE ano FRED EBB wusicey JOHN KANDER uncser FRED EBB ‘ase on tHe lav ey MAURINE DALLAS WATKINS.3S IN BLACKNESS The slow, sexy wail of a jazz trumpet. FADE UP on: ROXIE HART’S EYES, HEAVILY MADE-UP Red stage lights are reflected in her eyes...the lights shining brighter as we move in closer...until one eye FILLS THE FRAME. The lights get hotter still, almost searing. Bits of neon form a word: CHICAGO The screen goes black. BANDLEADER (V.O.) A five-six-seven-eight... INT. THE ONYX THEATER - NIGHT (LATE 1920'S) On a small stage, the BANDLEADER -- early 30s, dapper -- plays the piano and leads an all-black jazz band in a scorching set. In a former life, this was a neighborhood vaudeville hous: since the onset of Prohibition, the seats have been ripped out and tables moved in, turning the Onyx into a slightly seedy nightclub.. As we move through the crowd, we see a few PATRONS spiking their drinks with bootleg hooch. IN THE WINGS A panicked STAGE MANAGER moves through the crowded backstage area. STAGE MANAGER Anybody seen the Kelly sisters? A few CHORINES in skimpy costumes warm up in the wings. The stage manager checks out the other acts -- the VENTRILOQUIST with his wooden doll; the skinny COMIC; the TRAMP act. He points to a loose-limbed ECCENTRIC DANCER. STAGE MANAGER (CONT'D) You're up in five. EXT. THE ONYX - NIGHT A bleak mid-winter night. A taxi pulls up to the curb and a WOMAN steps out. The longest legs you've ever seen, followed by a suitcase.‘VELMA (off-camera) Keep the change, Charlie. The woman stops in front of a bill. Tonight’s headline act: THE KELLY SISTERS -- VELMA KELLY & VERONICA KELLY -- BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! A gloved hand rips the bill in half, leaving only one name, VELMA KELLY. INT. THE ONYX - STAGE - NIGHT The band is jamming. INT. THE ONYX - BACKSTAGE - NIGHT MOVING behind the woman as the stage manager advances on her. STAGE MANAGER Velma, where ya been? And where's Veronica? VELMA (0.C.) She’s not herself tonight. Velma glides through the pandemonium. STAGE MANAGER But they paid to see a sister act. VELMA (0.C.) Don’t sweat it. I can do it alone. INT. THE ONYX - DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT Velma’s hands open the suitcase, which shows evidence of hasty packing. She lifts out stockings, pumps, a garter with a rhinestone buckle -- as well as a pearl-handled revolver wrapped in a bloody handkerchief. (All we see are hands, legs, buckles, stockings, gun, and blood.) INT. THE ONYX - STAGE - NIGHT The vamp starts. BANDLEADER Ladies and gentlemen, the Onyx Club is proud to present Chicago’s hottest dancing duo...INT. THE ONYX - UNDER STAGE - NIGHT Velma runs down the steps and jumps onto a wooden scissor lift. A couple of grizzled STAGEHANDS crank the wheel and the lift rises. BANDLEADER s+the Kelly sisters. on the bumpy lift, Velma notices a smudge of blood on her hand. She wipes it off and emerges into view, seeming to rise right out of the piano. Red cupid-bow lips and shiny Louise Brooks hair. VELMA COME ON, BABE WHY DON'T WE PAINT THE TOWN? AND ALL THAT JAZZ There are two spots, one shining on Velma, the other where her sister Veronica should be. VELMA (CONT'D) I’M GONNA ROUGE MY XNEES AND ROLL MY STOCKINGS DOWN AND ALL THAT JAZZ Velma cocks her head to the belcony. The second PROJECTIONIST rotates his heavy spotlight in Velma’s direction. Velma moves downstage, where MALE and FEMALE DANCERS are draped over tables and chairs, spent after a wild night of partying. It’s as if the club itself has spilled onto the stage. VELMA (CONT'D) START THE CAR I KNOW A WHOOPEE SPOT WHERE THE GIN IS COLD BUT THE PIANO’S HOT IT’S JUST A NOISY HALL WHERE THERE'S A NIGHTLY BRAWL The second spot has drifted again. Velma closes her hand, signaling the projectionist te take the light out. VELMA (CONT'D) THAT The dancers stir to life.VELMA (CONT'D) JAZZ! BANDLEADER SKIDOO. VELMA AND ALL THAT JAZZ. ENSEMBLE HOTCHA! ENSEMBLE (CONT'D) WHOOPEE! VELMA AND ALL THAT JAZZ! A dance break: ENSEMBLE HAH! HAH! HAH! We move through the crowd until we find ROXIE HART standing alone against a mural. She's strikingly pretty, especially in her slip of a black dress. There's also a whiff of desperation that no make-up or perfume can disguise. VELMA SLICK YOUR HAIR AND WEAR YOUR BUCKLE SHOES AND ALL THAT JAZZ! I HEAR THAT FATHER DIP IS GONNA BLOW THE BLUES AND ALL THAT JAZZ Roxie’s eyes remain glued to the stage. She’s so enraptured by the act, and by the sheer fact of being in this club -- it’s as though there’s no other reality for her. VELMA (CONT'D) HOLD ON, HON WE'RE GONNA BUNNY HUG I BOUGHT SOME ASPIRIN DOWN AT UNITED DRUG IN CASE YOU SHAKE AFART AND WANT A BRAND NEW START TO DO THAT -- ON STAGE (ROXIE’S FANTASY) Roxie takes Velma’s place on the stage. Same costume, same makeup, same hair.2 aa -- JAZZ Roxie sings and the crowd goes wild. CASELY (V.0.) Let's go, babe. IN THE CLUB (BACK TO REALITY) Roxie turns to see FRED CASELY heading for the door. ROXIE But I didn’t even meet your friend. Casely stuffs a wad of bills in his pocket. CASELY Don’t worry, Roxie. It’s all taken care of. ROXIE You told him about me? CASELY Yeah, kid, it’s all arranged. He pulls. out a hip flask and grabs her ass. Velma slaps her own ass on stage. VELMA FIND A FLASK WE'RE PLAYING FAST AND LOOSE AND ALL THAT JAZZ! RIGHT UP HERE IS WHERE I STORE THE JUICE AND ALL THAT JAZZ! COME ON, .BABE WE'RE GONNA BRUSH THE SKY I BETCHA LUCKY LINDY NEVER FLEW SO HIGH EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT Roxie dodges traffic as she fcllows Casely to his car. The el train looms in the distance. VELMA (V.0.) ‘CAUSE IN THE STRATOSPHERE HOW COULD HE LEND AN EARINT. THE ONYX - NIGHT ‘VELMA TO ALL THAT JAZZ? INT. ROXIE’S APARTMENT BUILDING/ THE ONYX - NIGHT (INTERCUT) MUSIC continues as Roxie leads Casely to her fifth-floor walk- up. (The rest of the number is INTERCUT between the apartment building and the Onyx.) VELMA (V.0.) OH, YOU'RE GONNA SEE YOUR SHEBA SHIMMY SHAKE on stage, Velma is joined by two male dancers. VELMA & ENSEMBLE AND ALL THAT JAZZ Casely reaches through a stair railing and runs his hand up | Roxie’s leg. VELMA (V.0.) OH, SHE’S GONNA SHINMY TILL HER aes, GARTERS BREAK On stage, the male dancers reach for Velma’s leg. VELMA & ENSEMBLE AND ALL THAT JAZZ Casely stops on the top landing, out of breath. He takes a nip from the flask, pours some down Roxie’s throat. His tongue scoops a trickle of gin from her neck. VELMA (V.0.) SHOW HER WHERE TO PARK HER GIRDLE OH, HER MOTHER’S BLOOD'D CURDLE Roxie stifles a laugh, shushes Fred as they move down the hall. On stage, the ensemble slinks and slithers behind Velma. VELMA & ENSEMBLE (hushed) IF SHE'D HEAR HER BABY‘S QUEER ‘VELMAcasely pushes Roxie against a neighbor's door. VELMA (CONT'D) THAT... Casely throws Roxie’s arms up. VELMA (CONT'D) JAZZ! The door cracks open. An unpretty older HOUSEWIFE, glowering. ROXIE Evenin’, Mrs. Borusewicz. NEIGHBOR Mrs. Hart. She gives Casely the once-over. ROXIE This is Fred. He's my brother. A giggle and a hiccup as Roxie pushes Casely toward her apartment. VELMA ALL. Roxie opens her apartment door. VELMA (CONT'D) She pushes Casely into the apartment. VELMA (CONT'D) JAZZ... Roxie shuts the door. The number really explodes nov. Frenzied, sleazy, and completely electric.VELMA (CONT'D) ENSEMBLE COME ON, BABE OH, YOU’RE GONNA SEE WHY DON’T WE PAINT THE TOWN YOUR SHEBA SHIMMY SHAKE AND ALL THAT JAZZ AND ALL THAT JAZZ I'M GONNA ROUGE MY KNEES OH, SHE’S GONNA SHIMMY AND ROLL MY STOCKINGS DOWN “TIL HER GARTERS BREAK AND ALL THAT JAZZ AND ALL THAT JAZZ Roxie yelps in delight as Casely carries her across the cheap railroad flat. He tosses her on the bed, rips off her stockings and garters. The band plays faster. Hotter. More rough foreplay from Casely. Roxie comes up for air, notices her husband Amos staring plaintively from a framed wedding photo. She slams the picture face down. A montage of body parts -- arched BACKS; curled TOES; thrusting HIPS; crouched LEGS -- makes it hard to distinguish between the hoofing on the stage and the boffing in the bedroom. There’s a commotion at the back of the theater as Chicago POLICEMEN file in. VELMA (CONT'D) ENSEMBLE START THE CAR SHOW HER WHERE TO PARK HER I KNOW A WHOOPEE SPOT GIRDLE WHERE THE GIN IS COLD OH, HER MOTHER’S BLOOD‘D BUT THE PIANO’S HOT CURDLE Velma notices the cops moving in her direction. A defiant smile plays on her lips. VELMA. (CONT'D) ENSEMBLE IT’S JUST A NOISY HALL IF SHE'D HEAR WHERE THERE’S A NIGHTLY BRAWL HER BABY’S QUEER AND ALL THAT JAZZ! FOR ALL THAT JAZZ! Roxie whispers in Fred’s ear, dreamily. ROXIE Say it again, Fred. CASELY You're a star, kid. (he’s about to get off) My little shootin’ star.Roxie’s hands reach up and grab the posts of the iron bed... :+.as Velma grabs two guys by the wrists. They pull her on top of the piano. VELMA NO, I'M NO ONE’S WIFE BUT, OH, I LOVE MY LIFE AND ALL THAT JAZZ! THAT JAZZ! Fred Casely climaxes. Roxie gasps. Velma sees the cops pouring into the wings. And the stage GOES BLACK. INT. ROXIE’S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT (ONE MONTH LATER) In the darkness, a satisfied sigh from Fred Casely. ROXIE (V.0.) Say it again, Fred. It‘s a month later, which means Casely doesn’t bother answering anymore.| Roxie tugs on the overhead light, sees him already pulling on his trousers. ROXIE (CONT'D) Hey, where’s the fire? Amos ain‘t due home ‘til midnight. Casely grabs his clothes and disappears into the john. Roxie slips into a sad silk robe. ROXIE (CONT'D) Freddy...hon...now I don’t want you to feel like I'm naggin’ at you... Casely pees, noisily. Roxie noves over to the Victrola and cranks it. ‘Some heavy, rhythnic jazz. ROXIE (CONT'D) ++-but don’t you think it’s about time I met your friend down at the Onyx? I mean, it’s been almost a month since you told him about me. The flush of the toilet is her only response. ROXIE (CONT'D) And I know ‘cause that was the night Velma Kelly plugged her sister and her husband.10. She picks up the morning “Tribune.” The headline reads: BILLY FLYNN TO DEFEND JAZZ SLAYER. There’s a photo of Velma Kelly (taken the night she was arrested at the club) as well as a head shot of her dashing attorney, Billy Flynn. A smaller headline reads: KELLY CLAIMS TEMPORARY AMNESIA. Roxie takes a seat at a large vanity dresser, an island of glamour in a sea of grey. ROXIE (CONT'D) They say she found ‘em in the kip together. Geeps, if I ever found Amos slippin’ it to someone else, I'd throw him a party. She applies some lipstick, her mouth exaggerated in the make- up mirror. ROXIE (CONT'D) A great big goin’ away party. Casely emerges from the bathroom, buttoning his shirt. CASELY It’s gettin’ late. Roxie jumps up. Anything to keep him there a little longer. ROXIE I been thinkin’ a lot about my act. See, whenever I get a good idea, I try to write it down before it goes out of my head. She unlocks a silver diary with a frilly ‘ROXIE’ drawn on the cover, the ‘i dotted with a heart. ROXIE (CONT'D) (zeading) Oh, right. It hit me the other day that all the really knockout acts have somethin’ a little different goin’ on. You know, a signature bit. She drops the diary and dances suggestively in front of Casely. ROXIE (CONT'D) I thought my thing could be...aloof. She grabs Casely’s tie, plays with it.ql. ROXIE (CONT'D) Give ‘em enough to get ‘em good and hungry, but always leave ‘em wanting more. She tugs on the tie. Casely swats her away. ROXIE (CONT'D) And once I get a nane for myself, maybe we can open a club of our own. You can run it and I'l] be the headliner. She reaches down to kiss him. Casely pushes her this time, hard enough to send her stumbling into the wall. ROXIE (CONT'D) Hey. What's the idea? CASELY Wake up, kiddo. You ain‘t never gonna have an act. ROXIE Says who? CASELY Face it, Roxie. You're a two-bit talent with skinny legs. and I’m just a furniture salesman. ROXIE Well sure, but you got connections. That guy down at the club... CASELY There is no guy. ROXIE But that night... CASELY «.-was the first time I set foot in that joint. I was collectin’ on a bet from the trombone player. Roxie gets strangely quiet as the truth seeps in. ROXIE So you never told anyone about me?12. CASELY Sugar, you were hot stuff. I woulda said anything to get some of that. ROXIE And now? CASELY We had some laughs. He reaches for his fedora. CASELY (CONT'D) Let’s leave it at that. ROXIE Fred, you can’t do this to me... She throws her arms around him, desperate. The more he tries to pull away, the harder she holds on. Finally he curls his fingers and smashes her in the mouth. Roxie crumples against the bureau. Casely looms over her. CASELY Touch me again and I'11 put your Lights out. Casely adjusts his hat in the mirror. Roxie slides open the bottom drawer. CASELY (CONT'D) Your husband’11 be home soon. Why don’t you wash yourself before you go spreadin’ those legs again? Roxie's fingers feel for something hidden under Amos’ boxer shorts. ROXIE You're a liar, Fred. You lied to me. CASELY That's life, sweetheart. ROXIE You son-of-a-bitch! She aims a snub-nosed revolver at Casely and shoots.13. CASELY (a look of surprise) shit. Casely falls. She shoots him two more times and he dies. Roxie catches her reflection in the mirror, her face framed by make-up lights. INT. THE ONYX - NIGHT The chorines undulate across the stage. ENSEMBLE JAZZ... ENSEMBLE (CONT'D) i WHOOPEE... - ENSEMBLE (CONT'D) HOTCHA! INT. ROXIE’S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT Roxie drops the gun and stares into the mirror, bewildered and suddenly frightened. We FADE our. INT. ROXIE’S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT (LATER) A police PHOTOGRAPHER takes a picture of the corpse, while a FORENSICS MAN dusts the mirror for fingerprints. PHOTOGRAPHER Why you botherin’, Sal? This one’s all wrapped up. ‘The photographer straddles the body, leans down for a close shot of Casely’s startled expression. PHOTOGRAPHER (CONT'D) I hear it’s a new city record. From killing to confession in an hour flat. He drops the sheet back over Casely’s face. We move with him through a gridlock of cops to the parlor, where Sgt. FOGARTY is taking down a statement. SGT. FOGARTY .+-and where'd you get the murder weapon?4. Roxie turns to her husband AMOS, who stares at his grime- covered hands. With his weak chin and receding hairline, Amos is so unassuming that he almost seems invisible. AMOS I keep a gun in the underwear drawer. Just in case of trouble, you know... SGT. FOGARTY (finishing writing) Well that’s just fine. Sign right there, Mr. Hart. So he’s the one who‘s confessing... AMOS: Freely and gladly. Freely and gladly. SGT. FOGARTY And mind you don’t say we beat it out of you when you get on the witness stand. AMOS No, I gave myself up. surrendered of my own free will. HARRISON (0.S.) Isn't he the cheerful murderer? Everyone looks up at Assistant District Attorney MARTIN HARRISON. Tall, aquiline nose, thin lips -- a straight arrow. ROXIE Shootin’ a burglar ain't murder! Just last week, a jury thanked a man. HARRISON I’m always grateful for citizens who know the law. He grabs Amos by the collar. HARRISON (CONT'D) Get in there. He pushes Amos into the bedroom, turns to Roxie.Ton 15. HARRISON (CONT'D) You too. Harrison grabs a flashlight from Sgt. Fogarty. INT. ROXIE'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT Roxie has to step over the corpse to enter the room. Harrison pushes Amos into a wooden chair, points Roxie to a spot on the bed behind him. she gazes at the freshly soiled sheets and decides to lean against the bureau instead. She nervously lights a cigarette. Harrison shines the flashlight in Amos’ face. HARRISON Okay, from the top. AMOS A man’s got a right to protect his home and his loved ones, right? HARRISON Of course he has. AMOS Well, I come home from the garage and I see him climbing through the window. HARRISON Uh-huh. Roxie nonchalantly reaches down and turns the wedding picture right side up. AMOS With my wife Roxie layin’ there, sleepin’ like an angel. Harrison shines the harsh light in Roxie’s face. HARRISON Is that true, Mrs. Hart? an angel! Roxie squints in the glare, doesn’t answer. Her eyes dart around, looking for a way to escape. AMOS (0.C.) I'm telling you, it’s the God's honest truth. (MORE)16. AMOS (0.C.) (cont'd) My wife had nothin’ to do with it. She wouldn't hurt a worm. Not even a worm. Moving in on Roxie. A look of gratitude mixing in with the fear now. INT. “STAGE” - NIGHT The light shining on Roxie’s face broadens into a stage spot. AMOS (0.C.) Tt wasn’t until I fired the first shot she even opened her eyes. Boy, is she some heavy sleeper. I always said, she could sleep through the St. Paddy's Day Parade... Amos’s voice starts to fade away, replaced by the bandleader: BANDLEADER (0.C.) For her first number, Miss Roxie Hart would like to sing a song of love and devotion dedicated to her dear husband Amos... ROXIE (cigarette in hand) SOMETIMES I’M RIGHT SOMETIMES I'M WRONG BUT HE DOESN'T CARE HE'LL STRING ALONG HE LOVES ME SO ‘THAT FUNNY HONEY OF MINE! Roxie sings the torch song leaning against the piano, a la Helen Morgan. It's as if the only way for her to deal with this terrifying situation is to transport herself to the world she's always dreamed about —- to see her life as a vaudeville act. ROXIE (CONT'D) SOMETIMES I’M DOWN SOMETIMES I’M UP BUT HE FOLLOWS ‘ROUND LIKE SOME DROOPY-EYED PUP HE LOVES ME SO THAT FUNNY HONEY OF MINE INT. ROXIE'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT Amos seems to be enjoying the attention he’s receiving.7. ++-like I said, even after I shot him he kept comin’ at me. So I had to pull the trigger again. He wipes his nose with his dirty shirteleeve. 3 AMOS INT. “STAGE” - NIGHT Roxie climbs onto the upright. ROXIE HE AIN'T NO SHEIK THAT'S NO GREAT PHYSIQUE LORD KNOWS, HE AIN'T GOT THE SMARTS BUT LOOK AT THAT SOUL I TELL YoU, THAT WHOLE IS A WHOLE LOT GREATER THAN THE SUM OF HIS PARTS AND IF YOU KNEW HIM LIKE ME I KNOW YOU'D AGREE Roxie lounges sexily on the piano. ROXIE (CONT'D) = WHAT IF THE WORLD SLANDERED MY NAME? WHY, HE’D BE RIGHT THERE TAKING THE BLAME HE LOVES ME SO AND IT ALL SUITS ME FINE THAT FUNNY, SUNNY, HONEY HUBBY OF MINE! INT. ROXIE’S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT A detective slips a wallet to Harrison. AMOS I mean supposin‘’, just supposin’, he had violated her or somethin’...you know what I mean. ..violated? HARRISON I know what you mean. AMOS +++0r somethin’. Think how terrible that would have been. Good thing I got home from work on time, I’m tellin’ ya that! I say I’m tellin’ you that!INT. "STAGE" - NIGHT Roxie thrusts her hips and legs in the air. ROXIE HE LOVES ME SO ‘THAT FUNNY HONEY OF MINE! INT. ROXIE’S APARTMENT - NIGHT Harrison opens the wallet. HARRISON Name of deceased. Fred Casely. AMOS Fred Casely? How could he be a burglar? My wife knows him! He sold us our furniture! INT. "STAGE" - NIGHT Roxie frowns, starting to smell trouble. AMOS (V.0.) He gave us ten percent off! ROXIE LORD KNOWS, HE AIN‘T GOT THE SMARTS INT. ROXIE’S APARTMENT - NIGHT Amos looks betrayed and hurt. AMOS: You told me he was a burglar. HARRISON You mean he was dead when you got home? AMOS She had him covered with a sheet and she’s tellin’ m2 some cock and bull story about this burglar, and I ought to say I did it ‘cause I was sure to get off. Help me, Amos, she says. It’s my goddamn hour of need. All eyes are on Roxie now. is.19. INT. "STAGE" - NIGHT Amos is now sitting in a wooden chair, bathed in his own spotlight. Roxie looms over aim on the piano. ROXIE AMOS Now, HE’S SHOT OFF HIS TRAP And I believed her! That I CAN’T STAND THAT SAP cheap little tramp. So, she LOOK AT HIM GO was two-timin’ me, huh? Well I’m through with protectin’ her now. She can swing for all I care. Boy, I'm down at the garage, RATTIN’ ON ME WITH JUST ONE MORE BRAIN WHAT A HALF-WIT HE'D BE IF THEY STRING ME UP + KNOW working my butt off 14 hours ae Co bee td a day, and she’s up here munchin’ on bon bons and THAT scum, crue, oma TSpin’ around ike some . goddamn floozie. Thought she could pull the wool over my eyes. Huh! I wasn’t born yesterday. I’m telling you, there's certain things a man just can’t accept, and this time she pushed me too far. That little chiseler. Boy, what a sap I was! Roxie climbs off the piano and marches over to Amos. she pushes his chair over with her foot. INT. ROXIE’S APARTMENT - NIGHT Roxie explodes in rage. ROXIE You double crosser! You big blabber mouth. You promised you'd stick. AMOS: You been stringin’ me, Roxanne. You told me he was a burglar and all the while you're up here jazzing him. ROXIE God damn you! You are a disloyal husband. A direct appeal to Harrison:20. ROXIE (CONT'D) Look, it’s true, I shot him. But it was self defense. He was trying to burgle me. HARRISON From what I hear, he's been burgling you three times a week for the last month. Harrison nods to the detective, who brings in the neighbor, Mrs. Borusewicz. He lifts the sheet covering Casely’s face. The dour woman enjoys her moment in the spotlight. HARRISON (CONT’D) So what do you say, Missus? MRS. BORUSEWICZ That's him all right. HARRISON Thank you. The woman is led out. Harrison leans into Roxie with the flashlight. HARRISON (CONT'D) Your story doesn’t wash, Mrs. Hart, so try this one on for size. Casely was a good time on the side, with Goofy here for a meal ticket. ROXIE Meal ticket? He couldn’t buy my Liquor. HARRISON And Fred Casely could? He holds open the wallet. A small family photo inside. HARRISON (CONT'D) With a wife and five little Caselys? Roxie is steaming, but tries to keep a lid on it. HARRISON (CONT'D) or did he forget to mention them? Harrison lets out a loud cackle. ‘That cuts it. Roxie knocks aside the flashlight.21. ROXIE That bastard. sure, I killed him and I'd do it again. HARRISON Once was enough, dearie. He turns stiffly to the detective. HARRISON (CONT'D) Get her out of here. EXT. ROXIE’S APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT A small crowd watches Roxie being led out in handcuffs. A car pulls up and a REPORTER and PHOTOGRAPHER jump out. NEWSPAPER PHOTOGRAPHER This way, lady! Roxie covers her face with her cuffed hands. NEWSPAPER PHOTOGRAPHER (CONT'D) Aw, c/mon. It’s a shame to hide a pretty face like that. Roxie lowers her hands, squints as the flashbulb pops. The REPORTER falls into step next to her. REPORTER Why‘d you shoot him, hon? Roxie is too rattled to answer. NEWSPAPER PHOTOGRAPHER How ‘bout a profile and a little smile? Just like the girl on the toothpaste ad. Roxie obliges but stays aloof, just a hint of a smile. Harrison grabs her by the elbow. HARRISON Enjoy it while you can. He tosses her into the back of a paddy wagon, turns to the xeporter. HARRISON (CONT'D) Take this down. Assistant District Attorney Harrison says this is a hanging case, and I’m ready to go to the jury tomorrow...22. ROXIE Hanging? Oh God -- God...don’t let ‘em hang me. HARRISON Not so tough anymore, are you? Roxie lifts her cuffed hands and starts to pray. ROXIE Hail Mary, full.of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women... HARRISON Take her down to the Cook County. Jail. Roxie sits alone, trembling, as the doors are slammed shut. The paddy wagon starts off, with the photographer trotting behind. EXT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - WOMEN’S WARD - PRE-DAWN The soft glow of a winter night, just before sunrise. The paddy wagon enters the inner city prison, an oppressive stone Compound. An American flag flaps lazily’in the breeze. SHARPSHOOTERS stand on the parapets. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - WOMEN’S WARD - DAY Roxie stands opposite a prison CLERK. CLERK'S VOICE Use morphine? Opium? Cocaine? Roxie shakes her head no. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - WOMEN’S WARD - DAY Roxie stands in front of a measuring wall, her back to us, naked to the waist. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - HOLDING ROOM - NIGHT (LATER) Roxie and several new INMATES are led into a small room. They each hold a blanket, a towel, and a bar of soap. GUARD The matron’s on her way, so don’t get too cozy. And pat out that cigarette.23. He leaves. NICKIE, a hooker with a heart of lead, ignores | the order. NICKIE Ever had Morton before? Roxie looks down, shakes her head. NICKIE (CONT'D) She’s fine, long as you keep her happy. She rubs an invisible dollar through her fingers. Roxie moves away, taking a seat in back. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - HALLWAY - NIGHT We MOVE in front of the MATRON, whom we see from the neck down, badge bobbing on her chest. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - HOLDING ROOM ~ NIGHT Roxie sees the matron’s shadow through a frosted glass wall. BANDLEADER (V.O.) And now, ladies and gentlemen -- the Keeper of the Keys, the Countess of the Clink, the Mistress of Murderer’s Row -- Matron Mama Morton! Roxie shrinks into herself as the doorknob starts to turn. The door opens in a blast of white light, which becomes... INT. “STAGE” - NIGHT +..the coy fluttering of a WHITE FEATHER FAN. MATRON “MAMA” MORTON steps out from behind the fan. Middle-aged, heavyset, she wears a rhinestone badge on her chest. MATRON ASK ANY OF THE CHICKIES IN MY PEN THEY'LL TELL YOU I'M THE BIGGEST MOTHER HEN I LOVE THEM ALL AND ALL OF THEM LOVE ME BECAUSE THE SYSTEM WORKS THE SYSTEM CALLED RECIPROCITY... Mama does a saucy bump-and-grind across the stage.MATRON (CONT'D) GOT A LITTLE MOTTO ALWAYS SEES ME THROUGH WHEN YOU'RE GOOD TO MAMA MAMA'S GOOD TO YOU THERE'S A LOT OF FAVORS I'M PREPARED TO DO YOU DO ONE FOR MAMA SHE'LL DO ONE FOR YOU The matron moves through the audience, teasing them with the fan. She flirts with a MALE CUSTOMER, then the WOMAN next to him. MATRON (CONT'D) THEY SAY THAT LIFE IS TIT FOR TAT AND THAT’S THE WAY I LIVE SO I DESERVE A LOT OF TAT FOR WHAT I'VE GOT TO GIVE | DON’T YOU KNOW THAT THIS HAND WASHES THAT ONE TOO WHEN YOU'RE GOOD TO MAMA MAMA'S GOOD TO YOU! Mama moves behind one of the scrim panels. As she dances in silhouette: INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - HOLDING ROOM - NIGHT (LATER) The door opens, for real this time. The guard enters. GUARD on your feet. The women stand. The matron enters, fixes them with a kind smile. MATRON Welcome, ladies. You might think I'm here to make your life a livin’ hell, but that’s just not true. She walks down the line of new inmates. MATRON (CONT'D) I'd like to be your friend, if you let me. So if there’s something that upsets you, or makes you unhappy in any way... She stops at the end of the line, turns back to the women.25. MATRON (CONT’D) Don’t shoot your fat ass mouth off to me ‘cause I don’t give a shit. Roxie’s face falls. MATRON (CONT'D) Now move it out. The women file cut the door. The matron steps in front of Roxie. MATRON (CONT'D) You must be Hart. Roxie nods nervously. MATRON (CONT'D) Ain’t you the pretty one. ROXIE Thank you, ma‘am. MATRON Call me Mama. I’m here to take lly care of you. She brushes her fingers along Roxie’s hand. MATRON (CONT'D) You'll be habitating down in the East Block. Murderess Row, we call it. ROXIE (ever hopeful) Oh...is that nicer? The matron smiles, holds the door open for Roxie. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - HALLWAY - NIGHT The guard escorts Roxie, with the matron hanging a few steps behind. ROXIE (turning) I don’t really belong in here. see I didn’t actually do anything wrong...¢ 26. MATRON Don‘t need to tell me, honey. 1 never heard of a man’s being killed when he didn’t get just what was coming to him. VELMA (0.S.) Hey Mama! Velma Kelly approaches, holding up a magazine. She is wearing a red kimono, over silk lounging pajamas. ROXIE Oh my God, Velma Kelly. You're the Velma Kelly. Velma is flattered, but doesn't dare show it. ROXIE (CONT'D) You know, I was there the night you got arrested. VELMA Yeah, you and half of Chicago. Velma ignores her, turns to the matron. VELMA (CONT'D) Look at this, Mama. There’s an editorial denouncing me in Redbook Magazine. (reading) “Not in memory do we recall so fiendish and horrible a double homicide.” MUSIC starts under: ‘MATRON Ah, baby, you couldn't buy that kind of publicity. VELMA, Couldn’t buy it? I guess I can keep this then. She holds up a folded wad of bills. ‘The matron grabs the money, tucks it into her cleavage, and smiles. MATRON Nice try.27. INT. "STAGE" - NIGHT The matron pulls a green scarf from her bosom, Sophie Tucker- style. MATRON IF YOU WANT MY GRAVY PEPPER MY RAGOUT SPICE IT UP FOR MAMA SHE'LL GET HOT FOR YOU INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - CELLBLOCK - NIGHT The matron leads Roxie onto Murderess Row, two stories of tiny cages filled with hardened criminals. Roxie stares at the faces, haunted, worn, old before their time. As they pass one cell, a sexy inmate (ANNIE) adjusts her stocking, offering a flash of thigh. MATRON (V.0.) WHEN THEY PASS THAT BASKET FOLKS CONTRIBUTE TO YOU PUT IN FOR MAMA SHE'LL PUT OUT FOR YOU The matron slips a pack of cicarettes into Annie’s stocking, gives her thigh a playful slap. INT. "STAGE" - NIGHT The matron runs the scarf acress her behind. MATRON THE FOLKS ATOP THE LADDER ARE THE ONES THE WORLD ADORES SO BOOST ME UP MY LADDER, KID AND I'LL BOOST YOU UP YOURS INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - NIGHT Roxie moves down the cell block, fighting back tears. MATRON (V.0.) LET'S ALL STROKE TOGETHER LIKE THE PRINCETON CREW WHEN YOU'RE STROKIN’ MAMA MAMA'S STROKIN’ YOU INT. "STAGE" - NIGHT The matron stands center stage, a little winded.28. MATRON SO WHATS THE ONE CONCLUSION I CAN BRING THIS NUMBER TO? WHEN YOU'RE GOOD TC MAMA MAMA‘S GOOD TO YOU! A final smash of the drums, as we CUT TO: INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - NIGHT ‘The matron slams the cell door on Roxie, to the shrill blast of a siren. ROXIE Um, Mama... ‘The matron stops. Already put out. ROXIE (CONT'D) It's a little, you know...freezing in here. Do you think maybe there’s a problem with the heating system? The matron just stares. ROXIE (CONT'D) Not that I’m complaining, mind you. But if you got a few extra blankets tucked away... The guard smashes a billy club against the metal bars. Roxie jumps back in terror. The matron and the guard move off. MATRON Lights out, ladies. Another GUARD turns a massive BRASS WHEEL, which locks down the cells for. the night. INT. ROXIE’S CELL - NIGHT (LATER) Roxie lies awake on her cot. She stares at a leaky faucet, dripping relentlessly. She tries to ignore the sounds coming from other cells. The ticking of a clock. The tapping of a guard’s shoe on the catwalk. The drumming of fingernails on a bed frame. The dripping, tapping, ticking and drumming all join in percussive rhythm in Roxie’s brain.29. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - CELL BLOCK - NIGHT One woman (LIZ) strikes a match in the darkness. LIZ POP. Another (ANNIE) curls her fingers around a prison bar. ANNIE six. A third woman (JUNE) flattens a cockroach with her foot. JUNE SQUISH. Another inmate (HUNYAK) clutches a pair of rosary beads. HUNYAK ‘UH UH. The glow of a cigarette in another cell. (VELMA) VELMA CICERO. A sixth woman (MONA) cracks her knuckles MONA LIPSCHITZ. INT. ROXIE‘S CELL - NIGHT Roxie glances up. Her cell bars slide open and keep SLIDING... INT. “STAGE” - NIGHT +ssan endless roll of steel. Behind them, the blurred image of the bandleader, in a pin spot. BANDLEADER And now, the six merry murderesses of the Cook County jail in their rendition of the Cell Block Tango. The bars clang to a stop. Roxie stands and steps into the club. She takes a seat at a center table, an audience of one. On the stage, the six inmates stand behind a set of bars.30. MUSIC starts under. LIZ POP. ANNIE SIX. JUNE SQUISH. HUNYAK UH UE. VELMA CICERO. MONA LIPSCHITZ. LIZ POP. ANNIE SIX. JUNE SQUISH. BUNYAK ‘UH UH. VELMA CICERO. MONA LIPSCHITZ. Now the rhythm is heavy and insistent. Liz POP. ANNIE SIX. JUNE SQUISH. HUNYAK UH UH.31. 2 VELMA CICERO. MONA LIPSCHITZ. The cell bars light up, outlined in neon. ALL HE HAD IT COMING HE HAD IT COMING HE ONLY HAD HIMSELF TO BLAME IF YOU'D HAVE BEEN THERE IF YOU'D HAVE SEEN IT VELMA I BETCHA YOU WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME! LIZ POP. ANNIE SIX. JUNE SQUISH. HUNYAK UH UH. VELMA, CICERO. MONA, LIPSCHITZ. One set of bars descends into the stage floor and LIZ steps forward. At the same time, a MALE FIGURE rises into view. LIZ You know how people have these little habits that get you down? Like Bernie. Bernie liked to chew gum. No, not chew. POP. I came home this one day and I am really irritated, and looking for a little sympathy and there's Bernie layin’ on the couch, drinkin’ a beer and chewin’.32. EXT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - CELL BLOCK - NIGHT The inmates file down the catwalks in military formation, all to the strict accompaniment of a guard’s whistle. Roxie walks next to Liz, who mutters under her breath, to no one in particular. Behind them, a sign reads: SILENCE. LIZ No, not chewin’. Poppin’. so I said to him, “You pop that gum one more time...” Roxie avoids the unstable woman's gaze. INT. "STAGE" - NIGHT Liz pushes her victim to the floor. LIZ And he did. So I took the shotgun off the wall and I fired two warning shots...into his head. Liz pulls a red scarf from under her victim's hat and kicks him across the stage. Behind her, the other prisoners stomp and point. ALL HE HAD IT COMING HE HAD IT COMING HE ONLY HAD HIMSELF TO BLAME IF YOU'D HAVE BEEN THERE IF YOU'D HAVE HEARD IT I BETCHA YOU WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME! ANNIE, a throaty blonde, approaches another MALE FIGURE. ANNIE I met Ezekial Young from Salt Lake City about two years ago and he told me he was single and we hit it off right away. So, we started living together. INT. COOK COUNTY JATL - COMMON ROOM - ANOTHER NIGHT Roxie sits alone, smoking and playing a game of solitaire. At the next table, Velma runs a poker game with a few old- timers, including Annie. The pot includes cigarettes, buttons, even a lipstick tube.33. ANNIE He'd go to work, he’d come home, I’d mix him a drink, we'd have dinner. And then I found out. Single, he told me? A guard enters the room. The women hide their cards and cover the pot with a newspaper. INT. "STAGE" - NIGHT Annie tangos with her partner. ANNIE Single, my ass. Not only was he married...oh, no, he had six wives. One of those Mormons, you know. So that night, when he came home, I mixed him his drink, as usual. You know, some guys just can’t hold their arsenic. She pulls a red scarf from her partner’s mouth. Behind her, the women climb onto the bars LIZ,-ANNIE, JUNE, MONA GIRLS HE HAD IT COMING POP, SIX, SQUISH, UH UH, HE HAD IT COMING CICERO, LIPSCHITZ HE TOOK A FLOWER IN ITS PRIME POP, SIX, SQUISH, UH UH, AND THEN HE USED IT CICERO, LIPSCHITZ AND HE ABUSED IT POP, SIX, SQUISH, UH UH, IT WAS A MURDER BUT NOT A CICERO, LIPSCHITZ CRIME JUNE emerges from her cell, faces off with another MALE FIGURE. JUNE Now I’m standing in the kitchen carvin' up the chicken for dinner, minding my own business, and in storms my husband Wilbur in a jealous rage. “You been screwin’ the milkman,” he says. He was crazy and he kept screamin’, “You been screwin’ the milkman.”34, INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - BATHROOM - ANOTHER NIGHT June stares into a mirror, brushing her teeth. She chats with Liz, while Roxie scrubs her face at the next sink. JUNE And then he ran into my knife. Roxie turns. A little chilled. JUNE (CONT'D) He ran into my knife ten times. INT. "STAGE" - NIGHT June pulls a long scarf from her victim's stomach. She twists her way through the scarf. ALL IF YOU'D HAVE BEEN THERE IP YOU'D HAVE SEEN IT I BETCHA YOU WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME! KATALIN HALENSCKI -- better known as the HUNYAK -- steps forward. She does a sad romantic tango with her PARTNER. HUNYAK (Hungarian) Mit keresek, en itt? Azt mondjok, hogy a hires lakem lefogta a ferjemet en meg leesaptam a fejet. De nem igaz, en artatlan vagyok. Nem tudom mert mondja Uncle Sam hogy en tettem. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - HALLWAY - DAY Roxie and the Hunyak scrub the floor on their hands and knees. HUNYAK Probaltam a rendorsegen megmagyaranzi de nem ertettek meg... ROXIE But did you do it? INT. "STAGE" - NIGHT A look of confusion and terror on the Hunyak’s face.35. HUNYAK UH UH, not guilty! She reaches behind her partner and pulls out a white scarf. ALL (under) HE HAD IT COMING HE HAD IT COMING HE HAD IT COMING ALL ALONG Velma is released from her cell. A MALE and FEMALE FIGURE -- Velma’s husband, CHARLIE, and her sister, VERONICA -- rise from the stage floor. ‘VELMA My sister, Veronica, and I did this double act and my husband, Charlie, traveled around with us. Now, for the last number in our act, we did these twenty acrobatic tricks in a row, one, two, three, four, five...splits, spread eagles, flip flops, back flips, one right after the other. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - CELL BLOCK - ANOTHER DAY A GUARD leads a line of inmates, including Roxie, down the cell block. ‘They pass Velma’s cell, where a newspaper PHOTOGRAPHER is snapping pictures of Velma surrounded by flowers and gifts and fan mail. She is giving an interview to a REPORTER. VELMA So this one night before the show, we're down at the Hotel Cicero, the three of us boozin’ and havin’ a few laughs, and we ran out of ice. So I went out to get some. It’s more like a showbiz anecdote than a murder confession, and the reporter is hanging on every word. INT. "STAGE" - NIGHT Veronica rides Charlie, her crotch in his face. ‘VELMA «++I come back, open the door, and there’s Veronica and Charlie doing Number Seventeen -- the spread eagle. (MORE)36. VELMA (cont'd) Well, I was in such a state of shock, I completely blacked out. I can't remember a thing. It wasn’t until later when I was washin’ the blood off my hands I even knew they were dead. Velma pulls out two scarves, one from each victim. VELMA (CONT'D) ‘THEY HAD IT COMING ‘THEY HAD IT COMING THEY HAD IT COMING ALL ALONG I DIDN'T Do IT BUT IF I'D DONE IT HOW COULD YOU TELL ME THAT I WAS ‘WRONG? The women pound the floor with their feet. VELMA (CONT'D) GIRLS ‘THEY HAD IT COMING THEY HAD IT COMING ‘THEY HAD IT COMING THEY HAD IT COMING THEY HAD IT COMING ALL ALONG THEY TOOK A FLOWER IN ITS I DIDN’T DO IT PRIME BUT IF I/D DONE IT AND THEN THEY USED IT HOW COULD YOU TELL ME THAT I © AND THEY ABUSED IT WAS WRONG? TT WAS A MURDER BUT NOT A CRIME MONA, barely twenty, steps forward. MONA, I loved Al Lipschitz more than I can possibly say. He was a real artistic guy...sensitive...a painter. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - CAFETERIA - NIGHT A massive clang of tin plates as a whistle signale the prisoners to sit. CAFETERIA WORKERS move down rows of tables, serving slop from metal pots. We travel past Roxie, who is eavesdropping on a nearby conversation: MONA. He was always trying to find himself. He'd go out every night looking for himself and on the way he found Ruth, Glady: Rosemary...and Irving. (MORE)MONA (cont'd) I guess you could say we broke up because of artistic differences. INT. "STAGE" - NIGHT Mona stands over her victim. MONA He saw himself as alive, and I saw him dead. ALL THE DIRTY BUM, BUM, BUM, BUM, BUM THE DIRTY BUM, BUM, BUM, BUM, BUM 37. The set now consists of two tiers of prison cells, teeming with vengeful WOMEN: LIZ, ANNIE, JUNE, MONA VELMA & HUNYAK ‘THEY HAD IT COMING THEY HAD IT COMING ‘THEY HAD IT COMING THEY HAD IT COMING THEY HAD IT COMING ALL ALONG THEY HAD IT COMING ALL ‘CAUSE IF THEY USED US ‘CAUSE IF THEY USED US AND THEY ABUSED US AND THEY ABUSED US HOW COULD YOU TELL US HOW COULD YOU TELL US THAT WE WERE WRONG ‘THAT WE WERE WRONG ALL (CONT'D) HE HAD IT COMING HE HAD IT COMING HE ONLY HAD HIMSELF TO BLAME IF YOU'D HAVE BEEN THERE IF YOU'D HAVE SEEN IT I BETCHA YOU WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME! Another layer of bars descends in front of the women. voices overlap and start to fad Liz You pop that gum one more time! ANNIE Single my ass. JUNE ‘Ten times! HUNYAK Miert esukott Uncle Same bortonbe. ALONG ‘Their38. ‘VELMA Number Seventeen -- the spread eagle. MONA Artistic differences. INT. CELL BLOCK - NIGHT The rhythm continues. Weeks have passed but Roxie still lies awake, listening to the dripping faucet....a faraway scream...some light snoring. Roxie curls up and tries to get some sleep. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - LAUNDRY - DAY Inmates feed laundry into huge, primitive washing machines. Roxie, dripping sweat, loads clean sheets and towels into a bin. Next to her, the Hunyak carefully irons some dainty silk lingerie. Roxie turns to Annie and June. ROXIE Who belongs to them? JUNE What's it to you? ROXIE Nothin’. I heard they were Velma‘s. ANNIE Yeah, the Hunyak does all her laundry for a dollar a week. Roxie turns, watches the Hunyak folding Velma’s lingerie on the ironing’ board. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - HALLWAY - DAY (LATER) Roxie stands outside the matron’s office. A guard glances up. ROXIE Fresh towels for the can. The guard nods sourly. He unlocks the bathroom door. GUARD Make it quick.39. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - MATRON’S BATHROOM - DAY Roxie replaces the dirty towels. Through a door that’s slightly ajar: MATRON (0.8.) -+:Billy Flynn’s set your trial date for March 5th. March 7th you'll be acquitted, and March eth - = do you know what Mama‘s gonna do for you? She’s gonna put you back on the vaudeville circuit. Roxie adjusts the cupboard mirror to let her see into the office. Velma stands opposite the matron, who reaches up to light her cigarette. VELMA So now you're an agent too? MATRON Well, dearie...until Ma Bell installs a private line in your cell, all the calls have gotta go through me. VELMA What kind of dough are we talking about? MATRON It's a crazy world. Babe Ruth is wearing rouge and playing the Palace for five thousand a week. VELMA Yeah, and what about someone with real talent? MATRON Well, I been talkin’ to the boys over at William Morris and due to your recent sensational activities they think they can get you twenty- five hundred. Roxie and Velma are both flabbergasted. VELMA, ‘Twenty-five hundred! The most me and Veronica ever made together was three-fifty.40. MATRON That's what happens you got the right representation. VELMA, You know, Mama, I always wanted to play Big Jim Colisimo’s. Do you think you could get me that? MATRON Big Jim's! Jeez, I don’t know. That's gonna take another phone call. VELMA And how much is that gonna cost me? MATRON come on, Vel, you know how I feel about you. You're like family to me -- like my own. I'll do it for fifty bucks. Resigned, Velma hikes up her kimono and removes some cash from her garter belt. Roxie’s eyes are drawn to the distinctive garter, blue with a rhinestone buckle. ‘VELMA Fifty bucks for a fhone call. You must get a lot of wrong numbers, ‘Mama. Velma snubs out her cigarette and heads out. Roxie scoops up the dirty towels and steps back into: INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - HALLWAY - DAY Roxie feigns surprise at seeing Velma. ROXIE oh, Miss Kelly. personals. here's your She reaches into the bin, takes out Velma’s lingerie. ROXIE (CONT'D) (ying) Pressed by yours truly. Velma takes a dollar bill from her garter. ROXIE (CONT'D) No, it's my pleasure.42. Roxie holds onto the underwear, trying to keep the conversation going. ROXIE (CCNT'D) Listen, can I ask you somethin’? ‘VELMA (not meaning it) Sure. ROXIE Mr. Harrison said what I done is a hanging case and he’s prepared to ask for the maximum penalty. ‘VELMA Yeah, 50? So I'm scared. I sure would appreciate a little advice, especially from someone I admire as much as you. See, ever since I can | ROXIE | remember, I wanted to be on the stage... VELMA What's your talent? Washing and drying? ROXIE No, I danced in the chorus. of course, that was before I met my husband Amos... Velma’s already bored to tears. VELMA Look, hon, you want some advice? Here it is, direct from me to you. She grabs the lingerie from Roxie. VELMA (CONT‘D) Keep your paws off my underwear. “kay? ROXIE "kay. Velma walks off.SS 42. ROXIE (CONT'D) Thanks for nothin’. MATRON She's something, ain't she? Roxie turns, surprised to see the matron. MATRON (CONT'D) No matter how big she gets, she’s still as common as ever. She rubs Roxie’s shoulder. MATRON (CONT'D) I'd like to help you, dearie. The matron leads Roxie into her office. She winks at the guard and pulls the door shut. INT. MATRON’S OFFICE - DAY The matron points to a chair. MATRON Take a load off. Roxie sits, careful to let her uniform ride up her thigh. MATRON (CONT'D) So what do you figure on using for grounds? ROXIE Grounds? ‘MATRON What are you gonna tell the jury? ROXIE I guess...I‘1l just tell them the truth. MATRON Telling the truth, that’s a one-way ticket to the death house. ROXIE Holy Mother of God... MATRON Relax. In this town, murder’s a form of entertainment. (MORE)43. MATRON (cont'd) @ Besides, in forty-seven years, Cook Na County ain’t never hung a woman yet. So it’s forty-seven to one, they won't hang you. ROXIE Oh, Jesus, Mary and Joseph... MATRON You're talking to the wrong people. What you need is Billy Flynn. . ROXIE Who? MATRON He’s only the best criminal lawyer in all of Illinois. What he don’t know about juries and women. ROXIE How do you get this Billy Flynn? MATRON : Not by praying, dearie. First you give me a hundred dollars, then I ma make a phone call. ROXIE A hundred? But you just, I mean... She catches herself. ROXIE (CONT'D) «+-that seems pretty steep for a phone call. The matron stands, moves around the desk. MATRON He’s worth every cent. Never lost a case for a female client yet. From Roxie’s POV, we see the wall behind the matron become transparent, revealing the dim outline of INMATES standing behind bars. ‘WOMEN WE WANT BILLY Roxie tries to stay focused on the matron.MATRON And with a sweet 1:ttle puss like yours...well, just:ce ain't so blind in Chicago. The matron puts her hand on Roxie’s knee. ROXIE He never lost a case? MATRON Never. ‘The women slide up and down the cell bars, as the light continues to cross-fade. The matron is silhouetted now. WOMEN WHERE IS BILLY... MATRON Every girl in this place would kill to have Billy Flynr. represent her. INT. "STAGE" - NIGHT The inmates’ hands reach through the cell bars. INMATES GIVE US BILLY WE WANT BILLY ‘The women undo their buttons. INMATES (CONT'D) B--I--DOUBLE L--¥ WE'RE ALL HIS 44. ‘The inmates shed their uniforms, looking practically nude in their slightly worn showgirl costumes. INMATES (CONT'D) HE'S OUR KIND OF A GUY AND OOH WHAT LUCK “CAUSE HERE HE IS. The cell bars ride off, revealing a set of stairs. BANDLEADER Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the Silver Tongued Prince of the Courtroom -- the one -- the only Billy Flynn.45. At the top of the stairs, a DAPPER MAN is getting his shoes shined in silhouette. He stands and flips a dime to the SHOE- SHINE MAN, who tips his hat to catch the coin. The shoe- shine man turns -- it’s BILLY FLYNN. He glides down the steps. BILLY I DON'T CARE ABOUT EXPENSIVE THINGS CASHMERE COATS, DIAMOND RINGS DON’T MEAN A THING ALL I CARE ABOUT IS LOVE BILLY (CONT'D) GIRLS THAT’S WHAT I‘M HERE FOR THAT'S WHAT HE'S HERE FOR The girls strike broken poses. More Minsky’s than Ziegfeld. INT. BILLY'S OFFICE - DAY Billy dictates notes to an ASSISTANT as he is fussed over by tailors. Fabrics fit for a millionaire, but cut in a flashy way to impress the common man. BILLY (V.0.) I DON’T CARE FOR WEARING SILK CRAVATS RUBY STUDS, SATIN SPATS DON’T MEAN A THING Billy checks the cut in a mirror. Frustrated, he kicks a TAILOR trying to hem his pant leg. INT. "STAGE" - NIGHT Billy kicks his way across the stage. BILLY ALL I CARE ABOUT IS LOVE GIRLS ALL HE CARES ABOUT IS LOVE BILLY GIMME TWO EYES OF BLUE SOFTLY SAYING, “I NEED YOU” LET ME SEE HER STANDIN’ THERE AND HONEST MISTER, I'M A MILLIONAIRE46. EXT. STATE STREET - DAY (LATER) Billy breezes over to his Rolls-Royce. His CHAUFFEUR opens the door for him. INT. "STAGE" - NIGHT ‘The chorus resembles the shape of the Rolls-Royce, with the front dancer playing the Winged Victory hood ornament. BILLY I DON’T CARE FOR ANY FINE ATTIRE VANDERBILT MIGHT ADMIRE NO, NO, NOT ME Billy cranks a dancer’s leg, pretending to set the parking brake. BILLY (CONT'D) ALL I CARE ABOUT IS LOVE Two other girls create a door, which Billy steps through. GIRLS ALL HE CARES ABOUT IS LOVE EXT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - DAY Billy whistles as he heads up the prison steps. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - HALLWAY - DAY Inmates reach through the bars of the cell block open area, as Billy sweeps past, still whistling. BILLY Good morning, ladies. HUNYAK Not guilty! Not guilty! BILLY You tell ‘em, sweetheart. INT. “STAGE” - NIGHT The girls swing Billy in their arms. GIRLS THAT’S WHAT HE'S HERE FOR47. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - COMMON ROOM - DAY (LATER) A small press conference, half a dozen reporters and a few PHOTOGRAPHERS. MARY SUNSHINE, a sob sister for the Evening Star, nods sympathetically as Velma tells her story. MARY SUNSHINE Miss Kelly, do you remember anything at all about that night? ‘VELMA I passed out completely, Miss Sunshine. I can’t remember a thing. Only that I didn’t do it. MARY SUNSHINE Any idea who did, dear? BILLY No, but my client is offering a substantial reward to anyone with information about this crime. This is obviously news to Velma. MARY SUNSHINE How much is the reward, Miss Kelly? VELMA (to Billy) I don't know. How much? BILLY We'll work that out after the trial. (stands) Now, if there are no more questions, Miss Kelly and I have a lot of work to do. Billy leads Velma off. ‘VELMA What's all this about a reward? BILLY They‘re awfully dumb, reporters. They'll write it up wrong and later on you can deny the whole thing. INT. “STAGE” - NIGHT Moving through the dancers’ legs:GIRLS ALL HE CARES ABOUT IS LOVE! INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - SECURITY AREA - DAY 48. Velma is escorted up a spiral staircase by a GUARD, while Billy waits for another GUARD to let him out of the secure area. ROXIE (through bars) Oh, Mr. Flynn! Mr. Flynn! Billy steps out of the secure area, waits for the guard to unlock the outer gate. ROXIE (CONT'D) I’m Roxie Hart. BILLY Who? ROXIE Mama talked to you about me. BILLY Oh, yeah, right. The cute one. He checks her out, likes what he sees. The second gate opens. ROXIE I was hoping you might represent me. BILLY You got five thousand dollars? ROXIE Gee, that’s a lot of money. Mama didn't say anything about five thousand dollars. Billy steps into the outer hallway and keeps going. scrambles to keep up. ROXIE (CONT'D) Lookit, Mr. Flynn, I’ve never been very good at this sort of thing. But couldn't we make some kind of arrangement between us? I can be an awfully good sport. Roxie49. She smiles knowingly. Billy laughs. BILLY Good, you got that out of your system. Now listen. You mean just one thing to me. (over his shoulder) Call me when you got five thousand dollars. He leaves, whistling again. INT. "STAGE" - NIGHT The girls roll on their backs, creating a human wave for Billy to ride. He grabs a dancer’s boa as she circles him. BILLY SHOW ME LONG, LONG RAVEN HAIR FLOWIN’ DOWN, ABOUT TO THERE WHEN I SEE HER RUNNIN’ FREE KEEP YOUR MONEY, THAT’S ENOUGH FOR ME Billy digs into a girl's cleavage, comes up with a handful of coins. He tosses them out as silver coins rain down on the stage. Billy moves down the runway, stripping off his vest and suspenders. BILLY (CONT'D) I DON’T CARE FOR DRIVIN’ PACKARD CARS OR SMOKING LONG, BUCK CIGARS NO, NO, NOT ME He rips off his pants. GIRLS ‘WHOA! BILLY ALL I CARE ABOUT IS Billy backs up, pulling off his shirt. BILLY (CONT'D) DOIN’ THE GUY IN WHO'S PICKIN’ ON YOU TWISTIN’ THE WRIST THAT’S TURNIN’ THE SCREW50. Billy stands on the stairs, wearing only his hat, t-shirt, boxers, and a cigar. A curtain opens, revealing six girls in a candelabra tableau. BILLY (CONT'D) ALL ALL I CARE ABOUT IS LOVE! ALL HE CARES ABOUT IS LOVE! | The girls in front provide cover as Billy pulls off his boxers and swings them above ais head. The number ends. INT. BILLY'S LAW FIRM - OUTER OFFICE - DAY Amos is perched uncomfortably on a small chair. It’s clear he’s been waiting a while. Billy’s SECRETARY finally appears. BILLY'S SECRETARY Oh. He‘ll see you now. INT. BILLY'S OFFICE - DAY Billy’s ASSISTANT leaves as Amos enters. Billy looks up, offers Amos a blank smile. BILLY Well, hello, Andy. AMOS Amos. My name is Amos. BILLY That‘s right. Have a seat. Amos does as he is told. BILLY (CONT'D) You know, you're a remarkable man. AMOS Huh? BILLY Your wife two-times you, plugs the guy, and then tries to pin it on you. Most men’d let a dame like that swing. But you're sticking by her and that makes you a hero in my eyes. Amos frowns, confused.51. AMOS Right. I'm a hero. BILLY Did you bring the money? amos I didn‘t do as well as I hoped. (pats up a restraining hand) But I will, Mr. Flynn. I will. He takes certificates and savings bonds from his pockets. Billy flips through them. BILLY That's only a thousand. AMOS And three hundred dellars that I borrowed from the guys at the garage... (puts the cash cn the desk) <+:and seven hundred out of the building and loan fund... BILLY That's two thousand. AMos And that’s all I got so far. But I'll pay you twenty dollars a week on my salary. I’ll give you notes with interest -- double, triple -- till every cent is paid. I promise ya. BILLY When you came to me yesterday, I didn’t ask you was she guilty. I didn’t ask was she innocent. I didn’t ask you if she was a drunk or a dope fiend. All I said was, “Have you got five thousand dollars?” “And you said yes. But you don’t have five thousand dollars so I figure you're a dirty liar, and I don’t waste my time with dirty liars. Billy swings around in his chair, his back to Amos now. The meeting is over.AMOS Look, I’m real sorry, Mr. Flynn. Amos starts to gather the cash and certificates. swings back around. BILLY On the other hand, your devotion to your wife is really very touching. I took your wife’s case and I’11 keep it because I play square. 52. Billy Billy puts his hand on the money and slides it into his desk drawer. BILLY (CONT'D) Now look, Hart, I don't like to blow my own horn, but believe me, if Jesus Christ had lived in Chicago today -- and if he had five thousand dollars and had come to me things would have turned out differently. Billy moves over to the window, the city spread out beneath him. BILLY (CONT'D) Here's what we're gonna do. By the end of the week I'll have Roxie’s name on the front page of newspaper in town. Sweetest little jazz killer ever to hit Chicago that’s the angle I’m after. Then we announce we’re gonna hold an auction. Tell ‘em we got to raise money for her defense. They’1] buy anything she ever touched... INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - HOLDING ROOM - DAY Billy lays out his plan for Roxie, who looks excited. BILLY ++syour shoes, your dresses, your perfume, your underwear... ROXIE And Victrola records. Like the one I was playing when I shot that bastard.53. BILLY I never heard that. ROXIE Not that I didn’t have grounds. (a beat) any idea what they were? BILLY That‘s for when we go to trial. Nobody's going to care a lick what your defense is unless they care about you. Roxie nods, genuinely impressed. BILLY (CONT'D) The first thing we got to do is work up some sympathy from the press. They’re not all pushovers like Mary Sunshine. But there’s one thing they can never resist and that’s a reformed sinner. So tell me, what was your favorite subject in school? ROXIE Oh I was a real dunmy. BILLY You must have been good at something. ROXIE I got high marks fer courtesy and helpfulness. ‘BILLY Perfect. You wanted to be a nun. ROXIE A nun! BILLY Where were you born? ROXIE On a chicken farm near Lubbock. BILLY Beautiful Southern home, filled with every luxury and refinement. Where are your parents now?ROXIE Probably sitting in their rocking chairs on the front porch. BILLY Parents dead. The family fortune swept away, you were educated at the Sacred Heart. Then you fell into a runaway marriage, which left you miserable and lonely. So you got caught up in the mad whirl of the city -- jazz, cabarets, liquor. You were drawn like a moth to the flame. ROXIE A moth! BILLY And now the mad whirl has ceased. You're a butterfly crushed on the wheel. ROXIE What is it? A moth or a butterfly? BILLY You have sinned and you are sorry. ROXIE God. That's beautiful. BILLY Cut out God. Stay where you’re better acquainted. A sober nod from Roxie. MONTAGE A short musical interlude, as Roxie prepares for her debut: INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - ROXIE’S CELL - NIGHT Roxie polishes a spoon, then uses it to gaze at her reflection. She compares her eyes with Mary Pickford’s, whose picture is taped on the wall. BILLY (V.0.) Kid -- when I’m through with you, not only will you be acquitted -- every man on that jury’1l want to take you home to meet his mother.55. Roxie plucks her eyebrows to resemble America’s sweetheart. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - MATRON’S OFFICE - DAY Roxie rehearses her story for Billy and the matron: ROXIE I was born on a beautiful Southern convent. MATRON What? Billy shakes his head in despair. ROXIE Holy shit! I'll never get this straight. BILLY Pipe down on the swearing. From here on in, you say nothing rougher than “Oh, dear.” Now try again. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - ROXIE’S CELL - NIGHT Roxie sketches a few differen: hair designs in her silver diary. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - CELL BLOCK - DAY The inmates line up for morning inspection. Roxie slips a fiver to the matron, who passes her a small tube of hair dye. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - BATHROOM - NIGHT Roxie dyes her roots in the empty bathroom. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - ROXIE’S CELL - NIGHT In the middle of the night, Roxie sits on her cot, cutting her hair to resemble Mary Pickford’s. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - COMMON ROOM - DAY Velma sits opposite Billy Flynn. ‘VELMA I came up with some more things to do on the witness stand. I thought I could get all teary-eyed and ask to borrow your handkerchief. (MORE)56. VELMA (cont'd) & Then I’1l take a peek at the jury \ and flash ‘em a bit of thigh, like this. She opens her legs, revealing the distinctive rhinestone garter. BILLY (looking past her) Sounds great. Velma turns, sees Roxie and the matron at the top of the stairs. Roxie makes a grand entrance, her hair fashioned in a blonde bob, with a signature triple curl across one side. It’s innocent but also a little sassy. Billy stands. VELMA -don't you want to hear the BILLY Tomorrow, kiddo. You're at the top of my list. He moves over to Roxie. 3 BILLY (CONT'D) Well, well... She affects a sweet smile. ROXIE I’m so sorry to be late, Mr. Flynn. (eyes Velma) Hope you weren’t too bored. Billy chuckles, pulls out a chair for her. Velma fumes quietly in the corner. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - HALLWAY (LATER) - NIGHT Roxie reads the Bible, her mouth moving while she reads. VELMA (0.S.) Hey, Pollyana. Roxie looks up. Velma’s just come from the showers. VELMA (CONT'D) I heard your press conference is “ ‘tomorrow. ROXIE What's it to you?VELMA You wanted my advice? Here it is. You might be payin’ the bills, but don‘t forget -- Billy Flynn's number one client is Billy Flynn. ROXIE Meaning what? Roxie is interested in spite of herself. ‘VELMA Don't let him hog the spotlight. Remember, you're the one they paid to see. Velma moves off. INT. COURTHOUSE - CORRIDOR - DAY (CONTINUOUS) Billy leads Roxie toward the exit. BILLY Now remember, we can only sell them one idea at a time... ROXIE I can still see him comin’ at me with that awful look in his eyes. BILLY And? ROXIE We both reached for the gun. BILLY That's right. You both reached for the gun. They arrive at the door. BILLY (CONT'D) Ready? Roxie takes a deep breath, nods. Billy opens the door. EXT. COOK COUNTY COURTHOUSE STEPS - DAY Roxie and Billy walk to a bank of radio microphones. 57. Dozens of REPORTERS, flashbulbs, newsreel cameras, all in Roxie’s face.58. PHOTOGRAPHERSS (in unison) This way, Roxie! Give us a smile, Roxie! Over here, Rox! BILLY Good day, gentlemen, Miss Sunshine. My client has just entered a plea of not guilty, and we look forward to a trial at the earliest possible date. Now, if there are any questions... He points to Mary Sunshine. MARY SUNSHINE As you know, my paper is dry. Do you have any advice for young girls seeking to avoid a life of jazz and drink? Roxie leans forward, but Billy answers for her: BILLY Absolutely. Mrs. Hart feels that it was it was the tragic combination of liquor and jazz which led to her downfall. He points to another reporter, but Roxie leans into the microphones. ROXIE Ladies and gentlemen, I’m just so flattered y'all came to see me. She affects a sweet tragic look, and speaks in the worst refined Southern accent you've ever heard. ROXIE (CONT'D) See, I was a moth...a moth crushed on the wheel. Confusion spreads among the reporters as Roxie mangles her metaphors. ROXIE (CONT'D) You know, a butterfly...drawn to the flame. Realizing she’s screwed up, she offers a lovely, wistful smile.59. ROXIE (CONT'D) I guess you want to know why I shot the bastard. Billy grabs Roxie by the back of her hair. BILLY Shut up, dummy. INT. "STAGE" - DAY Billy sits on a wooden chair, with a ventriloquist’s DUMMY on his lap. It's a two-foot high version of Roxie, with the same bob and the same dress. BANDLEADER Mr. Billy Flynn in the “Press Conference Rag.” Notice how his mouth never moves -- almost. Behind them, “marionette” REPORTERS sit lifelessly. in the club, there’s a casual matinee crowd. EXT. COOK COUNTY COURTHOUSE - DAY Billy points to a REPORTER. REPORTER Where'd you come from? INT. “STAGE” - DAY ‘The dummy opens its eyes. BILLY/ROXIE DUMMY MISSISSIPPI. EXT. COOK COUNTY COURTHOUSE - DAY Another REPORTER calls out a question: REPORTER #2 And your parents? INT. "STAGE" - DAY The dunmy flutters its eyelashes coyly. BILLY/ROXIE DUMMY VERY WEALTHY.60. EXT. COOK COUNTY COURTHOUSE - DAY A third REPORTER: REPORTER #3 Where are they now? INT. "STAGE" - DAY The dummy makes a sign of the cross. BILLY/ROXIE DUMMY SIX FEET UNDER. EXT. COOK COUNTY COURTHOUSE - DAY Roxie’s about to answer when Billy jumps in. BILLY But she was granted one more start... INT. "STAGE" - DAY ‘The dummy lowers its head pionsly. BILLY/ROXIE DUMMY ‘THE CONVENT OF THE SACRED HEART EXT. COOK COUNTY COURTHOUSE - DAY Reporters in back struggle to be noticed: REPORTERS (in unison) Mr. Flynn! This way, Roxie! Over here, Billy! INT. “STAGE” - DAY When the dummy lifts its head, we see that it’s now Roxie sitting on Billy’s lap. Behind them, the reporters stir to life. REPORTER #1 WHEN’D YOU GET HERE? BILLY/ROXIE 1920. REPORTER #2 HOW OLD WERE YOU?61. EXT. COOK COUNTY COURTHOUSE - DAY Roxie shoots Billy a warning look. INT. "STAGE" - DAY Roxie shrugs in confusion. BILLY /ROXIE DON‘T REMEMBER. REPORTER #3 ‘THEN WHAT HAPPENED? BILLY/ROXIE, I MET AMOS AND HE STOLE MY HEART AWAY CONVINCED ME TO ELOPE ONE DAY EXT. COOK COUNTY COURTHOUSE ~ DAY Mary Sunshine scribbles furicusly. MARY SUNSHINE You poor de: I can’t believe what you've been through! A convent girl! A runaway marriage! Oh, it's too, too terrible. Now tell us, Roxie: INT. "STAGE" - DAY The marionette MARY SUNSHINE lifts her head. MARY SUNSHINE WHO'S FRED CASELY? Roxie looks down in shame. BILLY/ROXIE MY EX-BOYFRIEND. REPORTERS WHY’D YOU SHOOT HIN? BILLY/ROXIE I WAS LEAVIN’. REPORTERS WAS HE ANGRY?BILLY /ROXIE LIKE A MADMAN! STILL I SAID, “FRED, MOVE ALONG” EXT. COOK COUNTY COURTHOUSE - DAY Billy pats Roxie’s hand paternally. BILLY She knew that she was doing wrong. INT. "STAGE" - DAY REPORTERS THEN DESCRIBE IT BILLY/ROXIE HE CAME TOWARD ME. REPORTERS WITH THE PISTOL? BILLY/ROXIE FROM MY BUREAU REPORTERS DID YOU FIGHT HIM? BILLY/ROXIE LIKE A TIGER EXT. COOK COUNTY COURTHOUSE - DAY Billy leans in to explain: BILLY He had strength and she had none. INT. "STAGE" - DAY Billy holds up Roxie. BILLY/ROXIE AND YET WE BOTH REACHED FOR THE GUN OH YES, OH YES, OH YES WE BOTH OH YES WE BOTH OH YES, WE BOTH REACHED FOR THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN OH YES, WE BOTH REACHED FOR THE GUN, FOR THE GUN Roxie continues to nod her head frantically.63. EXT. COOK COUNTY COURTHOUSE - DAY Billy reenacts the struggle for the gun, while Roxie nods in agreement. BILLY & REPORTERS (V.0.) OH YES, OH YES, OH YES THEY BOTH OH YES THEY BOTH OH YES, THEY BOTH REACHED FOR THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN OH YES, THEY BOTH REACHED FOR THE uN, FOR THE GUN INT. "STAGE" - DAY Billy dances a waltz with Roxie. He controls her movements through a wooden lever attached to her back. BILLY UNDERSTANDABLE UNDERSTANDABLE YES, IT’S PERFECTLY UNDERSTANDABLE COMPREHENSIBLE COMPREHENSIBLE NOT A BIT REPREHENSIBLE IT’S SO DEFENSIBLE! They sit again. REPORTERS HOW’RE YOU FEELING? BILLY/ROXIE VERY FRIGHTENED MARY SUNSHINE ARE YOU SORRY? EXT. COOK COUNTY COURTHOUSE - DAY Roxie turns toward the radio microphones. ROXIE Are you kidding? Billy grabs her arm and twists it. INT. "STAGE" - DAY It's still Billy’s voice coming out of Roxie’s mouth.64. REPORTERS WHAT'S YOUR STATEMENT? BILLY/ROXIE ALL I'D SAY IS ‘THOUGH MY CHOO-CHOO JUMPED THE TRACK I'D GIVE MY LIFE TO BRING HIM BACK | : EXT. COOK COUNTY COURTHOUSE/ INT. "STAGE" - DAY Now the intercutting between reality and fantasy becomes more frenetic: REPORTERS AND? BILLY/ROXIE | STAY AWAY FROM REPORTERS WHAT? BILLY/ROXIE JAZZ AND LIQUOR. REPORTERS AND? BILLY /ROXIE AND THE MEN WHO REPORTERS WHAT? BILLY /ROXIE PLAY FOR FUN. REPORTERS AND WHAT? BILLY /ROXIE THAT'S THE THOUGHT THAT REPORTERS ‘YEAH BILLY/ROXIE = CAME UPON ME } REPORTERS WHEN?os XK 65. Billy turns to the reporters and yells, dropping Roxie on the floor. BILLY /ROXIE WHEN WE BOTH REACHED FOR THE GUN INT. "STAGE" - DAY Mary Sunshine dances with Billy. MARY SUNSHINE UNDERSTANDABLE UNDERSTANDABLE BILLY & MARY SUNSHINE YES, IT’S PERFECTLY UNDERSTANDABLE Mary Sunshine bounces in mid-air, pulled by strings. BILLY & MARY SUNSHINE (CONT'D) COMPREHENSIBLE COMPREHENSIBLE Mary Sunshine picks up Roxie and pute her back in Billy’s lap. BILLY & MARY SUNSHINE (CONT‘D) NOT A BIT REPREHENSIBLE IT’S SO DEFENSIBLE! REPORTERS BILLY OH YES, OH YES, OH YES THEY Let me hear it. BOTH OH YES THEY BOTH OH YES, THEY BOTH REACHED FOR Billy stands over a marionette box, pulling the strings. REPORTERS BILLY THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN, Now you got it! THE GUN OH YES, THEY BOTH REACHED FOR ‘THE GUN, FOR THE GUN INT. “EVENING STAR” NEWSROOM - DAY Mary Sunshine taps out an article on an Underwood. She rips out the page and hands it to 2 COPY BOY, who races with it through the chaotic newsroom.66. REPORTERS (V.0.) OH YES, OH YES, OH YES THEY BOTH OH YES THEY BOTH OH YES, THEY BOTH REACHED FOR INT. "STAGE" - DAY The reporters bob up and down, on marionette strings made of bungee cords. REPORTERS THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN OH YES, THEY BOTH REACHED FOR THE GUN, FOR THE GUN INT. NEWSROOM - DAY Hundreds of copies of the “Evening Star” roll off the printing presses. BILLY & REPORTERS (V.0.) OH YES, OH YES, OH YES THEY BOTH OH YES THEY BOTH INT. “STAGE” - DAY The reporters’ movements become more frenetic. BILLY & REPORTERS OH YES, THEY BOTH REACHED FOR THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN EXT. MICHIGAN AVENUE - DAY Piles of the “Evening Star” are dropped from a delivery truck. BILLY & REPORTERS (V.0.) THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN INT. “STAGE” - DAY Roxie bounces on Billy’s knee. BILLY & REPORTERS THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN67. EXT. MICHIGAN AVENUE - DAY At a newsstand, customers greb for one of at least a dozen papers, everything from the norning broadsheets to the early evening tabloids. All run variations on the same headline: THEY BOTH REACHED FOR THE GUN. BILLY & REPORTERS (V.0.) ‘THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN INT. "STAGE" - DAY Mary Sunshine gives Billy a trick glass of milk. BILLY BOTH REACHED FOR THE GUN Billy drinks as he holds the last note. REPORTERS THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN INT. TRAIN STATION - DAY Moving down a platform full of COMMUTERS reading the morning papers. A sea of headlines, all about Roxie. REPORTERS (V.0.) THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN INT. STAGE - DAY Everyone dances as the number ends. BILLY & REPORTERS THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN, THE GUN BOTH REACHED FOR TEE GUN NEWSREEL FILM INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - ROXIE’S CELL - DAY (B&W) A title spins across the screen: ROXIE ROCKS CHICAGO. NEWSREEL ANNOUNCER (V.0.) Move over, Al Capone. The Windy City has taken a new criminal to its heart. The name on everybody's lips is Roxie Hart, the sweetest little lady ever accused of murder in Chicago.‘) 68. EXT. BEAUTY PARLOR - DAY (B&W) Women line up outside a beauty parlor. A sign in the window advertises the now famous triple-curl Roxie bob. NEWSREEL ANNOUNCER (V.0.) Women want to look like her... ‘A woman exits the shop, shows off her new look to her boyfriend. NEWSREEL ANNOUNCER (V.0.) (CONT'D) Fellas want to go out with her...some little girls even want to take her home... A toy store window is filled with Roxie dolls. Outside, a Little girl smiles, holds up her doll. NEWSREEL ANNOUNCER (CONT'D) Don't get any ideas, little lady. On the other side of town... INT. COURTHOUSE - HALLWAY - DAY (B&W) Assistant D.A. Harrison stands stiffly in front of a bank of radio microphones. NEWSREEL ANNOUNCER (V.O.) The Assistant D.A. promises that the game little sharpshooter will swing before the year is out. Harrison basks in the press attention. NEWSREEL ANNOUNCER (V.0.) (CONT'D) Who knows? If he lives up to his word, Assistant D.A. Harrison might become Governor Harrison someday. Back at the scene of the crime... INT. ROXIE’S APARTMENT - DAY (B&W) Curiosity seekers attend the auction at Roxie’s South Side apartment. A sailor in line already has Roxie’s name tattooed on his forearm. NEWSREEL NARRATOR (V.0.) Everybody wants a little piece of Roxie Hart. In the apartment, a man forks over money to Amos, while his excited wife holds up a used jar of cold cream.69. NEWSREEL NARRATOR (V.0.) (CONT'D) This jar of cold cream set her husband back twenty dollars. Another woman sprays herself with the dregs of Roxie’s perfume. NEWSREEL NARRATOR (V.0.) (CONT'D) Maybe this pretty little lady will get some of that famous Roxie style. The woman turns to her husband and pretends to shoot him. They both laugh. NEWSREEL NARRATOR (V.0.) (CONT'D) It seems everybody these days is rooting for Roxie Hart. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - ROXIE‘S CELL - DAY A GUARD carries flowers wrapped in yesterday’s papers, with the headline: CONVENT GIRL HELD. MATRON (0.C.) Take those wiltin’ roses over to the orphanage. And make sure they know who sent ‘em. The matron moves over to Roxie, who is doodling in her silver diary. She has her own kimono now. MATRON (CONT'D) So, kiddo...you given any thought to what you wanna do after Billy gets you off? ROXIE I think I'd like to go on the stage. ‘MATRON I figured as much. I already called the Morris office. ROXIE Really. And how much is that gonna cost me? MATRON My standard deal. Ten percent of all your takings.70. ROXIE We'll see, Mama. We'll see. She sits on her cot. Aloof. The Hunyak passes, hands Roxie some freshly laundered underwear. ROXIE (CONT'D) Besides, I still don’t have an act. MATRON Killing Fred Casely was your act. That’s all those stiffs in the audience want -- to say they saw somebody famous. Roxie slips the Hunyak a dollar bill. ROXIE That’s a freak act. I’m better ‘n that. MATRON ‘Course you are, cupcake. Since shameless flattery comes with the job: MATRON (CONT'D) You could be as big as Sophie Tucker. Bigger than Cantor and Jolson combined. ROXIE You think so? You wanna know something, Mama? I always wanted my name in the papers. Before Amos, I used to date this well-to— do ugly bootlegger. He used to like to take me out and show me off. Ugly guys like to do that. The matron opens her mouth to laugh, but we hear AUDIENCE LAUGHTER instead. We CUT TO: INT. "STAGE" - NIGHT Roxie’s monologue continues, as a showbiz-fake-intimate conversation with the audience. ROXIE Once it said in the paper, "Gangland’s Al Capelli seen at Chez vito with cute blonde chorine.” That was me. (MORE)nm. ROXIE (cont'd) va I clipped it and saved it. See, ( all my life I wanted to have my own ps act. But, no. No. No. No. They always turned me dcwn. It was one big world full of “No.” Then Amos came along. Sweet, safe Amos who | never says no. In the crowd, people nod knowingly. ROXIE (CONT'D) Look, I’ve never done this before...but it’s such a special night, and you‘re such a great audience...I feel like I can really talk to you. So forget what you've read in the papers or heard on the radio, ‘cause I'm gonna tell you the truth. The audience glows with gratitude. ROXIE (CONT’D) Not that the truth really matters, but I’m gonna tell you anyway. In the bed department, Amos was zero. I mean, when he made love to me, it was like he was fixin’ a carburetor or somethin’. “I love ya, honey, I love ya.” Anyway, I started foolin’ around. (stands, moves back) Then I started screvin’ around, which is foolin’ around without dinner. Then I met Fred Casely, who said he’d get me into vaudeville, but that didn’t work out exactly the way I planned. I guess it didn’t work out too great for Fred either. Raucous laughter from the crowd. INT. VOID SPACE - NIGHT A black sequined curtain parts behind Roxie. ROXIE So I gave up the vaudeville idea, because after all those years...well, you sort of figure opportunity just passed you by. Oh, but it ain’t. (MORE)12. ROXIE (cont'd) Oh no, no, no, no, no, it ain't. If this Flynn guy gets me off, and with all this publicity, now, I got me a world full of “Yes.” (sings) THE NAME ON EVERYBODY'S LIPS IS GONNA BE ROXIE A mirror appears. Then another and another, until there are a dozen reflections of Roxie Hart. ROXIE (CONT'D) THE LADY RAKIN’ IN THE CHIPS IS GONNA BE ROXIE I'M GONNA BE A CELEBRITY THAT MEANS SOMEBODY EVERYONE KNOWS THEY'RE GONNA RECOGNIZE MY EYES MY HAIR, MY TEETH, MY BOOBS, MY NOSE FROM JUST SOME DUMB MECHANIC'S WIFE I'M GONNA BE ROXIE WHO SAYS THAT MURDER’S NOT AN ART? AND WHO IN CASE SHE DOESN‘T HANG CAN SAY SHE STARTED WITH A BANG? ROXIE HART! The mirrors rise, revealing a line of men, with another tier of mirrors behind them. MEN THEY'RE GONNA WAIT OUTSIDE IN LINE TO GET TO SEE ROXIE ROXIE THINK OF THOSE AUTOGRAPHS I’LL SIGN “GOOD LUCK TO YOU” ROXIE AND I'LL APPEAR IN A LAVALIERE THAT GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO MY WAIST The men pull Roxie onto a mirror. It’s as though she’s making love to herself. MEN HERE A RING, THERE A RING EVERYWHERE A RING A LING ROXIE BUT ALWAYS IN THE BEST OF TASTE A dance break, a display of unbridled adoration of Roxie.73. QD ROXIE (CONT'D) / Mmmm, I’m a star. And the audience loves me and I love them. And they love me for lovin’ them and I love them for lovin’ me. And we love each other. That’s because none of us got enough love in our childhoods. And that’s showbiz, kid. We pull back to see that Roxie and the men are dancing on top of an enormous sign. Just five letters, ROXIE, with a heart dotting the ‘i’. : MEN SHE'S GIVING UP HER HUMDRUM LIFE ROXIE I'M GONNA BE (speaks) Sing it! MEN ROXIE SHE MADE A SCANDAL AND A START ROXIE AND SOPHIE TUCKER'LL SHIT, I KNOW TO SEE HER NAME GET BILLED BELOW ROXIE HART! MEN (whispering) ROXIE! ROXIE! ROXIE! ROCK-SIE! ROXIE! ROXIE! The sign rises until Roxie disappears from view. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - MATRON'S OFFICE - NIGHT Velma swoops into the matron’s office. VELMA Mama, I just can‘t take it anymore. The matron is on the phone. VELMA (CONT'D) You can’t go anywhere without } hearing about that dumb tomato...74. The matron spins around. She coyly rearranges the triple curls of her blonde Roxie bob. VELMA (CONT'D) No, Mama. Not you too. The matron hangs up the phone. MATRON I got some bad news, kid. The tour’s been cancelled. VELMA What? MATRON Your name‘s been out of the papers too long. All you read about today is that Hart kid. She's hot. VELMA So what am I supposed to do? Suck up to her like everybody else? MATRON It couldn’t hurt. VELMA, Over my dead body. INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL - COMMON ROOM - NIGHT Roxie is sitting alone at a table, her clippings spread in front of her. The room is dark, just a dim light bulb and the moonlight streaming through the window. VELMA (0.S.) Mind if Ijoin you? Roxie looks up, sees Velma smiling sweetly. A VOICE crackles on the P.A. system. GUARD'S VOICE Lights out in ten minutes. Velma takes out a pack of cigarettes. VELMA ‘smoke? Roxie holds up the one she’s already got going.VELMA (CONT'D) Look what some Johnay sent me. Triple cream caramels all the way from San Francisco. She offers the candies to Roxie, who smiles demurely. ROXIE I’m watching my figure. You know, the trial... Velma swallows hard, stifling the urge to kill. ‘VELMA. Great mention of you in the Trib today. | ROXIE There's been so many, I can’t keep track. ‘VELMA Hey, did I ever tell you that you're exactly the same size as my sister? You'd fit into her costumes perfectly. ROXIE Really? She sticks out her tongue and runs it down the back of a clipping. VELMA I was thinking, you know...with all the publicity that’s piled up between us, when Billy gets us off, we'd be a natural to do an act together. ROXIE You think so? The shrill blast of a siren. The prison searchlights begin to rotate in the yard, as the BANDLEADER’s muffled voice interrupts on the PA system: BANDLEADER (V.0.) Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Velma Kelly in an act of desperation. The searchlights lock into place, forming a shaft of light - which shines through the windows.76. INT. FANTASY COMMON ROOM - NIGHT Velma steps into the dirty spot. VELMA MY SISTER AND I HAD AN ACT THAT COULDN'T FLOP MY SISTER AND I WERE HEADED STRAIGHT FOR THE TOP MY SISTER AND I EARNED A THOU A WEEK AT _LEAST BUT MY SISTER IS NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, DECEASED I KNOW, IT’S SAD, OF COURSE, BUT A FACT IS STILL A FACT AND NOW ALL THAT REMAINS IS THE REMAINS OF A PERFECT DOUBLE Act Velma grabs the newspaper fron Roxie, throws it on the table. VELMA (CONT'D) Watch this. She drops her robe, revealing a red costume studded with rhinestones. The pipes lining the wall glow with light, creating a proscenium frame behind Velma. VELMA (CONT‘D) Now, you have to imagine it with two people. It's swell with two people. (sings) FIRST I'D... THEN SHE'D. THEN WE'D... BUT I CAN'T DO IT ALONE! DO IT ALONE! SHE'D SAY, “WHAT’S YOUR SISTER I'D SAY, “MEN,” SHE'D SAY, “YOU'RE THE CAT'S MEOW” THEN WE'D WOW THE CROWD AGAIN WHEN SHE‘D GO. I'D GO... WE'D GO... AND THEN THOSE DING DONG DADDIES STARTED TO ROAR WHISTLED, STOMPED, AND STAMPED (MORE)