And if she was talking, she was making them money with their headlines. And the answer is Maureen Watkins. Roxie Hart – Beulah Annan Velma Kelly – Belva Gaertner Katalin Helinsky – Sabella Nitty Go-To-Hell Kitty – Kitty Malm Billy Flynn – mixture of Beulah’s and Belva’s attorneys. (I’ll cover this case at a later date, I’m sure.). They had witness after witness who could testify for them. The musical adaptation came about in 1975, which reached Broadway quickly. They did not miss the fact that the story she’d just told was not the version of events she’d first confessed to. That’s why she lied to them and gave them a false admission. “Come home, I’ve shot a man. Albert Allen – police stenographer – didn’t miss Beulah’s slip. Two hours after the fight, at 4:10 PM, Beulah called the laundry where they both worked. The Twenties are roaring in the Windy City, and Roxie Hart wants a piece of the action. Some true crime stories with my own spin on them. So much so her father refused to help her out of her jams, making her live with the consequences of her actions. Officers arrived at the small apartment at 817 East Forty-Sixth Street, took note of their surroundings, and paid close attention to where the body was lying. The prosecution brought up the call Beulah had made to the laundry at 4:10 PM, making sure the jury understood that Harry had been dying on the floor when it happened. She returned to Chicago and moved in with her mother. The entire courtroom was silent. And that is the sordid, steamy, unbelievable reality of the woman who inspired Foxy Roxie Hart in all her glorious itarations. She couldn’t stand that. She collapsed in a dead faint. After the inquest’s conclusion, Beulah was moved to the infamous Cook County Jail, taking up residence on Murderess Row. Surely he wouldn’t have had a second thought about assaulting another woman. Roxie Hart is a sweet older gal looking for a soft place to land. Al was determined to save his wife’s life, despite her adultery. Maureen kept quiet about the fact that most of the characters and events were lifted from her own newspaper, modelling it all on real people and events. There was a real Roxie Hart, and in 1942, she was played by none other than Ginger Rogers with red hair. There was a new gunner girl in town. She stopped. Dr. Clifford Oliver testified that he arrived at the apartment at 6:20; he said Kalstedt had been had been dead about half an hour. Chicago murder – and all that jazz – Chicago Tribune article by Ron Grossman, The Girls of Murder City by Douglas Perry – available on Amazon. Harry wasn’t leaving her after all, and the gun wasn’t kept in the bureau. Woods removed himself from the case so that he could testify. Al found work as a mechanic and Beulah worked as a bookkeeper for Tennant’s Model Laundry. It helps her case that she’s beautiful with a fine figure. She pushed at his right shoulder with her left hand, and that’s how she ended up shooting him in the back, she said. Woods made clear what that meant: Beulah had watched her boyfriend succumb to a slow, agonizing death” (pg. Then the police began to question Beulah. 89) he told police in a rush. But I didn't realize how closely the story tied to actual events and that the original play (which would later become the musical) was written by a female reporter who wrote about the real She was no longer the sobbing mess officers had first brought into the Hyde Park police station. He and Stewart presented Beulah as a “virtuous working girl”, dredging up the time Harry had spent in prison in Minnesota. That’s what started the whole struggle for the gun, she said. She is a 1920s modern woman, who longs for a fast paced life of liquor, jazz and her name famously known on the vaudeville stage. The Tribune called Beulah Annan exactly what she was – an attention-starved drunk who murdered a man rather than let him leave her. So sit back, put on some big band, and let me regale you with the tale of the real Roxie Hart. Surprisingly, Beulah didn’t want to speak to anyone. He even called Beulah’s father, but he refused. 101). Once again, Beulah was headline news. If she broke here, it would be a major blow to her fabricated reputation. She fully intended to make Harry keep his promises, one way or another. 3 The story of Chicago’s main character, Roxie Hart, bears close parallels to that of accused murderer Beulah Annan. She simply loved being the centre of attention, and the reporters were keen to keep Beautiful Beulah happy. Harry demanded to know if they’d slept together, calling her a “vile name” (pg. He was a customer of the laundry. It's basically the same story as "Chicago" with some changes. Later she changed the name of the book to Chicago and wrote a play also called Chicago . She is the main character of the 1926 play Chicago and its various remakes and derivatives. She denied it vehemently, blaming the liquor for clouding her mind. She was undoubtedly nervous, but was a solid girl around new people. Beulah was excellent on the stand. Another witness recounted how Beulah had first asked Woods to ‘frame’ it as an accident. In her infinite wisdom, Beulah employed a tried and true tactic. Annan was born Beulah May Sheriff in Owensboro, Kentucky in 1899. This is when her story began to change, at the advice of her lawyers. Her trial was scheduled for Thursday, May 22nd, 1924. In Fosse/Verdon, she … She married Albert “Al” Annan on March 29th, 1920 and the couple moved to Chicago shortly thereafter. But the real test was about to come. He was confident. This statement was enough to make an arrest. At 8:30PM that Saturday night, the jury was sent out for deliberation. Beulah launched into her tale. Then I came across the book The Girls of Murder City by Douglas Perry. Drunk and manic, Beulah began dancing. By some accounts, she looked ravishing. By Monday afternoon, “she appeared in a newspaper office with a divorce lawyer in tow” (pg. A whole lot of that book is based off the writings of Maurine Watkins, a no-nonsense reporter for the Chicago Tribune in the 1920s. She gave him a dollar to make him go away. All eyes in the courtroom were on the ‘expectant mother’. With the tale told, Stewart had established Beulah’s version of events, craftily skewering the credibility of many witnesses with his careful phrasing. Then they took her to Hyde Park police station for questioning. He knew he was losing ground, and that he couldn’t afford to. It inspired another film in 1942 – “Roxie Hart” – starring Ginger Rogers in the titular role. He never seemed to have money to spend on her. They were pleased as punch. The play garnered attention – both good and bad – and soon was consistently playing to packed houses. Roxanne "Roxie" Hart is a fictional character. Since 1975, Chicago has sung of the glamorous murderesses of the Jazz Age. The prosecution rebutted, stating that: “The inquest established that almost three hours passed from the time of the shooting until Beulah called her husband at five in the afternoon. But, she wondered, would this alone be enough to get her off the hook? She hung up the phone and started the record over again. The film is … The judge allowed for Beulah’s first drunken, sobbing confession to be admitted into evidence. 111). Beulah, tears in her eyes, even believed the web he was artfully weaving. And so, she boasted about another fictitious man named Johnny who’d come around to call on her. Samantha Harris makes her broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway at the Ambassador Theatre on July 7, 2009 in New York City. In this version Roxie Hart (Ginger Rogers) is more or less innocent, but takes the fall in the hopes of turning her notoriety into a dancing career. It even inspired a film adaptation in 1927. This was the version of events Steward and O’Brien decided to stick to. She grabbed the gun from the bureau in the bedroom, and she shot him. He asked her her name, her age, and the like. Harry had said he was done with Beulah. It was made into a silent movie in 1927, and in 1942 it became a movie called Roxie Hart, starring Ginger Rogers. Even behind bars Beulah didn’t seem to believe that this was her reality. Al believed her – his beautiful Beulah must have been so frightened! Regrettably, she stuck to her version of events. And all that jazz. She was repentant of her actions. Or, Buy me a coffee! Then she put on the Hula Lou record. Right away, McLaughlin went for the cracks in her story. Her acquittal was very quickly overshadowed by the disappearance of Bobby Franks. The inquest concluded that Beulah was responsible for Harry’s death. O’Brien, an expert sentimentalist, took over for Stewart to bring it all home. Spectators, reporters, and prosecutors “wandered in confusion, in ecstasy, in anger” (pg. However, the prosecution hit a snag. Harry was still cross over their fight, and he came toward her. She was simply another woman scorned by jazz and liquor, leading her dreadfully astray. There was much speculation that this ‘child’ is what aided her acquittal – the jury didn’t want to see a pregnant woman hang. Their fight escalated quickly. Then the defence worked their magic. Learn how your comment data is processed. 86) she said. Then the prosecution launched into their cross-examination. She came to to the sight of Assistant State’s Attorney Roy C. Woods in her apartment. In 1924, Annan stood trial for the murder of her lover, Harry Kalstedt; although only twenty-four years old, she was already on her second husband. There was a real Roxie Hart, and in 1942, she was played by none other than Ginger Rogers with red hair. She was loving all the attention. 189). Crying uncontrollably, Beulah replied that she didn’t know why she’d done it. WikiMili The Free Encyclopedia. He’s been trying to make love to me” (pg. From there, he moved on to what happened that dreary day in April. Erika Girardi channels her inner Roxie Hart for her upcoming stage performance in Chicago. If you’re a fan of the musical Chicago, as I am, you’ll know the story of Foxy Roxie Hart. And the answer is Maureen Watkins. As the trial progressed, the defence was dealt a serious blow. A short while later, Harry returned with two quarts of wine. Al handed them the gun right away upon arrival. 233). He wanted to make her steady, solid, convincing and credible for the jury. 1 The 1926 play that preceded the Broadway musical (and the films of the same name) was written by Chicago Tribune reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins, who had a flair for covering sensational homicides — including the Leopold and Loeb case. Curtain Call - Kara DioGuardi & Amra-Faye Wright makes her Broadway Debut as Roxie Hart in 'CHICAGO' on Broadway at … Beulah gave him a dollar and sent him on his merry way, knowing he’d be back soon enough. He called the police. Predictably, Beulah craved and adored the attention. Beautiful Beulah Annan died on March 14th, 1928 of Tuberculosis. Based on the story of two real celebrity murderesses who lived in the 1920s, Chicago has been parlayed into a 1926 Broadway play, a 1927 silent movie, a 1942 film starring Ginger Rogers, and a modern Broadway show, which debuted in 1975 and was revived in 1996. What follows is a classic media and court room circus. In 1926, after the trial, she met with theatre professor George Pierce Baker in order to partake in a seminar. 193). 94). Marshall was the first person to think of a concept that would allow the dark and cynical musical to easily transfer onto film. In order to hold onto her own narrative, she was forced to concede that she willingly did those things. She acted like she hadn’t seen Harry all day, wondering where he was. The real story behind Chicago's Merry Murderesses, Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly. Maureen Watkins saw right through every layer of O’Brien’s and Beulah’s bullshit. She’d warned Harry that she’d shoot him, but he kept coming forward. Said the defendant: “Gin and guns — either one is bad enough, but together they get you into a dickens of a mess, don’t they.” Harry Pritzker’s reaction to Gaertner’s acquittal: “Women — just women!”, Tags: Books & Readings, Crime & Law, Culture. The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, in which case the distinction of a "fictional" versus "real… She married Linotype operator Perry Stephens and gave birth to a son. He took it upon himself to ask her why she’d done it, why she’d shot Harry Kalstedt. She was a fallen woman who could be saved! Out of options, McLaughlin went for the gold. He brought up Beulah’s first confession. The marriage lasted four months. They both reached for the gun, but she got it first! She told him her story – a man came in and tried to make love to her, but she fought him off and shot him with a gun. Beulah was a “virtuous, hard working girl, a loving and decent wife who had been ruthlessly slandered so that the State’s Attorney’s Office could rack up a conviction” (pg. Defence attorneys William Scott Stewart and his law partner W.W. O’Brien took up Beulah’s case. Amos Hart (George Chandler) the disposable husband sells everything to get the great and even more cynical lawyer Billy Flynn (Adolphe Menjou) as Roxie's defense lawyer. For a fee. The papers loved this storyline. And Beulah made for a sympathetic interviewee. Beulah Annan “had all but put a noose around her neck” (pg. Of course, with every new Roxy and Velma, Long takes the same care in dressing the person, not just the character. Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly were born. Not if he wanted to convict Beulah for the murder of Harry Kalstedt. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Roy Woods had laid out his evidence at the Coroner’s Inquest piece by piece. But this didn’t deter them one bit. As Al was saving his wife’s ass, Beulah was living it up. The result is the story of Roxie Hart – a married woman who shot down her boyfriend when he tried to leave her. The Real Roxie Hart Was Too Beautiful to Execute. He was recording every word she said. 187). The reality of her situation must have hit her like a tonne of bricks. The papers were all over the place, waiting to catch a glimpse of Beulah. She asked if they could make it look like an accident. Chicago opened on Broadway in 1926 and toured for two years. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. But before she was a notorious ‘girl gunner’, she was born Beulah Sheriff, daughter of John Sheriff – a prosperous Kentucky farmer – on November 18th, 1899 in the Ohio River Valley. Beulah didn’t hear the officer ask her: “In the back?” (pg. I do mean Classic. Katherine Baluk, the basis for the musical’s Go-to-Hell Kitty, was convicted of a murder committed during a robbery gone wrong. He then tried desperately to get Beulah to admit – as she’d done more than a month prior – that she was fooling around with Harry on the couch. And other tidbits from a new book on the real-life women who inspired Chicago. She was known to Chicago papers as Beautiful Beulah Annan, “the prettiest woman ever charged for murder in Chicago”. The difference here is that Roxie didn't shoot anyone, and she and her husband do divorce. Chicago started life as a play by Chicago Tribune reporter Maurine Watkins. Beulah was all but forgotten. Like what you’re reading? McLaughlin hammered at her, but she never got flustered. November 18, 2019, 3:13 pm . Beulah got to it first. She’d already lost Harry, she couldn’t lose this as well. It was a little after noon when Harry came knocking on Beulah’s apartment door asking for money. Zellweger shows her moxie After two decades of oversized personalities such as Goldie Hawn, Liza Minnelli and Madonna being linked to a movie version of … 177). She knew him. Beulah discovered that motherhood wasn’t quite her cup of tea. (Note – expect a lot of quotes from the book, seeing as that’s where most of this information comes from.). 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