Cecil B. DeMille Makes A Movie
Cecil B. DeMille was one of the most famous filmmakers of the early to the mid-20th century. A master of both silent pictures and movies with sound, he’s widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of Hollywood and made some epic pictures like The Ten Commandments, The King of Kings, Cleopatra, and Samson and Delilah.
May Robson, Phyllis Haver, and Eugene Pallette in ‘Chicago,’ 1927. Photo by Pathe / Kobal / Shutterstock
In 1927, he decided to adapt Maurine Watkins’ play into a comedy-drama silent film. DeMille produced the film, while Frank Urson sat in the director’s chair. This film added a lot of new material to the story, with the murder scene involving Roxie Hart being stretched out considerably and Roxie’s husband, Amos, being given a more sympathetic role.