Mister D: Mr. Vilanch read the timeline article I posted about “Chicago” and it’s llllloooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggg arrival to the big screen….remember it was in development hell for 20 years…anyway, he gave me some related news from the 70’s. Hope you enjoy:
<<<< In an unrelated development, I enjoyed reading the Chicago history. I remember during the Fosse/Marty Richards development period in the late 70s, Allan Carr (who produced Grease and Can’t Stop The Music) got involved. He saw it as a vehicle for Goldie and Liza, and they either wound up doing a special for CBS as a result, or they did the special and that was where Allan got the idea for them to play “Roxie” and “Velma” in the movie, I forget which came first. Allan’s other idea was to have all of the death row girls played by stars, and of varying ages. he was convinced he could talk Doris Day into doing one of them, as well as a few of the other old-school divas, as well as some more contemporary people (remember, we’re talking 1978) like Ann-Margret and Cher and, yes, Bette. For “Mama Morton”, he wanted Nancy Walker (his management client) who was then famous as Rhoda’s mom and the “Bounty Lady” on the commercials, but who had a fabulous career on broadway and in movie musicals as a funny sidekick. Sammy Davis was a big favorite for “Billy Flynn”…>>>>
Mister D: As for Mister V’s Oscar Pick for Best Movie of the Year: Ta Da!!!!!…..”CHICAGO”
Thanks once again Mister V for taking the time to “check in” 🙂
