Beyond the cell block tango: What "Chicago" tells us about crime and gender

Abstract

The protagonists of the musical Chicago were inspired by Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner, two real women whose 1924 murder trials were covered by journalist Maurine Dallas Watkins for the Chicago Tribune. Watkins, one of few women reporting on crime at the time, closely followed courtroom proceedings and became captivated by the media spectacle surrounding these cases. Drawing on her reporting, she wrote the stage play Chicago in 1926. Both the play — and later the 1975 musical — satirize the justice system and the public’s fascination with crimes, especially when committed by women.