Catherine glows at premiere

A radiant Catherine Zeta-Jones looked sensational at the Hollywood premiere of her new movie Chicago. In a sleek and revealing black dress, the 32-year-old Welsh star - who is six months pregnant with her second child - was blooming as she arrived with husband Michael Douglas at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Beverly Hills.

Zeta-Jones was missing when co-stars Richard Gere and Renèe Zellweger attended the London premiere of the movie in Leicester Square on Sunday.

Her pregnancy was believed to be the reason for her not making the transatlantic journey. However the Hollywood premiere only required a short journey across town from the home she shares with Douglas, 52, and their son, Dylan, two.

The actress - who made her West End musical debut in 42nd Street in London at 17 before appearing in Bugsy Malone and Annie - plays Velma Kelly, a sexy but ruthless murderess, in the movie version of the musical and her role has been highly praised.

Zellweger, who plays Roxie Hart, has said of Zeta-Jones: "I had heard that Catherine could sing and dance. People would say 'You're not going to believe it'. Well, I walk in on my first day and she's in the lift singing All That Jazz and I was just dumbfounded.My jaw dropped to the floor. It's not just singing and dancing, she belts it out."
Evening Standard film critic Alexander Walker has described Ms Zeta-Jones as "dancing with all the slinkiness of Cyd Charisse" and hails the movie as a return to the era of the Hollywood greats.