Gypsy (1962)

The Age of Commercialism

People are voting emotionally.

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

I know that the film "Gypsy" is a beloved film to many and it was nominated for three Oscar. However, I was surprised, as I didn't particularly like the film. It's not because of the quality of the production....but the character Mama Rose. Mama Rose (Rosalind Russell) is the absolute worst sort of stage mother...selfish, manipulative, obnoxious and, worst of all, a woman who ultimately seemed to care very little for her children. Perhaps this aspect of the film impacted on me more than most folks, as I am a trained psychotherapist and saw the woman as malevolent and god- awful...perhaps because I've seen some moms like this. And, the character is supposed to be what Mama Rose actually was like!Apart from having a difficult to like main character (her daughter, Gypsy Rose Lee, really is not the main character in this movie), there are quite a few songs. Some, such as "Everything is Coming Up Roses", are great...most are extremely forgettable and awful.Overall, I was very surprised how little I liked the film. The production is high quality and all...but not particularly enjoyable...at least to me.

The mother of all stage mothers, Rose Hovick has been documented so much on stage and film, in addition to the original novel, that the woman who wanted so much to be the star would probably be thrilled to know that after death, she's not only a star, but a legend! When your life is originated by Ethel Merman, played on screen by Rosalind Russell AND Bette Midler (with rumors of a remake still rampant with someone named Streisand...), and such legends as Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Linda Lavin, Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone taking on the role on Broadway (with three of them winning Tony's), as well as stock productions with Dolores Gray, Betty Hutton, Karen Morrow, Joanne Worley, Kaye Ballard, Leslie Uggams, among others, you've made it. The 1962 movie with Rosalind Russell isn't perfect, but it is certainly worthy of the acclaim its gotten, even if detractors are rampant and determined to smear it on behalf of the individual lady who they prefer as the mother of both June Havoc and Gypsy Rose Lee.O.K., so Merman screamed so loud upon hearing Roz got the role that glass might have broken somewhere, and like others who lost their stage role to another actress on film, she may never have seen the movie. Still, as disappointing to purists (such as myself) who would have liked to have seen Merman do the part, Russell makes it her own, at least for the 2 1/2 hours that the movie runs, and she got the Golden Globe for the role, like Merman had gotten for the movie version of "Call Me Madam" almost a decade before."Sing Out Louse!" With those words, Rose Hovick makes her entrance, and this is the key that unlocks the door to the personality of this brassy woman who dominated her daughter's lives in her efforts to get them on stage and into the Orpheum Circuit. Russell never lets up on the brass, and you totally forget that you're watching the glamorous Auntie Mame as she eats the role up alive. Her Rose obviously loves her children, but she loves success and the spotlight probably just as much if not more. She isn't the belter of Merman's style, and it is very probable that most of her singing was dubbed. Listening to cast albums with Lisa Kirk (particularly "Mack and Mabel") makes it even likelier that it was she who did the work, and in keeping with Roz's speaking voice, it is difficult to tell the difference.Replacing Jack Klugman from the original cast is the very similar Karl Malden, and his Herbie is a totally likable man whom you know both Louise and June would have loved to have seen as a stepfather. The softness of Russell's Rose comes out in her singing of "Small World", and their playful relationship is also evident in "You'll Never Get Away From Me". Seeing outtakes of the second act opener, "Together Wherever We Go" makes it obvious as to why it was cut, although the idea of seeing it re-shot with altered lyrics makes for a better idea.As for Natalie Wood, coming off her triumph in "West Side Story" (also dubbed) made her the obvious star to take on Louise/Gypsy, and she goes from shy "other sister" to super-star stripper with building confidence. At times, Natalie (as she often did) would "bray" her lines, including her key line, "I thought you did it for me, mama!", a factor in her receiving more "Razzy" awards than any other actress of her era. She is very good here, however, and when she takes on "Let Me Entertain You!" after going through the first half of the film pretending to be a cow, gives evidence of the confidence instilled into her by director Mervyn LeRoy who knew a little something about how to transfer stage shows into movies.But Malden and Wood are totally forgotten when Roz breaks into "Rose's Turn", perhaps the greatest eleven o'clock number in musical history, and one where a breakdown is not always successfully perceived as happening. Roz briefly collapses inside, but this woman is too driven to allow her anguish to take over, and this is the shining star in her performance. I can't say who the greatest Mama Rose is, but in judging this movie, Roz does great justice to the part, and other than someone like Judy Garland, it is difficult to guess who could have eaten this role up as much as Roz did. Years later, when Bette Midler did the role for T.V., she brought her own light into the part, and gave new dimensions that other actresses might not have seen. The two Broadway Rose's whom I have seen (Bernadette and Patti) gave entirely different connotations of the role which shows how fascinating this part is for study and why so many actresses who reach a certain age are anxious to dip (Just Dip!) into it.The Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim songs are energetically performed, including the magnetic "You've Got to Have a Gimmick" where Louise is shown by three very different strippers how to cajole her audience into taking her into their hearts, even if the men are not quite looking at her heart. Each actress who plays Rose or Louise has their own gimmick, and that is what makes this show fascinating.

This Gypsy is not wonderful, some of the staging is clunky and some of the singing is off key(and I am including Russell here). However it is very good and better than the reputation it's gotten over the years. The musical is a masterpiece with a masterful score especially and memorable characters. This film does mostly look great, with beautiful photography, costumes and sets and the score and songs are delightful. The story did resonate emotionally with me as did the script and characters even Mama Rose. The acting is fine, Rosalind Russell is superb as a less dark(character that is) but believable Mama Rose(Merman and Lansbury are my favourites though) and Natalie Wood and Karl Malden provide great support. Paul Wallace's dance number is also show-stopping. Overall, very good but not the outstanding masterpiece as it could've been. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I suppose most musicals are dated. But in a sense, this one seems more so, even though it was released in 1962. But somehow, film musicals like "Bells Are Ringing" (1960) seemed more modern. Ah well, that's not to say this film isn't worth a watch, because it is.First off, it's a great cast. Although some disagree -- perhaps because of a less than stellar singing voice -- Rosiland Russell's performance as the stage mother is exceptional. Here, her voice was combined in some numbers with a professional singer (and done rather well, BTW), so I think she shines...and at least in terms of a film, so much better than I think Ethel Merman would have (although I enjoyed EM in "There's No Business Like Show Business"). And Karl Malder -- what a gifted and underrated actor. He's perfect here...although how anyone could love the mother here is anybody's guess...but (relative) truth is stranger than fiction. And, although I'm not a fan, Natalie Wood turns in a stellar performance here, as well.Then, there's the music. "Small World", "Some People", "All I Need Is the Girl", "Everything's Coming Up Roses", "Let Me Entertain You" are the show-stoppers by Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) and Jule Styne (music).And, of course, it's a relatively true story. I'm old enough to remember Gypsy Rose Lee...on television, not in burlesque, and it's difficult for me to imagine she was that "hot" at one time (take either meaning you wish). But, she did make history.Definitely worth watching, but again, and not because of the era of the story, this film seems very dated...but enjoyable. Rose's Turn ... Rose