La donna che inventò lo strip-tease

Although I didn't see the Ethel Merman version (wasn't born at the time!), I do have the soundtrack and prefer Roz' version. Ethel Merman warbles and maybe onstage that's just fine and dandy. But in a movie or on a record? I'm sorry. I can't take it. Maybe it would have been "fair play" for the producers to allow her to take the role to film but from what I've read, she could be difficult. Having produced plays that cost nowhere near what a major motion picture would cost, I have been driven almost to the point of homicide by difficult actors and actresses. And although you'd rather have the best actor for the part, sometimes it's better to settle for second best and leave the headache where you found it. Rosalind Russell had a reputation for being easy to work with and very professional. I'd take that any day!

During the roaring 1920s, domineering Rosalind Russell (as Rose Hovick) pushes her two young daughters successfully onto the vaudeville stage. But, when star Ann Jillian (as "Dainty" June) hits puberty and runs off with a chorus boy, Ms. Russell is left with relatively untalented Natalie Wood (as Louise). Undaunted, Russell alters the act for Ms. Wood, who makes it a burlesque show. When she becomes a strip-tease star (as "Gypsy Rose Lee"), an ungrateful Wood leaves her Mama in the wings. Russell receives moral support from agent and lover Karl Malden (as Herbie Sommers), who wants to be her fourth husband...

Everything's Coming Up Roses...

The main problem, here, is that the terrific score, by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim, is given a relatively lesser treatment, when compared to Ethel Merman's Broadway version (available on CD). Russell was dubbed well by singer Lisa Kirk - but, instead of rendering her own version of the classics, she was apparently hired to sound similar to Russell. The benefit is that you don't get raspy Russell suddenly singing like soprano Marni Nixon. While perhaps not ideally cast, Russell and Wood possess enough star power to make an already great show pass muster. Thankfully, Paul Wallace (as Tulsa) retains his stage presence.

Sing Out, Louise!

******* Gypsy (11/1/62) Mervyn LeRoy ~ Rosalind Russell, Natalie Wood, Karl Malden, Paul Wallace

"Gypsy" is a very difficult movie to have achieved from a writer's standpoint. As is true of "Dr. Zhivago" and "The Searchers", much of the film is told from the point of view of a younger person, who serves as the viewer's alter ego within scenes while the central character does little. This book, play and film was the result of Rose Louise Hovick's biography of herself and her mother before and at the beginning of her celebrity as "Gypsy Rose Lee", burlesque icon. The film is filled with famous songs and comedy scenes, alternating with moving confrontations that for once gain by having been real ones. Among the songs are "Some People", "Everything's Coming Up Roses", "All I Need is the Girl" and "You Gotta Have a Gimmick", "Small World" and more. The memorable comedic scenes involve the repetition of Dainty June and her boys coming onstage in various guises, with a two-person cow dancing behind her; the three strippers who try to teach Louise how to succeed; the children singing, "Momma Get Married"; and "Please Mr. Goldstone" in gratitude to the producer who inexplicably likes their corny act. The moving scenes are Herbie, Mama's boyfriend, trying to convince her to give up her hard-minded pursuit of show business fame, Louise realizing the girl a young boy dancer says he needs is not she; her realization just before she goes onstage at a burlesque theater at her mother's insistence that she has one talent--she is a pretty girl, etc. the songs by Jule Styne all work, but only some are classics. the direction of the film by Mervyn LeRoy is very good, economical, and only occasionally look staged the device of theatrically closing out a scene by artificially dimming the lights for me works in this fictionalized biography; we get as viewers the feeling we are seeing glimpses of an interesting life, partly because of this device. Costumes by Orry-Kelly, Howard Shoup and others, the cinematography of Harry Stradling, Sr., excellent period sets, art direction and more are major assets to this colorful but never-splashy musical success. not the last of director LeRoy's here is that we see theatrical scenes and scenes in a theater as well or better handled than in any other film I know. The actors including the three strippers, Faith Dane, Betty Bruce and Roxanne Arlen are wonderfully funny; Benny Lessy as Mr. Goldstone, Louis Quinn, Guy Raymond and Harry Shannon get all they can out of their small parts. the children who play Rose's girls are all good, particularly Ann Jillian as June. As Herbie, Karl Malden is energetic and first-rate at conveying his love and his desire for a normal life, for the children and himself. Natalie Wood is too thin-voiced to be great but she is a seasoned performer and underplays Louise intelligently. As Rose, Rosalind Russell occupies the active center of almost every scene. There is another way to play Rose other than as someone coldly obsessed with fame; I saw Giselle Mackenzie do the role onstage as a caring obsessive, one who would not be denied justice for her children as she was for herself. But Rosalind Russell is alternately brassy and wheedling, working everyone for exactly what she needs while pretending to be pushing for the sake of her daughters. She is intelligent, always interesting and frequently epic in her hunger for what has eluded her in her own performing career. And in "Rose's Turn" we see that her extraordinary charisma and courage were indeed something special. This is a show business biography of unusual believability and intelligence for all its laughter. And a memorable musical biography that works differently on film, but does work very effectively.

No, it didn't have Ethel Merman. Most films didn't have Ethel Merman. That's because Ms. Merman was always something of a Sherman Tank personality- regardless of vocal strength- and her vocals and mannerisms would've been entirely too big on film. The jury will be forever out as to whether or not Rosalind Russell did her own singing or was partially looped by Lisa Kirk, but it ultimately doesn't matter. She captures perfectly the nuance of a driven stage mother whose ambitions cause her daughters to simultaneously love her and be frustrated by her. (In hindsight, the best possible Rose probably would've been none other than Judy Garland, named in an early casting package. Can you imagine?) As it is, I thought the most amazing performance came from Natalie Wood- who appears to age roughly fifteen years throughout the film. Note her first appearance in the film celebrating a lonely birthday with a baby lamb; she looks roughly thirteen years old. All through the troupe's vaudeville adventures she remains in the background until the train depot sequence; she then grows up overnight- first as a counselor to her mother (as 'Rose-Louise'), then begins to find her voice in the Wichita burlesque sequences as a seamstress and bit player with the strippers, then finally in the "star strip," we actually see her turn into Gypsy Rose Lee- all grown up and gorgeous. Wonderful support from manager Karl Malden and sister Ann Jillian.

First of all let me join the throngs who feel Ethel Merman should have played Mama Rose to repeat Her legendary performance, and even the star of this movie Roz Russell was quoted as saying "Why couldn't they let Merman do it?" but after J L Warner decided Merman was not box office Roz Russell went after this part and was the first billed star. Roz got it because she could open the picture overseas as a worldwide Movie Star and because of her great success in WB's 'Auntie Mame', Warner Bros felt the magic would repeat. Just as Audrey Hepburn was unfairly maligned for doing 'My Fair Lady' instead of Julie Andrews, many critics went on a tear about Ms. Russell doing the film instead of evaluating the film on its merits. Roz Russell brings a leathery and determined force to Mama Rose and Roz knew and loved the camera and vice versa; Merman did not. Natalie Wood, the resident Queen of the Warner Bros lot, enchanting and beautiful is Gypsy Rose Lee. Ms. Wood was nothing like the real Gypsy but got the role anyway because of her stature at WB. Mervyn LeRoy who had decades of experience at Warners directs professionally. Karl Malden contributes a fine performance. The movie was filmed at Warner Bros studio in Burbank and for that I want to say while the sets look like a movie back lot-they were-it is one of the things I enjoyed of this movie. Both Ms. Russell and Ms. Wood would go on separately to a great starring decade in the 60's in other films. As did Mervyn Le Roy. A good film, not a great film, but a good film.