Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Absolutely Fantastic

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Gypsy is arguably the greatest Broadway show ever written. It's funny, scary, dramatic, moving, sexy...everything you'd ever want from a show. Why Hollywood felt the need to mess with perfection is beyond me, but they did.Warner's 1962 version of Gypsy gets off to such a rough start that it's impossible to ever redeem itself even when it finally gets back on track later in the film. The first act portion of Warner's Gypsy mixes song/scene order, combines characters, adds needless voice overs, and destroys the pacing of the film completely.With this cast's less than stellar vocal abilities, the music score was never going to soar like it usually does with better singers at the helm, but the slow tempos sure don't help.Rosalind Russell does as best she can in a role she's not terribly well-suited for, but she does manage to wring a bit of comedy out of the dreary first half of the film and give the character of Rose a bit of pathos in the second half of the film. Her voice isn't up to task for the songs, but she gives it her all and you have to admire that.Of the whole cast, Natalie Wood comes across the best. Her voice isn't perfect, but she pulls her songs off well enough and makes Louise a real person, despite the screenwriter and studio's attempts to sabotage her at every turn. For instance, why make June run away with a random chorus boy named Jerry instead of Louise's crush, Tulsa? It takes away a big moment for her character.Once the act 2 portion gets going, the film evens out and it becomes a bit more watchable, as it stays rather faithfully to the original stage script. Unfortunately, by that point, it's too little too late and the damage has been done.If this movie is your only option, it's worth a shot, but the stage version is infinitely better and more worth your time.

What a great piece of film making. Some critics have called Gypsy the greatest musical ever produced, and I think I see why they say so. I've never seen a staged performance so I can't compare, but I don't see how this movie version could be any better than it is. Everything is at the highest level - casting, script, acting, direction, cinematography. The story is gripping, as one watches how a driven, obsessed, controlling woman warps the lives of those around her. Evidently Ethel Merman was furious that Russell was chosen for the part Merman created on Broadway, but Russell's performance is powerful. Karl Malden is just great as poor Herbie. Natalie Wood is flawless as Jean. The moment near the end when she looks at herself in the mirror before going onstage for her stripping debut, and suddenly recognizes her own femininity ("I'm a pretty girl, mama") is heartbreaking. The script never lets up on the dramatic tension, and the cinematography - in beautiful, extinct Technicolor - is a feast for the eyes. Evidently Russell couldn't sing and had to be dubbed. I've heard that Merman kept the outtakes of Russell's singing as a vicious memento (I'd kill to hear them). At any rate this is one of the all time greats, not to be missed.

Rose Hovick is a mother to two young girls: June and Louise. Rose is determined to get her girls into the footlights of the theater, and tries to drive her daughters toward success, much to the consternation of her long-suffering beau, Herbie Sommers, a candy salesman, who wants to settle down with Rose and live a happy family life. However, Herbie tries to assist Rose as best as he can, while Rose continues to ignore his marriage proposals. Tired of all the attention, June, who Rose pushes the hardest, elopes with one the chorus boys in the act Rose has put together. Hurt at first, Rose then works on Louise, the less-talented of the girls. With vaudeville dying, they unknowingly book a job into a burlesque house. Through a succession of events, Louise then becomes the world famous burlesque artist Gypsy Rose Lee. Jealous of the attention Louise is getting, Rose becomes more pushy and interfering, and argues with Louise, who demands that Rose leaves her life forever. Left alone, Rose finally realizes what she has done, and reconciles with Louise.This excellent film should be used as an example of how to rework a stage musical for the screen while retaining what worked in the original. Director Mervyn LeRoy clearly loved this musical, and working with cinematographer Harry Stradling, stages the scenes as though they are being performed on a stage, giving it a theatrical and cinematic look at the same time. The performances are broad enough without being too overdone for a film production. Rosalind Russell gives a fine performance as Rose, one of the greatest roles ever written for a musical (she was dubbed in this film by Lisa Kirk, who matches Russell's speaking voice quite well). Russell gives Rose a toughness and a vulnerability that works well. Natalie Wood is excellent as Louise, and sings well here (she was dubbed for WEST SIDE STORY). Her dressing-room confrontation with Russell at the end is a powerful piece of acting. Karl Malden, whose role is usually overshadowed in stage productions of this piece, gives a performance equal of Russell's, and does everything to make himself stand out. The screenplay by Leonard Spielglass is extremely faithful to Arthur Laurents' original stage libretto, with only minor changes here and there (one song was shortened, and one was cut, which can be seen on the DVD). Those iconic songs by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim are given the grand treatment by the Warner Bros. Orchestra. Fun entertainment. RECOMMENDED. 10/10.

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.