Sigourney Weaver in HBO's adaption of "Gypsy & Me"!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 3/8/07 at 1:36pm

Whoo-hoo! After decades of waiting and waiting, HBO is doing the honors of adapting Erik Lee Preminger's autobiography of his life with his mom: "Gypsy and Me: at home and on the road with Gypsy Rose Lee". Sigourney Weaver is set to play Gypsy Rose Lee, alas the older version since it's about their life together as mother and son.

For those who never read this book, it's a mandatory MUST! Talk about Auntie Mame-ish. Their life together is incredible to read, especially all her attempts at making money after she gave up stripping. Her autobiography GYPSY (which the Broadway musical was based on) was one of these attempts.

I remember decades ago that Cher was highly interested in bringing this to the big screen. It would have been an amazing vehicle for her -- pre-plastic surgery Cher, of course. We'll never know now, unfortunately.



BWW Article

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 3/8/07 at 7:24pm

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/16/07 at 2:34pm

Now with all this GYPSY interest surging all over again...let's give this post another shot.

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 7/16/07 at 2:39pm

I've been following this story for a while and think that Sigourney is a fantastic choice! She will bring the right amount of sexiness, vulnerability and strength to the role. Can't wait to see it! Also another great read concerning Gypsy Rose Lee's life is February House. http://www.amazon.com/February-House-McCullers-Benjamin-Brooklyn/dp/061871197X/ref=sr_1_2/105-4374450-7307654?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184611124&sr=8-2


Also, is there a difference between "My G-String Mother" and "Gypsy and Me"?

Updated On: 7/16/07 at 02:39 PM

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 7/16/07 at 4:05pm

.....this was announced in March and was discussed then.

Why bring back the discussion now? No new developments have happened since the press release back in the spring.

[Funny Face]

Posted: 7/16/07 at 4:21pm

Well I never heard anything about it, so thanks Brody for this post!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/16/07 at 4:43pm

somethingwicked -- I posted this in March 2007, as as you can clearly see. Until I *bumped* this post again...no one ever commented on it.

I first posted this on March 8, 2007 and TODAY: July 16, 2007 is when someone (aside from me) commented on it for the first time.

No one even cared about this HBO film adaption until today, it seems.

[Raviolisun]

Posted: 7/16/07 at 4:53pm

Wow, this sounds amazing!

[gregorypeccadillo]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:43pm

I'm hopeful she'll do at least one striptease scene -- flashback, comeback, whatever it takes.

The project sounds really promising. I cancelled HBO a while ago but I'd consider re-upping to see this.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:57pm

Unfortunately, there never was a 'comeback', but for those who remember the book, it does start off with Erik helping her get ready for one of her final appearances as a stripper. Erik's entire autobiography is more or less Gypsy Rose Lee coming to terms with the reality that she has to finally put her stripping days to rest, and all the crazy money making ideas she creates to keep the money coming in (and to support herself and her only son, Erik). The book is CRAZY fun as she was a real Auntie Mame-ish type and though she was deliciously well off financially, she was still frugle and quite the money saver. She also loved her menagerie of long-haired Chinese hairless dogs.

By the way, her son Erik was conceived on her own terms. She dated famed director Otto Preminger just to become pregnant and being ahead of her time, she chose to raise her son alone. Otto agreed to all this under the condition that he not contact the boy ever. Erik eventually found out the real truth of his paternity and when he approached his mom Gypsy with, "who is my real father?" (he was led to believe one of Gypsy's former husbands was his dad), she answered back "none of your business".

I have to revisit this book this weekend. It's an insanely phenomenal autobiography by Erik. Oh, and for those curious ones -- Erik turned out straight, married and with kids.

NOTE: yes, he talks about his grandma Rose and his aunt, June Havoc and the creation of the Broadway musical adaption of his mom's autobiography, GYPSY. His description of entering the theater with his mom on the show's opening night will give you goose-bumps.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 11:21pm

For your viewing pleasure...here is the real Gypsy Rose Lee with Natalie Wood on the set of the 1962 film-version of GYPSY. I personally can't get enough of that cigarette in her fingers:

[G_Schlozinski2]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 11:32pm

Does anyone have any idea why Erik Kirkland / Erik Lee / Erik Preminger once called himself Erik de Diego?

whence the de Diego?

Updated On: 7/17/07 at 11:32 PM