Anyone else love 1993 TV movie of GYPSY?

[DMsquared2]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 7:40pm

All things considered, it's an excellent TV movie.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 7:45pm

There are several threads about the film. There was one from like last week.

[H.Higgins]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 7:50pm

Actually, no, I really don't.

I wanted to love it, but couldn't. And my God, every moment Peter Riegert (Herbie) was on screen, I was in agony. The man offered nothing and sucked the life out of each scene in which he appeared.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 7:53pm

It's passable. No one really stands out.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 8:05pm

I have not seen the whole movie, but I've seen clips. Bette's "Rose's Turn" was fine, but I wasn't crazy about "Gimmick". It fell rather flat for me.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 8:29pm

wonderfulwizard, my sentiments exactly. Although I was really looking forward to this, when it finally aired, the first thing I felt was everything was flat. I didn't particularly care for Cynthia Gibb as Louise either.

[jake6970]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 8:41pm

I actually thought Gimmick was one of the best parts. I loved Christine Ebersole. Bette was far too over the top and just too damn annoying for me to even feel bad for her.

[bertandrew2]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 8:44pm

Its far superior to the dime-store, sparse, cheap production being given now at the St. James. Outside of some good performances, the show is dire.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 8:47pm

and I am sure LuPone Gypsy will get better reviews than your CRY-BABY!

Do you wanna bet? bert... I say.... the loser will not POST anymore here at BWW!

J*

[bertandrew2]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 8:48pm

I could care less what the reviews say.
I like what I like. I dont like what I dont like.

[withoutlovewithoutU]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 8:49pm

I love it. I don't really know why.... but I do
I agree about Herbie though... not a great performance.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 8:53pm

"Its far superior to the dime-store, sparse, cheap production being given now at the St. James."

Good lord, why do you feel the need to bash this production in EVERY thread. I swear, it's utterly ridiculous. Give it a rest.

[bertandrew2]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 8:57pm

And yet..there are people here who have NOT EVEN SEEN Cry Baby and are damning it. Why can't I speak MY mind? Oh guess what...I can!

[spidey_882]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 8:57pm

I have a deep affection for this movie since it was one of my first exposures to the show and one of the newsboys the little brother of a girl I knew. I actually really liked Bette as Rose and I felt like her larger-than-life pushiness felt very genuine. I know that some people didn't like her sexing up "Rose's Turn" with her shaking her rack all over the place, but I feel like it really worked for her Rose, since she was someone who "would've made a damned good stripper in her day."

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 9:01pm

Who's is doing that? I've never seen one really bash CRY-BABY without having seen it.

[haddaddy3]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 10:10pm

I enjoy it only because I love Bette Midler so much more than Rosalind Russell.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 11:11pm

It's a hot mess...but I love it anyway.

Nothing better than cheesy made-for-TV movie/musicals!

[roquat]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 11:27pm

Neither of the GYPSY movies really works. I just think it's one of those properties that only comes across onstage--you need to be in the theatre, feeling the electricity of a live performance. (Another example would be the dire, if well-cast, film version of NOISES OFF.) Both Bette and Rosalind are too big for the camera (in different ways) and they come across as dislikable monsters, although both performers have often been charming in other roles. And I actually think Natalie Wood's "sincere" bad acting is more interesting than Cynthia Gibb's blandness.

[choitoy]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 1:00am

I saw the movie a long time ago, and I didn't think much of it. I ended up getting the soundtrack to that version, and it is well worn with love and overplaying. It was my only recording of Gypsy that I owned from about 1994 right up to Bernadette's version (I did check out the Tyne Daly version from the library though, but quickly forgot about it when I heard how underwhelming it sounded).

I recently picked up both the Rosalind and Bette versions on DVD and ended up rewatching them, and I found that I really like Bettes version a lot more than Russel's version. Since I've never seen Gypsy live, the Bette version is all I have to go by.

[jeniferrenepatricia]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 1:12am

In comparison to Rosalind Russell, Bette Midler's version was Oscar worthy! Definitely a better version between the two. But, being compared to the great LuPone at the St. James is just ridiculous! Absolutely no comparison.....one shouldn't even have been made.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 1:37am

Even though she gets into dangerous Auntie Mame territory, I loved Russell's performance. However, I do think Rosalind Russell was one of the best actresses of her day...that's more than I can say about Bette Middler.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 1:40am

For what its worth -- I enjoy the early portions of the 1993 CBS TV version, then I skip to when they arrive at the burlesque theatre and watch it from then on. I especially love 'the strip' as its the only filmed version of the strip as rewritten by Arthur Laurents and included in the 1974 revival. This version is now used in all productions of GYPSY.

As performed in the original 1959 Broadway production, Gypsy Rose Lee never had any dialogue during her strips. The 1962 film-version also used that version. The 1974 revival added the dialogue Gypsy Rose Lee now says during her strip.


Sandra Church as Gypsy Rose Lee in the original 1959 Broadway production of GYPSY:


Natalie Wood with the real Gypsy Rose Lee on the set of the 1962 film-version of GYPSY:






Updated On: 4/17/08 at 01:40 AM

[JBSinger]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 9:09am

When I first saw it, I thought it was wonderful. Loved Bette's take on it and she sang the crap out of it. She played the range of the character too. Yes, some Bette crept in, but you could say that of any STAR/personality who takes on a role.

I dont' care what this Board says. I like it.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 9:31am

The only problem I had with this version is Reigert's Herbie. Now that's bad acting. He is either the worst actor ever or hated every minute of filming, because he never really showed up.

I quite liked Cynthia Gibb...more than Bette.

That said, I never have to see it again...I'll stick with Roz.

[philcrosby]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 9:59am

I think all the problems the TV film GYPSY had can be laid at the feet of its sadly-very-ill-at-the-time director, Emile Ardolino. He didn't have a handle on controlling his actors or polishing their performances.

But that said, I find it a very good, solid performance. Not great, and that's the pity ... Midler should have been Oscar-worthy in it.