Bette Midler in GYPSY- Page 3
Bette Midler in GYPSY
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/17/07
Bette Midler in GYPSY#50
Posted: 7/17/12 at 12:58pm
I love how she's playing CRAZY. You really get the sense she has lost it. Lock her up boys!
It's all in the eyes!
Updated On: 7/17/12 at 12:58 PM
Bette Midler in GYPSY#51
Posted: 7/17/12 at 1:02pm
Holy cow, I'd forgotten how awful her lead-in monologue is.
People can call LuPone's ROSE'S TURN over the top, but she never entered the realms of camp like Midler.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/17/07
Bette Midler in GYPSY#53
Posted: 7/17/12 at 1:43pmGod, that monologue is probably the worst part of the movie. It's just embarrassing. Was there seriously no one on that set telling her to rein it in a little bit? I've seen better versions of this in community theatre. And yes, I really do love Bette, but c'mon...
Bette Midler in GYPSY#54
Posted: 7/17/12 at 2:10pm
Was there seriously no one on that set telling her to rein it in a little bit?
No, I just told you: He was dying of AIDS.
Bette Midler in GYPSY#54
Posted: 7/17/12 at 2:10pm
Was there seriously no one on that set telling her to rein it in a little bit?
No, I just told you: He was dying of AIDS.
Bette Midler in GYPSY#56
Posted: 7/17/12 at 2:10pm
Was there seriously no one on that set telling her to rein it in a little bit?
No, I just told you: He was dying of AIDS.
Bette Midler in GYPSY#60
Posted: 7/17/12 at 2:17pmThe director was sick, so he misdirected the star? Sounds like an excuse. To me. SO, DON'T GET ALL CRAZY DEFENSIVE!
Bette Midler in GYPSY#62
Posted: 7/17/12 at 2:44pmCalm down it is just my opinion..I am a fan f Patti just not in Gypsy and not as an actress...and no I am not a failed actor
Bette Midler in GYPSY#63
Posted: 7/17/12 at 2:54pmEven if he was sick, they should have had someone there directing Bette during those scenes if he wasn't able to. I know it was a passion project for him and I admire the work ethic even in those final months, but at some point, you gotta call it quits and do what's best for the film as a whole. I hate that this was the last thing he made. It should have allowed him to go out with a bang, but it didn't.
Bette Midler in GYPSY#64
Posted: 7/17/12 at 2:58pm
She was never a subtle actress...but COME ON!!!
Compared to Ethel Merman, Midler is Streep in a Chekhov play.
Love this Gypsy and Midler's performance in it. I'll never forget what a MAJOR event it was when the special aired.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/17/07
Bette Midler in GYPSY#65
Posted: 7/17/12 at 3:08pm
"they should have had someone there directing Bette during those scenes if he wasn't able to."
They had an entire crew, a bunch of producers and Jerome Roberts. I would assume on this day of filming everyone would have been there to see her. There are probably better takes out there somewhere lol.
Bette Midler in GYPSY#66
Posted: 7/17/12 at 4:15pm
I remember sitting, riveted, in front of the TV with mom, grandma, my sister, and my next door neighbors when this originally aired. It was such an event in our little town! I loved everything about it. Years later, looking at the film with a more critical eye, I still love it, but can certainly see its faults. While some of Bette's moments are indeed over-the-top, you can't really argue that she isn't completely invested in every single moment. I'll take over-enthusiastic musical comedy scene-chewing to dead eyes any day. Just my two cents 
Bette Midler in GYPSY#67
Posted: 7/17/12 at 4:16pmLoved her in Hocus Pocus.
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/24/09
Bette Midler in GYPSY#68
Posted: 7/17/12 at 4:21pm
finebydesign-who's Jerome Roberts? I think you mean Jerome Robbins.
I'm not sure he'd even be able to rein in Bette Midler.
For my own part, I don't hate her as much as everyone else. I think she played Rose too much on the crazy end of the spectrum, but at the same time I sense an underlying talent the mom had all along. (Some other actresses I've seen in the role don't convey that.)
Bette Midler in GYPSY#69
Posted: 7/18/12 at 12:05am
An LA Times article from December 1993, around the time the show aired.
http://articles.latimes.com/1993-12-05/entertainment/ca-64013_1_mama-rose
Bette Midler in GYPSY#70
Posted: 7/18/12 at 12:53am
Interesting article. There did seem to be a lot of passion behind the film and I respect that.
"Laurents and Sondheim declined to comment." Had they already seen the finished film and didn't care for it? I know Arthur's gone on record as saying he hated it (but what didn't he hate?), but I don't know if Sondheim's ever spoken about it.
Bette Midler in GYPSY#71
Posted: 7/18/12 at 1:17am
I've come to the conclusion that Arthur hated everything he didn't direct. The original productions of WEST SIDE and GYPSY were not very good because Arthur didn't direct them-- that hack Jerry Robbins did. The last revival of LA CAGE was homophobic and poorly done because it wasn't an Arthur Laurents production. And let's not even start on Mendes' GYPSY.
He was a talented writer and a passionate man of the theater, but talk about an ego...
(For the record, I didn't like the last revival of LA CAGE either, but I don't think glitzing it up makes the show any better. In fact, the show is best when heard on the original cast album.)
Bette Midler in GYPSY#72
Posted: 7/18/12 at 1:30amThanks Pal Joey for that wonderful article. I can see that there was a lot more anticipation for the project compared to the final project which was very interesting. I enjoy the film for what it is and it does have some Magical moments (bette's Some People), but I do agree that someone should've worked with Bette to tone down her performance, she did bring a psychotic punch to it. We're very fortunate to have a film version of the show with it's full script intact. Which we rarely ever see anymore.
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