Bette Midler in GYPSY — Page 3

#51

Bette Midler in GYPSY

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

#52

Bette Midler in GYPSY

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.

#53

Bette Midler in GYPSY

Posted: 7/17/12 at 1:03pm

I feel like she's doing it for me!

#54

Bette Midler in GYPSY

Posted: 7/17/12 at 1:43pm

God, 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...

#55

Bette Midler in GYPSY

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.

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#56

Bette Midler in GYPSY

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.

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#57

Bette Midler in GYPSY

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.

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#58

Bette Midler in GYPSY

Posted: 7/17/12 at 2:12pm

OK.

#59

Bette Midler in GYPSY

Posted: 7/17/12 at 2:12pm

OK.

#60

Bette Midler in GYPSY

Posted: 7/17/12 at 2:12pm

OK.

#61

Bette Midler in GYPSY

Posted: 7/17/12 at 2:17pm

The director was sick, so he misdirected the star? Sounds like an excuse. To me. SO, DON'T GET ALL CRAZY DEFENSIVE!

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"Through The Sacrifice You Made, We Can't Believe The Price You Paid..For Love!"

#62

Bette Midler in GYPSY

Posted: 7/17/12 at 2:26pm

Oh boy....

a PalJoey novel is coming...

#63

Bette Midler in GYPSY

Posted: 7/17/12 at 2:44pm

Calm 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

#64

Bette Midler in GYPSY

Posted: 7/17/12 at 2:54pm

Even 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.

#65

Bette Midler in GYPSY

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.

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"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian

#66

Bette Midler in GYPSY

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.

#67

Bette Midler in GYPSY

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

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My lip gloss is poppin'...

#68

Bette Midler in GYPSY

Posted: 7/17/12 at 4:16pm

Loved her in Hocus Pocus.

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Formerly BwayEqs -- Something funky happened to my account and I couldn't log in. So here I am now.

#69

Bette Midler in GYPSY

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.)

#70

Bette Midler in GYPSY

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

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#71

Bette Midler in GYPSY

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.

#72

Bette Midler in GYPSY

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.)

#73

Bette Midler in GYPSY

Posted: 7/18/12 at 1:30am

Thanks 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.