Gypsy The Movie

I just finished watching the original with Rosalind Russell and Natalie Wood. Oye Vey- I didn't enjoy it very much. I don't care for Rosalind Russell at all. Her acting was average. She was believable, I guess, but kind of boring. And whoever sang for her I did NOT like. The songs were slow and sounded SO boring. The minute she opened her mouth to sing in "Some People", I knew all the songs were going to be the same way. The Girl who played Dainty June was so young! She was fine, though. Natalie Wood was great. She was one of the only ones cast perfectly. I enjoyed her scenes a lot. Karl Holden as Herbie was fine, but a lot o scenes or lines in the movie were not nearly as funny as they were in the show. Like Rosalind was not funny in the least. Judging by both of these performances, I think a lot of people are underrating Bernadette. She was totally amazing. I'm really looking hard for the Bette Midler version. I imagine her solos will be amazing, as opposed to the original. The "Rose's Turn" in this movie made me want to take a nap. All in all- the show was 100,000 times better than the film, as usual.

There's a train of thought in Hollywood that if the songs in a film are performed in a lower key, then there won't be such a jolt when the music begins and the dialogue ends.

Miss Russell's singing was done by Broadway Legend Lisa Kirk--the original Bianca in KISS ME KATE. Normally, even Miss Kirk didn't sing in such a low key.

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I enjoyed the Roz Russel version. Although, like someone said, the songs were very low and slow. I have also recently seen the Bette Midler version. I couldn't find it anywhere either until I found it at Blockbuster and got a membership there so I could rent it. I actually liked the Bette Midler version better, I think. I've said before that I didn't like Bette's voice singing the songs. I'm still not crazy about it, but once I saw her act the role her vocals seemed fine. The only song that got under my skin was "Some People." That song must lose some of it's pizazz on screen.

When I first saw the Roz Russell version of GYPSY (I was a kid and still going to movies at that time) I was very disappointed. My biggest disaappointment in the film was how "sanitized" it was. Geeze, those three strippers were almost nuns! And turning Electra into a Christmas tree just didn't have the snap that she had in the stage version. Of course, the singing was lame, too!

However, after seeing the film on TV after the Bette Midler fiasco, I realized that Roz Russell acted the hell out of the role. Case in point: watch Roz's face in the dialogue leading up to "Everything's Coming Up Roses", then watch Bette in that same scene. It looks as though the "Divine Miss M" is contemplating her laundry list, while Roz is full of emotion.

Of all the Roses I've seen, Angela Lansbury was the most memorable. I saw her play the role 10 times. She could do no wrong as a stage actress.

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Preston, am I to understand that you would maim yourself to see Angela in MAME?

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Oh geeze, now the kid's going to walk around looking like Pat Hingle just because he wants to see Bea Arthur. I think this is a bit extreme.

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Yes, we must stop...people will say we're in love.

The next thing you know you'll be throwing bouquets at me.

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Oh Chris, you don't know how scary she was when she turned to Louise and said,"I'm gonna make you a star!" I still get goosebumps thinking about it!

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As a kid growing up in Key West, Florida, the movie of GYPSY spelt B-R-O-A-D-W-A-Y to me. I saw it every day for an entire week.

Even today, yes I own a copy, it has its own magic at times. I even recall seeing a re-release in which the "Together" number was spliced back into the film, only to be excised later.

Yours for an overture-filled Broadway!

I was under the impression that the intent of the Midler version was to re-create the original production as much as possible for posterity; the original book, score and choreography. That is why I admire this production. The performances may be questionable but it is an admirable tribute to the original production.

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