Pretty Good

Absolutely the worst movie.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Gypsy is arguably the greatest Broadway show ever written. It's funny, scary, dramatic, moving, sexy...everything you'd ever want from a show. Why Hollywood felt the need to mess with perfection is beyond me, but they did.Warner's 1962 version of Gypsy gets off to such a rough start that it's impossible to ever redeem itself even when it finally gets back on track later in the film. The first act portion of Warner's Gypsy mixes song/scene order, combines characters, adds needless voice overs, and destroys the pacing of the film completely.With this cast's less than stellar vocal abilities, the music score was never going to soar like it usually does with better singers at the helm, but the slow tempos sure don't help.Rosalind Russell does as best she can in a role she's not terribly well-suited for, but she does manage to wring a bit of comedy out of the dreary first half of the film and give the character of Rose a bit of pathos in the second half of the film. Her voice isn't up to task for the songs, but she gives it her all and you have to admire that.Of the whole cast, Natalie Wood comes across the best. Her voice isn't perfect, but she pulls her songs off well enough and makes Louise a real person, despite the screenwriter and studio's attempts to sabotage her at every turn. For instance, why make June run away with a random chorus boy named Jerry instead of Louise's crush, Tulsa? It takes away a big moment for her character.Once the act 2 portion gets going, the film evens out and it becomes a bit more watchable, as it stays rather faithfully to the original stage script. Unfortunately, by that point, it's too little too late and the damage has been done.If this movie is your only option, it's worth a shot, but the stage version is infinitely better and more worth your time.

The title makes one think that this movie is about stripper Gypsy Rose Lee, when it's really about her pushy backstage mother Rose Hovick, played by Rosalind Russell (even though it was Ethel Merman who made the part famous on Broadway). In fact, the DVD is included in Warner Home Video's Natalie Wood Collection, further confusing the matter.It's Wood that plays the title role, as Rose's youngest daughter Louise, who grows up in the shadow of her singing and dancing older sister June (played by Morgan Brittany, her film debut, and Ann Jillian), who went on to become actress June Havoc. Russell and eventually Wood are equal to their parts as is Karl Malden as Herbie Sommers, a stage director that falls in love with Rose and becomes the manager-agent of her ever growing child stars on the vaudeville circuit.Herbie loses his patience with Rose when he finally realizes that her ambition has become exploitation as she convinces poor Louise to be the star of a burlesque show, where she's transformed into the renowned stripper.This musical drama, which was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and adapted by Leonard Spigelgass from Lee's memoir and the play by Arthur Laurents, features two renditions of the song "Let Me Entertain You", "Everything's Coming Up Roses" and many others. Its Color Cinematography and Costume Design as well as its Score received Academy Award nominations. Harvey Korman appears uncredited as Miss Lee's agent.

What a great piece of film making. Some critics have called Gypsy the greatest musical ever produced, and I think I see why they say so. I've never seen a staged performance so I can't compare, but I don't see how this movie version could be any better than it is. Everything is at the highest level - casting, script, acting, direction, cinematography. The story is gripping, as one watches how a driven, obsessed, controlling woman warps the lives of those around her. Evidently Ethel Merman was furious that Russell was chosen for the part Merman created on Broadway, but Russell's performance is powerful. Karl Malden is just great as poor Herbie. Natalie Wood is flawless as Jean. The moment near the end when she looks at herself in the mirror before going onstage for her stripping debut, and suddenly recognizes her own femininity ("I'm a pretty girl, mama") is heartbreaking. The script never lets up on the dramatic tension, and the cinematography - in beautiful, extinct Technicolor - is a feast for the eyes. Evidently Russell couldn't sing and had to be dubbed. I've heard that Merman kept the outtakes of Russell's singing as a vicious memento (I'd kill to hear them). At any rate this is one of the all time greats, not to be missed.

First of all let me join the throngs who feel Ethel Merman should have played Mama Rose to repeat Her legendary performance, and even the star of this movie Roz Russell was quoted as saying "Why couldn't they let Merman do it?" but after J L Warner decided Merman was not box office Roz Russell went after this part and was the first billed star. Roz got it because she could open the picture overseas as a worldwide Movie Star and because of her great success in WB's 'Auntie Mame', Warner Bros felt the magic would repeat. Just as Audrey Hepburn was unfairly maligned for doing 'My Fair Lady' instead of Julie Andrews, many critics went on a tear about Ms. Russell doing the film instead of evaluating the film on its merits. Roz Russell brings a leathery and determined force to Mama Rose and Roz knew and loved the camera and vice versa; Merman did not. Natalie Wood, the resident Queen of the Warner Bros lot, enchanting and beautiful is Gypsy Rose Lee. Ms. Wood was nothing like the real Gypsy but got the role anyway because of her stature at WB. Mervyn LeRoy who had decades of experience at Warners directs professionally. Karl Malden contributes a fine performance. The movie was filmed at Warner Bros studio in Burbank and for that I want to say while the sets look like a movie back lot-they were-it is one of the things I enjoyed of this movie. Both Ms. Russell and Ms. Wood would go on separately to a great starring decade in the 60's in other films. As did Mervyn Le Roy. A good film, not a great film, but a good film.