Titreenp SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

Konterr Brilliant and touching

Siflutter It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Payno I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Eric266 I live in small town in Kansas. Last year, the local drama club put on a production of Gypsy at the performing arts theater. I have to say, the local production ran circles around this effort. I kept comparing the movie to the local theater and I was awed at how lacking the movie was in comparison.I love Rosalind Russell from her time playing Hildy Johnson in His Girl Friday. Her rapid fire dialogue with Cary Grant was perfect. She was good as Rose, but something just wasn't right about her portrayal. I struggled to accept that she was this cold-hearted. Her version of Rose PLAYED at being cold-hearted, she didn't SEEM cold-hearted. The scenes at her childhood home should have resonated and shown why she was so selfish and self-centered. They seemed to breeze through those scenes. As an aside, there is a scene near the end of the movie where Rose is contemplating her life. She mentions coming from the wrong side of the tracks. In the local production, as the the actress playing Rose said this, a real train went zipping by the theater as if on cue. The entire audience broke out laughing in what was supposed to be a solemn scene. The actress on stage stayed in character, wept, and mentions so many trains leaving her behind. It was funny and bittersweet at the same time.Karl Malden was great as Herbie. I was pleased by his performance. His Herbie had the right amount of sensitivity and love, while also eventually resigning himself to the fact Rose was never going to change.Natalie Wood was a very good Louise. She was so beautiful and it was tragic that she died so young. Again, the actress in the local production had a much better voice, but Ms. Wood had a tremendous stage presence. Her Louise tried so hard to please her mother while knowing deep down, she never would. The scenes between Rose and Louise at the end crackled with emotion.Paul Wallace as one of the backup dancer's, Tulsa, who Louise falls in love with, was completely wasted. It was obvious Mr. Wallace was hired for his dancing skills (which were awesome and his dance number with Ms. Wood was a delight) but his character is mostly under developed. Inconceivably, the movie version of June runs off with another character while it was Tulsa she departs with in the Broadway version, breaking Louise's heart. Ann Jillian did a really nice job as "Dainty June" considering she was a last minute replacement. Her voice is tremendous. The only awkward thing was having 24-year old Wood pretending to be younger than the 12-year old Jillian. Their dance number to "If Mama was Married" sounded amazing but visually it really stretched credibility.The cast did a nice job and the movie was very entertaining. However, when it can't compare to a summer stock production (in my opinion), it leaves something to be desired.

jacobs-greenwood 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.

Antonius Block Gypsy is a bit of a mixed bag. Rosalind Russell plays her part well and dominates the movie, at once a stage mom, independent woman, and a bohemian, but her singing voice is so deep and flat it seems like she's Tony Curtis in drag belting out her musical numbers. The idea of Natalie Wood playing the part of striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee is intriguing and she's as cute as ever, but the movie is not balanced; for 2 hours we see her as "one of the boys" and nothing but sweet and innocent, then in a flash she's a fully independent and very successful stripper. The music by Styne and Sondheim includes some classics, "Let Me Entertain You" and "Everything is Coming Up Roses", but most of the performances (not just Russell's) are jarring on the ears – the notable exceptions being Wood's performance of "Little Lamb", and Paul Wallace's performance of "All I Need is the Girl". Gypsy Rose's childhood is not unhappy, at least in this account, and in fact it's touching in some ways, though certainly different. She didn't get an education, and didn't even know her real age, as her mother needed her to remain under twelve well into her teens, because of child labor laws. We see her out of sync in the early group performances, and in the shadow compared to her younger sister June (Suzanne Cupito and later Ann Jillian), who her mother says has the "real talent". A funny scene shows her relegated to the front end of a cow costume, mooing out replies to June in one of their barnyard numbers. It's interesting to see this bygone world of vaudeville, and the Broadway number where Russell pantomimes June as she auditions is entertaining in its own right.Unfortunately, there is a veneer of feel-good dishonesty to the entire movie. One exception, however, is stage manager and boyfriend Herbie's (Karl Malden's) shocked reaction to the mother's decision to have Rose fill in for a missing stripper. She is so stubborn, refusing to admit that it's over, and never taking no for an answer. The look on Malden and Wood's face when she pushes Rose into it instead of leaving that final night and settling down into quiet, married life is priceless. Her own daughter! She says there is an invisible barrier between the crowd and the stage, and that she'll be an artist – but Malden knows better, while Wood, resigned, simply begins changing into a hurriedly put together outfit. She comes out in a blue dress, of course immaculate, and transformed. Wood is seductive as she slinks around the stage, increasing in confidence over time until she's practically purring "Let Me Entertain You", but the performances are ridiculously tame, even for the period. The movie needs something – editing (at 243 minutes it's too long), or more of an edge, or better vocal talent, or more honesty – but there is enough here to make it worth watching.One 'quote', the lyrics to "Let Me Entertain You", my goodness: "Let me entertain you / Let me make you smile / Let me do a few tricks / Some old and some new tricks / I'm very versatile ... And if you're real good / I'll make you feel good / I want your spirits to climb / So let me entertain you / And we'll have a real good time, yes sir / We'll have a real good time"

bmbdsm Rose Hovick is a mother to two young girls: June and Louise. Rose is determined to get her girls into the footlights of the theater, and tries to drive her daughters toward success, much to the consternation of her long-suffering beau, Herbie Sommers, a candy salesman, who wants to settle down with Rose and live a happy family life. However, Herbie tries to assist Rose as best as he can, while Rose continues to ignore his marriage proposals. Tired of all the attention, June, who Rose pushes the hardest, elopes with one the chorus boys in the act Rose has put together. Hurt at first, Rose then works on Louise, the less-talented of the girls. With vaudeville dying, they unknowingly book a job into a burlesque house. Through a succession of events, Louise then becomes the world famous burlesque artist Gypsy Rose Lee. Jealous of the attention Louise is getting, Rose becomes more pushy and interfering, and argues with Louise, who demands that Rose leaves her life forever. Left alone, Rose finally realizes what she has done, and reconciles with Louise.This excellent film should be used as an example of how to rework a stage musical for the screen while retaining what worked in the original. Director Mervyn LeRoy clearly loved this musical, and working with cinematographer Harry Stradling, stages the scenes as though they are being performed on a stage, giving it a theatrical and cinematic look at the same time. The performances are broad enough without being too overdone for a film production. Rosalind Russell gives a fine performance as Rose, one of the greatest roles ever written for a musical (she was dubbed in this film by Lisa Kirk, who matches Russell's speaking voice quite well). Russell gives Rose a toughness and a vulnerability that works well. Natalie Wood is excellent as Louise, and sings well here (she was dubbed for WEST SIDE STORY). Her dressing-room confrontation with Russell at the end is a powerful piece of acting. Karl Malden, whose role is usually overshadowed in stage productions of this piece, gives a performance equal of Russell's, and does everything to make himself stand out. The screenplay by Leonard Spielglass is extremely faithful to Arthur Laurents' original stage libretto, with only minor changes here and there (one song was shortened, and one was cut, which can be seen on the DVD). Those iconic songs by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim are given the grand treatment by the Warner Bros. Orchestra. Fun entertainment. RECOMMENDED. 10/10.