Rosalind Russell and Natalie Wood belt it in the decidedly brassy "Gypsy."
"Gypsy" is one big brassy musical, and there is no question that Rosalind Russell not only defined the word brassy on screen, but further defined the stage mother type forever. I knew nothing about this film - back in 1962, I was more into the latest John Wayne, a fantasy like "The Magic Sword" or epics like "How Was the West Was Won." Russell plays the real life Rose Hovick, a woman who is determined to make stars of her two daughters, the very talented singer and dancer June (Morgan Brittany/Ann Jillian) who would become stage, screen and TV star June Havoc, and the considerably less talented and unenthusiastic Louise (Natalie Wood) - destined to become the elegant stripper, Gypsy Rose Lee. Believe me, there's a lot of movie to get through before anyone is stripping - although this may be the most conservative portrait of a stripper ever. We also meet Karl Malden as a producer and candy salesman who becomes Mama Rose's romantic interest and a father figure for the girls. Malden is wonderful as a breezy optimist caught up in Rose's crazy world - and quite the contrast to another role he played that same year - the humorless warden opposite Burt Lancaster's Robert Stroud in "Birdman of Alcatraz" or his pioneer father figure, Zebulon Prescott in the aforementioned "How the West Was Won." Natalie Wood takes over the last third of the film as she suddenly blossoms as Gypsy, and what had been almost a supporting character, takes charge on stage with her signature rendition of "Let Me Entertain You." A lot of fun numbers - a really enthusiastic cast - powered by the force of Rosalind Russell who won the role over Ethel Merman who had established the part on Broadway. Stay safe.
Producer Operation Kathleen
4 年Actually, Natalie didn't sing. She didn't sing in Westside Story either...