Gypsy (1962)
Director: Mervyn LeRoy
Starring: Rosalind Russel, Natalie Wood, Karl Malden
Synopsis:
A fictionalized account of the life of burlesque dancer Gypsy Rose Lee.
Impressions:
I'm not big on musicals, but I was curious to see more of Natalie Wood's work, so I gave it a shot. I don't know about the rest of you, but stage moms make me uncomfortable. Even though the movie is supposed to be a semibiographical account of the life of Gypsy Rose Lee, she's largely overshadowed by the overwhelming presence of her mother, which I suppose you could argue is thematically appropriate. Interestingly enough, the basic setup seems somewhat like What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, only it doesn't go in the same direction in the end. Rosalind Russell delivers a strong performance as the overbearing Rose, Karl Malden does well as the well-worn nice guy Herbie, and Natalie Wood shows some good range as her character develops. As a side note, while I realize it's in character, Faith Dane's Mazeppa is positively ear-splitting. I'm no great judge of music, but the songs seem solid enough. I imagine if you're more Broadway-minded, you'll get even more appreciation out of it than I did. Even as someone who doesn't really like musicals, I'd still say this is worth seeing.
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