Gypsy *** (1962, Rosalind Russell, Natalie Wood, Karl Malden) – Classic Movie Review 3555

Director Mervyn LeRoy’s 1962 movie musical is good but it should have been great, and that’s partly because it makes the mistake of casting the wrong star in Rosalind Russell. and partly because it lacks clarity, concision and pizzazz.

And so one of the all-time great Broadway musicals makes only a good film, with Russell trying to get by on energy alone in Ethel Merman’s famous stage role as the awful, dominating stage mother Mama Rose Hovick, who sacrifices true love with the nice man who loves her, Herbie Sommers (Karl Malden), for a stage career with her daughters Baby June [Havoc] (Morgan Brittany) and Gypsy Rose Lee, Louise Hovick (Natalie Wood).

Where was Merman when we needed her? Anyway, Russell’s advantage is her acting prowess in the dramatic scenes with the grown-up stripper Gypsy, who is played by an appealing Natalie Wood with some considerable brittle style and oomph: ‘Let me entertain you, Let me make you smile, Let me do a few tricks, Some old and then 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.’

Malden is also excellent in star support as Herbie, the warm-hearted theatre veteran in love with Rose, who tries to keep her in check and holds the family together. In a tricky, unforgiving part to do at all, let alone make special, he is just right, making all his moments count.

The true-life story, based on Gypsy, A Memoir by Gypsy Rose Lee, and the wonderful Stephen Sondheim-Jule Styne songs are enough to carry it through,. But where are the pace, sharpness and vigour that the movie really needs? Come to that where’s ‘Together, Wherever We Go’, one of the show’s best songs unforgiveably cut from the movie, and so raggedly that you can still hear the tune on the soundtrack linking to the next scene.

Otherwise, the show’s stupendous songs keep gloriously coming: ‘Let Me Entertain You’, ‘Rose’s Turn’, ‘Everything’s Coming Up Roses’, ‘Small World’, ‘All I Need Is the Girl’, ‘Gotta Have a Gimmick’. Lisa Kirk is the singing voice of Rose Hovick.

Also in the cast are Paul Wallace, Ann Jillian, Betty Bruce, Parley Baer, Morgan Brittany, Harry Shannon, Diane Pace, Faith Dane, Roxanne Arlen, Jean Willes, George Petrie, Ben Lessy, Guy Raymond, Louis Quinn, Dorothy Adams, Harvey Korman, Jim Hubbard, William Fawcett, Frank Sully, Mike Cody and Jack Benny.

It was remade in 1993 with Bette Midler as Gypsy and in 2016 it was announced that Barbra Streisand is making a remake, directed by Barry Levinson.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3555

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