Gypsy-1962

Director Mervyn LeRoy

Starring Rosalind Russell, Natalie Wood

Top 250 Films #80

Scott’s Review #37

Reviewed June 18, 2014

Grade: A

The film version of the iconic Broadway production is a huge success, mainly due to Rosalind Russell’s superb performance as Mama Rose, a muscular and driven stage mother in the Depression-era world of show business.

She is mesmerizing in the role and reminiscent of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, who would have been wonderful in it.

Russell carries the film with her bombastic, loud, and determined performance- her children will become stars, and Rose will get the stardom and spoils she so richly deserves.

She uses every nook and cranny to her advantage —borrowing money from her father, scraping leftover Chinese food scraps, and stealing silverware.

Rose’s daughters, Baby June and Louise (Natalie Wood), are in tow to help her achieve her goals —June, the talented one, and Louise, along for the ride.

When circumstances develop, Louise blossoms and becomes the famous Gypsy Rose Lee.

From masterpieces “Everything’s Coming up Roses” and “Some People” to her heartbreak at being a driven stage mom, Russell’s performance makes the film.

Her best scene comes at the climax. Rose finally admits that she has spent her life needing to be noticed, hits an empty stage alone in a theater, and has an emotional breakdown.

Natalie Wood and Karl Malden certainly add depth to their characters, especially Wood, who transforms from a mousy wallflower to the seductive stripper Gypsy Rose Lee.

From a casting perspective, I am not sure Wood was quite right for the role- the second time in two years this would occur (her casting in West Side Story being the other misstep), but she was an enormous star at the time and was awarded juicy roles.

Gypsy (1962) is one of the great Hollywood musicals from the 1950s/1960s heyday.

Witty and clever dialogue help this film stand out at the top of the list of similar movies.

Bravura!

Oscar Nominations: Best Scoring of Music-Adaptation or Treatment, Best Cinematography, Color, Best Costume Design, Color