Rating: 
Summary: NATALIE WOOD Steals the Show in GYPSY
Review: This is truly one of the best musicals ever filmed. Natalie Wood does a superb job in the title role of Gypsy Rose Lee. Despite what others have said, Natalie did ALL HER OWN SINGING in this film and she shines bright in her musical numbers which include the heart-wrenching "Little Lamb", "If Mama Was Married" and of course her splashy version of "Let Me Entertain You". Roz Russell plays the role of Mama Rose, and Herbie is played by Karl Malden who each do a fine job with their roles. But it is NATALIE WOOD as the determined Stripper that really makes this a film worth watching. This movie is a must for Natalie's fans.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent version of the Broadway show.
Review: This movie has always been underrated because Warners did not use Ethel Merman from the Broadway version. I've always thought this version was excellent (better than Bette Midler's), and it seems to get better with time. Rosalind Russell gives a great performance. Natalie Wood is very expressive as Gypsy and let's you understand the character's depth. The production is lavish and must be seen in widescreen to be fully appreciated. If you've owned this before, this new version has added material including "Together Wherever We Go," and is finally in stereo. The improvements are worth buying this again.
Rating:
Summary: Everything DID Come Up Roses!!!
Review: This movie is among my most treasured possessions! For the life of me, I can not understand why some people seem to prefer the Bette Midler version over this one. I love them both!!! To me, it seems Roz played Rose with a rougher edge, whereas Bette took a softer approach, bringing out the human aspect of Rose. Another thing I can not understand is why people say Roz's songs were dubbed. It clearly IS Rosalind Russell singing each of those songs. If you have any doubts at all, pick up a copy of her autobiography (I found it in the library!) and read it for yourself! This movie is wonderful!
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty good, but not great
Review: This was a pretty good movie. The musical numbers were pretty good, the staging was pretty good, and the acting was pretty good. I use "pretty good" so much because I can't think of a better word to describe this film. it wasn't great, it was just... well, pretty good. I'm still singing the musical numbers, and think Natalie Wood was well-cast as Gypsy Rose Lee. She really shows her character's vunerability and shyness very well. Ann Jillian, Karl Malden, and Paul Wallace as Tulsa were great, too. As for Rosalind Russell, she really wasn't too bad, even though it's a bit of a shock seeing her change from wacky-yet-sophisticated Auntie Mame to Mama Rose, hard-boiled, determined, and from the backwoods. Her last number, "Rose's Turn," was really great, but I couldn't help thinking that I wish I'd seen Ethel Merman in the role. So, this wasn't a bad movie, but it wasn't excellent.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good, but not great
Review: This was a pretty good movie. The musical numbers were pretty good, the staging was pretty good, and the acting was pretty good. I use "pretty good" so much because I can't think of a better word to describe this film. it wasn't great, it was just... well, pretty good. I'm still singing the musical numbers, and think Natalie Wood was well-cast as Gypsy Rose Lee. She really shows her character's vunerability and shyness very well. Ann Jillian, Karl Malden, and Paul Wallace as Tulsa were great, too. As for Rosalind Russell, she really wasn't too bad, even though it's a bit of a shock seeing her change from wacky-yet-sophisticated Auntie Mame to Mama Rose, hard-boiled, determined, and from the backwoods. Her last number, "Rose's Turn," was really great, but I couldn't help thinking that I wish I'd seen Ethel Merman in the role. So, this wasn't a bad movie, but it wasn't excellent.
Rating: 
Summary: IT JUST MISSES.
Review: Well, Roz Russell could act but she sure couldn't sing! OUCH! It would have been much wiser if the great Ethel Merman had starred (as she did on Broadway). This part BELONGS to Merman. Natalie Wood is great. Karl Malden overacts shamelessly- pretty bad. Ann Jillian is wonderful. Everyone else is good.For the best Mama Rose on video, get Bette Midler-a superb performance.
Rating:
Summary: GYPSY - Simply the best
Review: When I first saw Gypsy, I was an impressionable 12 year old. The story of a girl, ignored by her mother, overshadowed by her younger sister really hit home with me. To watch how this pitiful young girl could overcome all of her life's hardships and become a star in her own right gave me the hope for my dreams. This movie may not be as great as the stage show, but with all the stars giving it their all, the quality comes across. The music is wonderful, and presented with extreme vigor. From the first "Let me entertain you" number as kids all the way through the vaudeville acts, the essence of the time's entertainment is showcased wonderfully. Mama Rose's songs were acted by Ms. Russell to perfection. Karl Malden makes the perfect Herbie, showing both the strength and weakness of his character. Natalie Wood's progression from a quiet child to dazzling star is a must-see. Her famous striptease versions of "let me entertain you" bring the whole show together. I still get goosebumps when she sees herself in the mirror all dressed up before her first striptease and says to herself "Momma, I'm pretty, I'm a pretty girl", her self awareness awakened for the first time. And, don't miss the incredible "Gotta have a gimmic" number, a showstopper! I love this movie, watch it whenever I need a pick me up and always makes me remember that even an ugly duckling really can turn into a self confident, beautiful swan. Perhaps Gypsy Rose Lee was really the first feminist, taking her life in her own hands and making a success for herself without the help of anyone. Buy this film.
Rating:
Summary: ROSALIND RUSSELL SUPERB AS "MAMA ROSE"!
Review: When Warner Bros purchased the rights to the 1959 musical hit GYPSY it was intended to make a purely dramatic film, with songs from the Jule Styne & Stephen Sondheim Broadway score confined to the theatrical sequences. Rosalind Russell was chosen for the starring (but non-musical) role of Mama Rose along side Natalie Wood as Gypsy Rose Lee. However just as this version of GYPSY began filming, THE MUSIC MAN opened in theatres and scored a huge hit. It was then decided that GYPSY should be filmed as a musical follow-up to THE MUSIC MAN. The production closed down and was revamped as a musical. Rosalind Russell could sing but not in the style her role demanded (all of Mama Rose's songs in the Broadway production were written in the original Mama Rose, Ethel Merman's vocal style). It was decided to bring in singer Lisa Kirk to assist Russell with the vocals rather than re-cast the role. The end result fully justifies this decision because Rosalind Russell's Mama Rose is simply magnificent and the combination of Russell and Kirk in the songs is so perfect you never know (or care) who is doing the singing. No other actress, before or since (which includes such illustrious performers as Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Bette Midler and Tyne Daly), even comes close to conveying the monster in mother's clothing that was Mama Rose the way Russell does while still allowing the humanity of the character to emerge now and then only to become subservient once again to her driving ambition. Natalie Wood is also excellent as Gypsy Rose Lee, who succeeded beyond her mother's Dreams. Her mother and daughter showdown scene with Russell is riveting. A young, vibrant Ann Jillian gives equally great support as Dainty June, the focus of Mama Rose's machinations for most of the film, who also went on to become June Havoc, one of the most celebrated stage actresses of her time. Besides great acting, the songs are performed with a bravura and brilliance that far outclasses all other versions of this musical. In fact the Warner Bros. Studio Orchestra plays this music so magnificently it makes the more recent Bette Midler TV version sound anemic by comparison. The Dolby Digital 5:1 Discrete Surround envelopes you into the proceedings and the sharp, richly saturated Technicolor wide screen image (2:35-1) is fully equal to the superb audio. But it is Rosalind Russell in one of the greatest screen performances ever committed to film that drives this version of GYPSY to the top of the heap and makes this DVD a "must own."
Rating:
Summary: ROSALIND RUSSELL SUPERB AS "MAMA ROSE"!
Review: When Warner Bros purchased the rights to the 1959 musical hit GYPSY it was intended to make a purely dramatic film, with songs from the Jule Styne & Stephen Sondheim Broadway score confined to the theatrical sequences. Rosalind Russell was chosen for the starring (but non-musical) role of Mama Rose along side Natalie Wood as Gypsy Rose Lee. However just as this version of GYPSY began filming, THE MUSIC MAN opened in theatres and scored a huge hit. It was then decided that GYPSY should be filmed as a musical follow-up to THE MUSIC MAN. The production closed down and was revamped as a musical. Rosalind Russell could sing but not in the style her role demanded (all of Mama Rose's songs in the Broadway production were written in the original Mama Rose, Ethel Merman's vocal style). It was decided to bring in singer Lisa Kirk to assist Russell with the vocals rather than re-cast the role. The end result fully justifies this decision because Rosalind Russell's Mama Rose is simply magnificent and the combination of Russell and Kirk in the songs is so perfect you never know (or care) who is doing the singing. No other actress, before or since (which includes such illustrious performers as Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Bette Midler and Tyne Daly), even comes close to conveying the monster in mother's clothing that was Mama Rose the way Russell does while still allowing the humanity of the character to emerge now and then only to become subservient once again to her driving ambition. Natalie Wood is also excellent as Gypsy Rose Lee, who succeeded beyond her mother's Dreams. Her mother and daughter showdown scene with Russell is riveting. A young, vibrant Ann Jillian gives equally great support as Dainty June, the focus of Mama Rose's machinations for most of the film, who also went on to become June Havoc, one of the most celebrated stage actresses of her time. Besides great acting, the songs are performed with a bravura and brilliance that far outclasses all other versions of this musical. In fact the Warner Bros. Studio Orchestra plays this music so magnificently it makes the more recent Bette Midler TV version sound anemic by comparison. The Dolby Digital 5:1 Discrete Surround envelopes you into the proceedings and the sharp, richly saturated Technicolor wide screen image (2:35-1) is fully equal to the superb audio. But it is Rosalind Russell in one of the greatest screen performances ever committed to film that drives this version of GYPSY to the top of the heap and makes this DVD a "must own."
Rating:
Summary: LET GYPSY ENTERTAIN YOU!
Review: You want a good Sunday afternoon musical? That was when I discovered "Gypsy". I had never before known of Gypsy Rose Lee, and was interested when I was promised by John Burke of AMC that I would "love the movie". And love it I did! I am a big Rosalind Russell fan, and this makes for one heckuva showcase for her! She plays the role of Gypsy's Mama Rose with a vim and vigor unlike she shows in any other of her movies. She is A PRESCENCE. She plays the role with explosive power, but with the understanding and heart that (hopefully) the real Rose possessed. And Natalie Wood adds a glistening sparkle to this cast with class as the vibrant Gypsy Rose Lee, dazzling and beautiful. She plays against her child star image by lustily singing and grinding to a stripper beat and playfully tossing her clothes off. Karl Malden is excellent as Rose's fiancee Herbie. And the Sondheim/Styne songs are all incredible, each a production and thrill: the showpiece "Let Me Entertain You", the bouncy "Have An Eggroll, Mr. Goldstone", the charming "Small World", and the exciting final number, "Rose's Turn". WHAT A MOVIE! See this one and "you'll have a real good time, yes, sir!"
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