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Gypsy

Gypsy

List Price: $19.98
Your Price: $17.98
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: You gotta get "Gypsy" if you wanna get ahead!
Review: Buy this wonderful DVD issue of the 1962 "Gypsy" NOW! Fantastic color, film quality, sound...it's like seeing it for the first time. Wonderful stars and music. The two numbers "You Gotta Get a Gimmick" and "Let Me Entertain You" alone are worth the price. When Natalie takes those long legs to the runway, circling the stage performing the latter - whew - TOO hot to handle! "That's how burlesque was born!"

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: CLASSIC MUST SEE FILM OF SHOW BIZ!
Review: Forget Merman, Roz Russell IS MAMA ROSE and ANN JILLIAN IS "DAINTY JUNE", WOOD/MALDEN, the cast is the best! To see and hear the young ANN JILLIAN belt out the tunes is worth the price alone, and everyone I show it to says Midler had some nerve to attept her remake of this Classic, she falls way short of the top mark. I'm so glad I bought it again.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Have an eggroll.
Review: I also love this version of the musical. Yes, Ethel Merman essayed it on Broadway, but loud and brassy does not always make a better perfomance; on the small screen she may have been more than overwhelming. And, as someone else noted below, there was something manic, almost batty, in Bette Midler's essay of Rose. Only Rosalind Russell got it right, combining an obsessive drive and frustration to get her girls into stardom with a true warmth and pathos that makes you love Rose while being frustrated with her at the same time. As daughter Rose-Louise/Gypsy, Natalie Wood supports Russell nicely, and while it's a little hard to believe that she could ever be plain or unattractive, she does a convincing, bewitching, job of growing up throughout the film- from awkward girl (short hair, no makeup, knickers), to her mother's confidant/business manager, to a defiant 'toreador,' to a beautiful woman. Note the next-to-last scene where she makes up for her strip debut by stepping into an evening gown and gloves and twisting up her hair. It's a kind of rite of passage.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Roz is Underrated!
Review: I am always amazed to hear people criticize Ms. Russell's performance as Momma Rose! This is an incredibly difficult role to portray, especially with the legendary Ethel Merman having immortalized it on Broadway. The challenge Ms. Russell faced was enormous. She had to make the role of Momma Rose her own by delivering an interpretation that differed from Merman's while still maintaining the integrity of the original. I personally believe she carried this off with great aplomb. Although she does not have a fabulous singing voice, her numbers are each performed with tremendous style and believability. Her personality shines through each of several majour production numbers and her performance in the "11:00 song" "Rose's Turn" is sensational. Merman was Broadway's Momma Rose, and Roz is Hollywood's Momma Rose. Both portrayals are derserving of great praise.

The rest of the cast is excellent. Mr. Malden is an appropriately frustrated and enamoured Herbie and Natalie Wood sparkles as the one and only Gypsy! But the film really is a tour de force for Roz Russell and I predict her performance as Momma Rose will ultimately be recognized as a truly inspiring contribution to American Musical Films.

The beauty of this new DVD release is in the widescreen presentation. It allows us to see the film as it was meant to be viewed with the full stage area shots during the theatrical productions as well as the background scenery and sets that are a highlight of the entire production. The old pan and scan format just simply does not do justice to this "Broadway" classic. Even if you already own the VHS version, I highly recommend you purchase the DVD release. It is like seeing the film again for the first time.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: BUY THE ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST ALBUM
Review: I have heard the original cast album of the 1959 Broadway
production, and the cast changes made for this movie degrade the musical score enormously. Ethel Merman's songs in the show were
specifically designed to show off her voice; Rosalind Russell's
singing is very amateurish and no match for Merman. Karl Malden is a good dramatic actor (see On the Waterfront), but he seems very awkward in this musical. Natalie Wood comes off best and looks great.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A grate movie
Review: I heard the story of her life but seeing the movie truly brought this young dancer to life. She was enchanting and it was amazing to see a movie about her. I had no idea that she was like that. Or that her life was like that. I say this is a grate movie to see if you love amazing storys sort of legends turned into amazing brilliant movies.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: RUSSELL< JILLIAN & WOOD ARE TOPS! MUST SEE!
Review: I loved seeing the young ANN JILLIAN belt out the songs and anyone who thinks ROZ RUSSELL should have yeilded to Ethel Merman is sadly under estimating her - she's EXCELLENT! NATALIE WOOD & KARL MALDEN round out this flawless cast. Buy the new version with stereo sound, it's GREAT!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Gypsy -- A Disappointing Pleasure
Review: I loved this version of "Gypsy." I was a part of a school production of the musical, so I decided to see what the movie version was like. There are several differences, but this movie has the same flare that the stage production does. The DVD has the two songs that are missing from the movie (they are located in the bonus features area) which I enjoyed very much. I only wish that they had been in the movie in the first place!

Rosalind Russell is WONDERFUL as Rose, a mother who wants to make her children, mainly her youngest, June, a star. She travels, along with her other daughter Louise (played by the wonderful Natalie Wood) and Herbie (Carl Malden). All three characters gave great performances. I always get a lump in the back of my throat when Herbie leaves Rose after she refuses to set a date for their marriage and tries to make Louise the star.

After Louise discovers that she is very successful in her new profession--stripping, she changes her name to Gypsy Rose Lee and leaves her mother behind. Rose then goes on to sing the greatest song of the movie, 'Rose's Turn.' Rosalind Russell does a great job with the song, even if her voice is a little scratchy. Her acting was superb. I have always loved the ending (which I will not give away for those who have yet to see the movie). If you're a musical fan, rent this movie. You will not be disappointed!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Everything's Coming Up Rose!
Review: I loved this version of "Gypsy." I was a part of a school production of the musical, so I decided to see what the movie version was like. There are several differences, but this movie has the same flare that the stage production does. The DVD has the two songs that are missing from the movie (they are located in the bonus features area) which I enjoyed very much. I only wish that they had been in the movie in the first place!

Rosalind Russell is WONDERFUL as Rose, a mother who wants to make her children, mainly her youngest, June, a star. She travels, along with her other daughter Louise (played by the wonderful Natalie Wood) and Herbie (Carl Malden). All three characters gave great performances. I always get a lump in the back of my throat when Herbie leaves Rose after she refuses to set a date for their marriage and tries to make Louise the star.

After Louise discovers that she is very successful in her new profession--stripping, she changes her name to Gypsy Rose Lee and leaves her mother behind. Rose then goes on to sing the greatest song of the movie, 'Rose's Turn.' Rosalind Russell does a great job with the song, even if her voice is a little scratchy. Her acting was superb. I have always loved the ending (which I will not give away for those who have yet to see the movie). If you're a musical fan, rent this movie. You will not be disappointed!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: 3 Stars for the DVD
Review: I really was looking forward to this DVD. I had only seen this film on TV or pan-and-scan video and thought it missing something. I previewed my new version by checking out the opening and a couple of the bigger numbers and thought it seemed pretty good. Now, unfortunately, I have been only been able to get through about an hour of the movie in two sittings. I have always liked Rosalind Russell and Natalie Wood, and Karl Malden. But, I'm sorry, the musical numbers are flat out -- flat! No oomph, no guts -- I guess I'm just too familiar with the original cast recording which I have been listening to since it was first released on LP, and although I saw the less-than-musically talented Tyne Daly onstage in the role, at least the production sparkled and kept moving. I give the three stars for the DVD because it is an extremely good transfer. The wide screen looks great and the sound is not bad at all, but, again, it just doesn't make it. As Auntie Mame, Ros Russell is out of this world, but as Mama Rose, she seems more like Hyacinth in "Keeping Up Appearances" -- just goes rolling right along not even realizing anyone else is around. Maybe that's the way she and/or the director thought she should be. Oh, well!


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