During the roaring 1920s, domineering Rosalind Russell (as Rose Hovick) pushes her two young daughters successfully onto the vaudeville stage. But, when star Ann Jillian (as "Dainty" June) hits puberty and runs off with a chorus boy, Ms. Russell is left with relatively untalented Natalie Wood (as Louise). Undaunted, Russell alters the act for Ms. Wood, who makes it a burlesque show. When she becomes a strip-tease star (as "Gypsy Rose Lee"), an ungrateful Wood leaves her Mama in the wings. Russell receives moral support from agent and lover Karl Malden (as Herbie Sommers), who wants to be her fourth husband...
Everything's Coming Up Roses...
The main problem, here, is that the terrific score, by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim, is given a relatively lesser treatment, when compared to Ethel Merman's Broadway version (available on CD). Russell was dubbed well by singer Lisa Kirk - but, instead of rendering her own version of the classics, she was apparently hired to sound similar to Russell. The benefit is that you don't get raspy Russell suddenly singing like soprano Marni Nixon. While perhaps not ideally cast, Russell and Wood possess enough star power to make an already great show pass muster. Thankfully, Paul Wallace (as Tulsa) retains his stage presence.
Sing Out, Louise!
******* Gypsy (11/1/62) Mervyn LeRoy ~ Rosalind Russell, Natalie Wood, Karl Malden, Paul Wallace
