This biographical movie has a scene that happens today –
January 8. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.
GYPSY
Rose Hovick’s dream is to make her beautiful blonde
daughter June Hovick a vaudeville singing star as part of “Baby June and her Newsboys”. They travel around the country with June’s
plain older sister, Louise in tow. After Herbie Sommers becomes June’s manger,
her prospects improve. He gets her
shows in Chicago and then in Newark. On January 8, 192__ her family and the act celebrate Louise’s
birthday [29:56 to 41:31] and learn they’ve got an audition for Grantzinger’s
Tivoli theater, the top of the heap in vaudeville. However after the audition
they only get a contract to play in a lesser venue. The act (now “Dainty June
and her Farmboys”) continues to tour, even though they have aged out of the
childlike image they project in the act. Then the boys in the act quit and June
elopes with Tulsa, one of the boys in the act, in part so they can go solo together
on the stage. Rose changes the act to all girls, but is horrified to learn the
only venue Herbie can get for them is in a burlesque house. When one of the
strippers is arrested Rose makes Louise very reluctantly take her place,
telling her she doesn’t have to actually strip. Herbie leaves, disgusted at
what Rose will do to fulfill her dreams of fame and glory. Over time, Louise’s act, which works up to
taking off more and more, but retaining her witty repartee with the audience
propels her to stardom as “Gypsy Rose Lee”. Eventually she tells her mother to
stop trying to control her life. Rose realizes she has spent her life trying to
get attention for herself and reconciles with Louise.
A decent musical. The storyline
is a somewhat hackneyed about the domineering stage mother. However the songs
are good and both Russell and Wood are outstanding in becoming their parts.
American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare, The Life and Times of
Gypsy Rose Lee by Karen
Abbott (Random House, New York, 2010) at page 10 gives her
birthdate
Awards – The film was nominated
for the Best Color Cinematography, Best Color Costume and Best Adapted Musical
Score at the 35th Academy Awards
Producer - Mervyn LeRoy
Director - Mervyn LeRoy
Screenplay - Leonard Spigelgass
Runtime – 2 hours 23 minutes
Released – November 1, 1962
Starring –
Rosalind Russell as Rose Hovick
Natalie Wood as Louise Hovick
Karl Malden as Herbie Sommers
Paul Wallace as Tulsa
Suzanne Cupito as Baby June
Ann Jillian as Dainty June
Diane Pace as Baby Louise
Betty Bruce as Tessie Tura
Faith Dane as Mazeppa
Roxanne Arlen as Electra
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