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| re: Why did Arthur Laurents hate the 1962 film of Gypsy? | |
| Posted by: bicoastal 01:48 pm EDT 08/28/18 | |
| In reply to: Why did Arthur Laurents hate the 1962 film of Gypsy? - Chazwaza 03:24 am EDT 08/28/18 | |
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| At a charity function some years back I was able to talk to Sondheim for a few minutes, and I asked him why the creative team hated this movie so much. It took some pushing but he did admit that no one liked Roz Russell's performance because she was too "elegant". He said Rose was a tough, scrappy type and lamented that Russell didn't play that. I didn't ask if they all wanted Merman, but in a way I'm glad she didn't do the movie. She was way too big for the screen and probably wouldn't have made the movie better (see "Call Me Madam" for example). And I love me some Merman. As for Laurents, he certainly revered his own work! I actually like the screen version of West Side Story better than the stage--I think the choices made were absolutely right for a film vs. a play. But as original author, Laurents has a right to his opinion and it's hard to argue that the stage version is any less than it should be. I do think the stage version of Gypsy is probably the best book ever for a musical, it's so tight and it runs very deep. The movie isn't better in that regard, although much of the original, including structure, is preserved. Natalie Wood's performance is just perfect, IMHO, it breaks my heart every time I watch her in "All I Need Is the Girl". She did the movie on the condition that she not be dubbed after she felt she was cheated out of the vocals on WSS (which, of course, she couldn't possibly do justice to). Roz's performance of "Everything's Coming Up Roses" is amazing, even if she is dubbed. Less so for "Rose's Turn". As for the Bette Midler version, I can hardly watch it. It feels hammy and pushes too hard, and Cynthia Gibb is the weakest Louise I've ever seen. I know that director Emile Ardolino was quite sick during the making and did not guide with a firm hand; he died before the movie aired. Based on the poster's note below, I want to watch "Rose's Turn" and see how that plays. BTW, Barbara Harris was cast as one of the strippers (I think it was Tessie, but I can't remember for sure) but apparently was not in a head space that allowed her to stay on the film and so was replaced. |
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| re: Why did Arthur Laurents hate the 1962 film of Gypsy? | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 05:41 pm EDT 08/28/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Why did Arthur Laurents hate the 1962 film of Gypsy? - bicoastal 01:48 pm EDT 08/28/18 | |
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| Yes, Harris was announced as Tessie, and I think she may have started rehearsals. I don't recall ever having read anything terribly specific about why she was replaced (and, of course, if I had read something, it might not have been accurate). | |
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| re: Why did Arthur Laurents hate the 1962 film of Gypsy? | |
| Posted by: bicoastal 08:01 pm EDT 08/28/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Why did Arthur Laurents hate the 1962 film of Gypsy? - AlanScott 05:41 pm EDT 08/28/18 | |
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| I was told by one of the producers that she couldn't handle the pressure of performing. But that is all I knew and that could mean anything. | |
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| Roz's Turn vs Bette's Turn | |
| Last Edit: Chazwaza 03:37 pm EDT 08/28/18 | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 03:31 pm EDT 08/28/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Why did Arthur Laurents hate the 1962 film of Gypsy? - bicoastal 01:48 pm EDT 08/28/18 | |
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| I rewatched today, and I just think Roz's acting was just better than Bette's - though both were good. Roz I don't believe actually had what it takes, and I don't fully believe that she's blowing the cork and letting it out.... I do with Bette, but almost too much, and Bette is so big in her acting choices here where as Roz is much more grounded. However I think Roz is much better in the beginning of the song, and Bette is much better in the second part when she starts doing the fantasy striptease section and the mental breakdown. They let her take her time with the beats of it, whereas Roz just plows through it... but then Bette becomes too much again when she does this "i'm almost gonna faint I'm so overwhelmed" stuff. Generally I like the way it was staged and shot better with Roz than Bette. For example, with bette when the stage lights first come on as the delusion starts, they don't pull out or cut to a wide shot of her on stage or of the lights going on, they stay on her and we just see the new stage lights weirdly reflected off the back wall (made of tile for some reason). So there's so establishing that things in the theater are different. That's KEY to this scene. And some of the hand choreography they have Bette doing is so staged, it's like she rehearsed this number, and it should never look like that. Worst of all is at the moment when she sings "where would you be, miss Gypsy Rose Lee!!" and they have her doing this stagey hand movements like she's framing or presenting the thought to an audience rather than lost in her own anger and conflict. Also the Bette one is shot almost entire in 1-shots of her, very few wide shots to give you a sense of her alone on a stage with an empty house in front of her. I think the way they staged/shot the Roz scene gives you a much better sense of where she is and what's going on. But even then there's little things - like I like that Roz went to the side curtain for "You like it?" but they didn't have the off-stage men's voices shout back "yeah!" - they do that for Bette, but she doesn't go sex-it-up (or whatever) at the side curtain. So... i like bits of both and I think some bits are missing. |
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| re: Roz's Turn vs Bette's Turn | |
| Posted by: sf 09:39 am EDT 08/31/18 | |
| In reply to: Roz's Turn vs Bette's Turn - Chazwaza 03:31 pm EDT 08/28/18 | |
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| "I do with Bette, but almost too much, and Bette is so big in her acting choices here" The Midler film had a limited theatrical release in the UK. It works much better on a big screen - which is a problem, given that it was made for television. |
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| re: Roz's Turn vs Bette's Turn | |
| Posted by: JohnDunlop 08:57 pm EDT 08/31/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Roz's Turn vs Bette's Turn - sf 09:39 am EDT 08/31/18 | |
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| Around the time of Bette's "Gypsy," she was part of a charity tribute in New York to Merman with Stritch and several other singers. Midler was not awful, but Stritch was much better. Yes, I am aware that Stritch knew Merman, but it was still a surprise. | |
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