GYPSY (1 Viewer)

[JohnMor]

Realistically, I think Streisand could still play Rose, provided it didn't get dragged out much further than two more years or so. She looks 20 years younger than she is, and still has amazing pipes (or did last month at both shows I saw at the Bowl) if a bit rough around the edges. Remember people looked MUCH older than their years back then. She frankly doesn't look much older than Russell did at the time she made the film. If you were to look at a picture of my grandmother in her 40's, you'd swear by today's standards you were looking at a 60 year old woman.

I'm not holding my breath for it to happen, and if it does, I won't hold my breath over whether they'll do right by the property. Barbra has a tendency to take good material and make ill advised changes and slightly dumb it down (Nuts and The Mirror Has Two Faces, both of which were much better in their previous incarnations). I think the potential for greatness is there still, but even as a huge admirer of the woman, I'm not sure that the end result would be as great as it could be. I just don't think there are any Ray Starks and William Wylers today who would collaborate with her and bring out her best, but not let her run roughshod over every choice. Maybe every idea she has for the piece will be perfect, but based on her track record of the last few adaptations (including, to a dregree, The Prince of Tides, which fared batter than the other two I mentioned), I'll take a wait and see attitude.

And then again, maybe Gypsy will always be of the stage and just doesn't translate to film no matter what. I have never found anything to admire in the Russell film, save for Natalie Wood's performance (and I usually love Russell).

 

[JohnMor]

Originally Posted by Marco S /t/325589/gypsy/30#post_4008974
Sunset Blvd.

That seemed to be on the fast track several years ago. Streisand had okayed one of my clients as director, but the financing fell through. I can't say who my client is, but trust me, it's a SAD day when an established musical with Streisand in the lead and an Oscar-winning director can't get funded.

 

[GMpasqua]

Streisand did perform some "Gypsy" numbers at the Bowl...and after seeing her sing them I don't think she would be right for this role, or course on film she may alter her performance, but she was wrong for the role as she sang it at the bowl.

If the film does get made, maybe Catherine Zeta Jones could play Rose...she would be just as good and is the right age, and has the right amount of coldness the role requires

I can think of at least 3 other things to like about the 1962 film of "Gypsy" besides Miss Wood,

1 Betty Bruce : Tessie Tura
2 Faith Dane : Mazeppa
3 Roxanne Arlen : Electra


And really Karl Malden is pretty good, as is Miss Russell who brings a bit of humanity to a character who is pretty much unlikable

 

[Matt Hough]

And not a word to honor the fantastic Paul Wallace who's recreating his Broadway performance as Tulsa and sings and dances the definitive "All I Need Is the Girl." He's magnificent.

 

[JohnMor]

Originally Posted by GMpasqua /t/325589/gypsy/30#post_4009014
Streisand did perform some "Gypsy" numbers at the Bowl...and after seeing her sing them I don't think she would be right for this role, or course on film she may alter her performance, but she was wrong for the role as she sang it at the bowl.

I agree about Barbra's interpretations in her concert. But as you said, that MIGHT change if and when prepping the film. Sadly, it might not. I tend to think how she did them in concert would not be how she'd approach them for a film version. Especially as they led into her "concert" version of "Dont Rain on My Parade" which isn't how she performed it in the film either. Far more geared to upbeat crowd pleasing than genuine drama.

 

[haineshisway]

And not a word to honor the fantastic Paul Wallace who's recreating his Broadway performance as Tulsa and sings and dances the definitive "All I Need Is the Girl." He's magnificent.

Oh, there were plenty of words about Mr. Wallace on another website you may or may not remember.

 

[Matt Hough]

Originally Posted by haineshisway /t/325589/gypsy/30#post_4009097
Oh, there were plenty of words about Mr. Wallace on another website you may or may not remember.

Of course I remember, but I wanted to make sure his important contibutions to the film weren't forgotten in this thread about the movie.

 

[WilliamMcK]

Count me in with the Rosalind Russell camp (and the Lisa Kirk camp as well). While the score isn't ideally served by the keys they had to have Kirk sing in to believably match Russell's speaking voice, the overall effect of the Russell/Kirk performance more than makes up for this. For all the changes to the libretto (some of which -- folding Uncle Jocko into Herbie for example -- work quite well), this feels like a much, much more authentic GYPSY than the Bette Midler version.
GYPSY joins GUYS AND DOLLS and SOUTH PACIFIC as a movie that improves dramatically with hi-definition and the use of superior film elements in the transfer process. And this blu-ray looks excellent! (Just wish "seamless branching" were an option for playing the two cut musical numbers).

 

[MatthewA]

Originally Posted by WilliamMcK /t/325589/gypsy/30#post_4009248
Count me in with the Rosalind Russell camp (and the Lisa Kirk camp as well). While the score isn't ideally served by the keys they had to have Kirk sing in to believably match Russell's speaking voice, the overall effect of the Russell/Kirk performance more than makes up for this.

Changing keys in a film version (as opposed to a staged production) has never been that big a deal to me. Interestingly, the Castro's recent screening of the film was introduced by a drag queen doing a Mama Rose mash-up that started with Lisa Kirk and changed between Ethel Merman, Bette Midler, Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone. All were in different keys, but hearing Lisa Kirk's voice come out of a man in drag was quite a surreal way to introduce the film. When I was younger though, I thought Kirk's voice reminded me of Sterling Holloway!

 

[WilliamMcK]

Usually the lowering of keys is done to high soprano roles (Sarah Brown in GUYS AND DOLLS; Guenevere in CAMELOT -- even Marian Paroo in THE MUSIC MAN). I think that's done to attempt some naturalism to avoid the "tittering" effect an operetta-ish vocal line might have on movie audiences. But those belting songs in GYPSY just don't land as well in lower octaves; whereas "Goodnight, My Someone" is just as effective in Shirley Jones' movie key as in Barbara Cook's stage original. But as I said, I appreciate Russell's performance so much that I'm quite willing to make the trade-off!

 

[Virgoan]

FYI...or for what it's worth: A review is up at Blu-ray.com. I'm guessing there won't be one here.
Also for what it's worth: I completely agree with Matt..."Gypsy" looks sensational on Blu ray.

 

[bryan4999]

GYPSY joins GUYS AND DOLLS and SOUTH PACIFIC as a movie that improves dramatically with hi-definition and the use of superior film elements in the transfer process. And this blu-ray looks excellent! (Just wish "seamless branching" were an option for playing the two cut musical numbers).

Drat! Can you tell me if the cut numbers are in hi-def? Or at least 16x9 if standard? Thanks -

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Drat! Can you tell me if the cut numbers are in hi-def? Or at least 16x9 if standard? Thanks -

Both are in high-def. One looks like it came from an old print. The other looks pretty good.

 

[bryan4999]

Both are in high-def. One looks like it came from an old print. The other looks pretty good.

Awesome, thanks for the info! I love this movie, can't wait to get my copy.

 

[bryan4999]

Wow, well the mailman brought my copy just a little while ago. There is one flaw in the audio that has been present since the remastered laserdisc (the one in stereo from the late 1990s), and I had hoped it would be fixed for blu-ray, but has not. During "Small World", at 15:27-15:28, there is a "blurp" sound in the lower range. I do not hear it on the soundtrack LP or on the first (mono) laserdisc, so it must have occurred during the stereo reprocessing. It is also audible on the Rhino CD. Not a deal breaker by any means, but noticeable.
Has anyone else ever noticed it?

 

[GMpasqua]

Didin't the stereo tracks come from the LP masters which were used for the CD and the newer video versions - it may be from those masters. The sound is not the original soundtrack - that was on the 1st laserdisc (Mono)

Stereo tracks for this film are lost (maybe forever) along with the cut numbers which only survive from a 16mm print - unless someone out there is holding on to them

 

[haineshisway]

FYI...or for what it's worth: A review is up at Blu-ray.com. I'm guessing there won't be one here.
Also for what it's worth: I completely agree with Matt..."Gypsy" looks sensational on Blu ray.

What, you don't agree with the person who started this thread and was the first to say that it looked sensational Seriously, though, it looks sensational.

 

[Scott Calvert]

Just about every Sony LD from the last few years of the format came from HD masters. Said so right on the packaging...

Interesting, I stand corrected. I stopped buying them immediately when I saw my first DVD so I don't think I ever had any LD that came from an HD master.
Regardless, that vast, vast majority of LD's came from standard def masters. And on this point I'm certain: The chances of buying a BD that was minted from a laserdisc master are practically nil.

 

[Virgoan]

What, you don't agree with the person who started this thread and was the first to say that it looked sensational Seriously, though, it looks sensational.

I absolutely DO agree with everyone who thinks this Blu ray looks sensational.
I disagree with barbs thrown at Russell...she's phenomenal as Mama Rose. She invests Rose Hovick with as much energy as she invested in Mame Dennis. She's dynamic and funny and touching.
I seriously disagree with the notion that Natalie Wood is the only good thing in it or about it. Its production values are superb, the direction is spot-on, ALL of the performances are amazing and the music is superb.

 

[Moe Dickstein]

Interesting, I stand corrected. I stopped buying them immediately when I saw my first DVD so I don't think I ever had any LD that came from an HD master.
Regardless, that vast, vast majority of LD's came from standard def masters. And on this point I'm certain: The chances of buying a BD that was minted from a laserdisc master are practically nil.

HD masters were going on for LD perhaps 4-5 years before DVD was introduced. If you had a movie from Sony on LD post circa '93 you had a disc from an HD master.