classicmovieguy
Senior HTF Member
Angela Lansbury has told a similar story of Lucille Ball visiting her backstage at "Mame". Apparently Lucy gushed over her, saying that she (Angie) was definitely on the cards for a movie version and that she was finally going to get her due in a movie. But as Angela walked across to take her position for the beginning of the show, she noticed Lucy standing in the wings, watching her every move, and her mind clicked over - "Oh my God... I'm not going to get this movie...".GMpasqua said:There's a book which has a segment on "Gypsy" and the film. It's pretty interesting. Originally Rosalind Russel was going to do a film based on the book by Gypsy Rose Lee - it was not going to be a musical. Then WB bought the rights to the stage show - the writers didn't want to sell them at the time but WB said they would cast Judy Garland and the contracts provided they keep at least three songs (to be sung as performance pieces and over the opening credits) Warner had just finished filming the Broadway musical "Fanny" - but the musical score wasn't sung it was regulated to background music.
Russell still wanted to play Rose and Warner thought musicals might come back (West Side Story was getting good notices) Early in 1962 "Gypsy" began filming as a regular musical
At one point early in the opening of "Gypsy" on Braodway, Russell went backstage and said to Merman what a great role she had (of course Russell was after the role herself)
Don't know how true it is but somewhere I read the cut numbers were cut because preview audiences didn't like seeing Karl Madlen sing (although he's not bad and given little to sing)