Gypsy
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Ethel Merman
filmmekker — 20 years ago(April 16, 2005 11:20 AM)
One of the greatest crimes in film history is Ethel Merman not getting a chance to capture her best role in the 1962 version of Gypsy. I can see why she didn't get the film version of Annie get Your Gun or others where she had to be a romantic lead but Rose in Gypsy is a middle aged steamroller. She played a part with a lot of the same qualities in It's a Mad, Mad, etc. World and was very effective. What a tragedy for future generations.
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kak122760 — 20 years ago(May 19, 2005 05:36 PM)
Unfortunatley, Hollywood has never been known to having stage stars repeat their roles on film. Think they won't bring in the box office. It is a shame all of the great stage performances that are lost, due to this attitude.
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Jungle_Red — 20 years ago(August 05, 2005 11:41 AM)
Actually that wasn't the case with Gypsy. Warner Brothers WAS set on having Ethel doing Rose in Gypsy because the role was considered "hers" and no one else could play itbut then everyone was shocked when Fredrick Brisson bought the rights for his wifeRosalind Russell
Sin is in, sweeties -
tms1983 — 20 years ago(January 22, 2006 08:47 AM)
We should be grateful that Hollywood allowed her to reprise her Broadway role in the movie version of CALL ME MADAM. And she was just great in NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS, even though that was not based on a stage musical.
"Snozberries? Who ever heard of a snozberry?" -
elyrest — 19 years ago(August 17, 2006 07:05 PM)
I love "Call Me Madam" and have been known to sing both parts of "You're Just In Love" (at the same time). Why do we never see this movie on TV anymore? I haven't seen it in more than 30 years and I can still hear Ethel Merman and Donald O'Connor singing. It's a delightful musical that uses Merman's talents to the fullest.
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tms1983 — 19 years ago(February 05, 2007 12:38 PM)
The film had been unavailable for years, due to an issue with the music rights, but was released on DVD in 2004 (still in print) and I believe Fox occasionally shows it on their Fox Movie Channel.
5b4
"Snozberries? Who ever heard of a snozberry?" -
shandy8 — 17 years ago(March 03, 2009 01:13 PM)
Merman might have done well in the role if someone could have reined her in. She's a blast to watch in "Call Me Madam", and I'm delighted that we have that performance, but Rose is not a brassy charactcature like Sally Adams; I could imagine her overdoing it.
I would have loved seeing the great Judy Garland tackle the role.
"I love corn!" -
Harold_Robbins — 15 years ago(January 16, 2011 08:38 PM)
Merman's formidable shadow has cast itself over every production of GYPSY - no matter the star performances by others rewarded with Tonys, and despite not appearing in the film version, no one has ever quite wrested GYPSY away from Ethel Merman, and doubtless reviews of the next revival will mention her, just as reviews of the most recent (LuPone) revival seldom failed to. And there's a very good reason (among several): With the exception of one song that composer Jule Styne pulled out of his 'trunk' (without telling his lyricist, Stephen Sondheim, incidentally),
every note of the songs for Rose was written for
Merman's
voice.
"'Nature,' Mr. Allnut, is what we are put here to
rrrrrriiiiise
above!" -
MyMovieTVRomance — 13 years ago(September 11, 2012 01:44 AM)
Not that I agree of disagree, but "big" and "loud" aren't words that I've ever heard associated with Mary Martin either. And, yet, Martin never really made a successful career of anything but the stage.
Please excuse typos/funny wording; I use speech-recognition that doesn't always recognize! -
SimplemindedSociety — 13 years ago(September 11, 2012 04:04 AM)
'Martin never really made a successful career of anything but the stage'.
Did she attempt to?
When I say big/loud, for example, think of Carol Burnett. Burnett,admittingly said in her book she has a Broadway-voice, not a great voice(not that they can't be inclusive) -