As I'm sure I've mentioned here, I don't much like the movie version of Gypsy with Rosalind Russell. I'm not fond of any movie musical where it's obvious the star's singing voice is that of someone else, plus I think Ms. Russell was utterly miscast. Momma Rose is supposed to be a poor street fighter who'll stoop to nothing to get out of poverty by making one of her daughters a star. Ms. Russell was a fine actress but just as John Wayne couldn't convince me he was a Mongol chief in The Conqueror, Rosalind Russell couldn't convince me she was a not a woman of great success and breeding.
She also fails to convince me of another key component of Momma Rose; that she was living vicariously through her daughter(s) because she didn't have it in her to be a star herself. That's why I'm skeptical of the rumored film remake with Barbra Streisand. The TV Movie version with Bette Midler has much the same problem for me. Ethel Merman was probably perfect for the role on Broadway because she was a star who didn't look or move like a star.
I've seen other versions on stage but the best version I've seen was on TV and not long ago. It's the 2015 revival from Great Britain's West End starring Imelda Staunton in a perfect performance. It's run on PBS and it's about to come out on Blu-ray or DVD. Those are links via which you can order it but before you do, let's watch a clip. This does not, alas, does not have Ms. Staunton but it does have Lara Pulver as Louise and she's darned good, too. A brief ad may precede the number but it's worth waiting through…
