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Gypsy: Memoirs of America's Most Celebrated Stripper |
Author: Gypsy Rose Lee
Published: 1999-07-15 |
List price: $18.95
Our price: $12.89
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As of: November 19th, 2008 10:39:08 AM
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Customer comments on this selection.
 An Entertaining Read
The book is an entertaining read with photos rounding out the text. Once Gypsy hits the big time, towards the end of the book, the story's excitement wanes, the struggle for show biz success being more intriguing than the victory itself. Overall, worth a read, especially on vacation as a beach read.
 Wow
If you're a fan of the musical Gypsy, like me, you'll read this book. I've read from various websites, that the book is not entirely factual and that you need to read Gypsy's sister June's book, early Havoc, to get a clearer picture of what life on the road was like. But, entirely accurate or not, it's highly fascinating and an excellent look at the theatre of the time.
The book bears small resemblances to the show: There really was a monkey named Gigalo, Louise was given farm animals as pets for her birthday, there is a man that Rose links up with for several years who manages the troup, they did eat Chinese food constantly, make coats out of blankets, and a cow really talked to Rose in a dream.
There are major differences between the show and the book: The switch from Vaudeville to Burlesque was less dramatic in the book than the show -almost natural. "Herbie", Rose's companion and manager, left long before the act went Burlesque. And one very 'big' difference: you'll notice in the show that Grandpa calls Louise "Plug" but we dont' really know why. The little girl playing Louise was too adorable for words and grew up to be the stunning Natalie Wood. But, Gypsy got the name plug because she was a large child. And she grew up large. It wasn't until a couple years in Burlesque that she became more svelte. This is also a major point in the books, detailing the diets she was on and how it destroyed her self-esteem as a child.
Gypsy, the movie, is a fun-filled version of life on the road for a vaudeville troupe. Yes, there are hard times, but nothing so bad. Gypsy the memoir describes eviction, near starvation, nights of sleeping in the cars, almost frozen, con artists - real life struggle.
It's a quick read that is terribly fascinating. I highly recommend it.
The Book Behind the Musical
"Gypsy" is an autobiography by one of the most famous pair of sisters of the 1940's: Gypsy Rose Lee, born Louise Hovick, the stripper, actor, and eventual talk show host; sister to June Havoc, the actor, born June Hovick. In it, Lee covers some of the same material as does Havoc in her two-book autobiography: Their vaudeville childhood on the road with their monstrous stage mother Rose,and their adult struggles to continue their showbiz careers, and to deal with their mother. This book, furthermore, is the basis for the brilliant stage musical and movie, "Gypsy."
Perhaps because she was the elder sister, perhaps because she was more business-minded, Lee's book provides a much fuller, more accurate picture of their vaudeville years than do Havoc's. She cites actual contracts, salaries, and the logistics of their never-ending trouping, from Vancouver, Canada to Tiajuana, Mexico; from San Francisco, California, to Portland, Maine. She names the many animals that trouped along with them, including numerous dogs and guinea pigs, a cat or two; Gussie the goose; Waupie the lamb; Gigolo the monkey; and Porky the pig.
She gives more complete versions of incidents than June does, such as the time "Roxy" Rothfels, an influential New York theater owner-impresario, wished to buy June's contract to see that she got training in singing and dancing equal to her talents; he was repulsed by a hysterical Rose. (June's recounting of the story is so sketchy that it's puzzling.) Gypsy, moreover, seems to have monopolized the few pictures of their earliest years for her book; June's books are scantily illustrated.
Gypsy tells us about meeting the handsome young manager of a Detroit bookstore, George Davis. (It's beyond the scope of this book, but Davis was eventually to invite her to that famous literary boarding house in New York's Brooklyn Heights' Middagh Street, where she was to live with W.H. Auden, Carson McCullers, Jane and Paul Bowles, and Benjamin Britten, almost everyone of them alcoholic and gay, though she was not. She was to bring the money and the cook that kept the enterprise going a few years more, and Davis, a highly-talented editor, was to midwife her phenomenal first book, "The G-String Murders.")
The author does tell us of the day she became Gypsy Rose Lee (Gypsy, a traveling entertainer;Rose, Mom's name; and Lee for Louise) on the marquee, and a burlesque star. She was fifteen years old. She talks about working with Fanny Brice, her years with the Minsky Brothers, and in Florenze Ziegfeld's "Follies." She mentions her frequent arrests, and the inspired publicity stunts that kept her in the public eye for many a year. She closes her book with the call to Hollywood. The attempt to extend her career to films was not ultimately successful, but her career as an entertainer was to last for quite a while yet.
GYPSY ROSE LEE: TANTALIZING STYLE OF BURLESQUE, WRITTEN WITH A WONDERFUL SENSE OF HUMOUR AND A TOUCH OF CLASS.
Rose Louise Hovick is known to the whole world as Gypsy Rose Lee a highly respected top paid burlesque queen of her day. In the 1930's Gypsy turned stripping from sleaze into an art form, this was done with the main use of tease, quick wit and intelligence all done with her tongue in cheek style, quoting well known Literature phases even in French. This book is bewitchingly colourful; it keeps you engaged throughout each chapter with Gypsy's smart, comic storytelling.
This book takes you back to Vaudeville those wonderful days of the family oriented shows in there heyday. Gypsy describes what it was like to be part of the Orpheum circuit on stage and behind the scenes. Gypsy Rose Lee wants us to remember Rose Louise Hovick little miss nobody the talentless one. A girl with the bad teeth who played one of the boys in the back row of her little sister's show, Dainty June And Company.
Dainty June and co. was run by Mama Rose the famous of all show biz mothers. Mama Rose real name Rose Thompson married John Hovick, Rose was age fifteen she had her two girls then divorced him. A very shrewd woman who had an intoxicating and intimidating personality. Con artists, awkward jealous stars and gangsters would not get in the way of her plans, being a star that's what mattered. Vaudeville had been fading for sometime the talkies were taking off, although Mama Rose thought Vaudeville was just going through a bad patch much worst happened Dainty June runs away from her all consuming mother at thirteen and gets married. Mama Rose decides this is just a hiccup in the mean time it was all about making money; Rose Louise Hovick is now the money maker but how! They still had to find her talent. Determination, Mama Rose was unstoppable lies and deceit she would succeed however rough it gets, seedy hotels, living in a tent, where there was a will there was a way. Through the eyes of a young girl, silently watching, learning, waiting, waiting and waiting all Rose Louise needed was a chance, a chance to shine and it came in an expected way.
An array of real life comedy characters shine through in this book. None larger than life Mama Rose herself, tricks up every sleeve and woe betide anyone to cross her path. Grandpa and Big Lady (Grandma) always on hand to bail them out. June Horvick Sister to Gypsy (Was Dainty June became a Film Star in her own right without Mama Rose intervention) Fanny Brice famous stage star/Baby Snooks gave Gypsy her first acting role as a child (Barbra Streisand portrayed Fanny Brice in the film Funny Girl) Billy Minsky ran burlesque theatre shows in New York and gave Gypsy her break as a big star. Rags Ragland (John Lee Morgan Beauregard Ragland) had been a boxer, then a burlesque comedian, broadway performer, then Hollywood, Good Friend to Gypsy in her early days. Florenz Ziegfeld, Ziegfeld Follies took on Gypsy. Waxey Gordon, bootlegger racketeer, gangster helped get her teeth fixed. Lastly and let me not forget those wonderful comedy animals that performed and travelled with them around the country one by one they lost their lives in a tragic way but bless them all.
This book is sheer Entertainment, In the prologue Gypsy mentions that although her memory of things are sharp and clear for the trivia; her memory of names and dates escape her in certain places but you can deduce from historic events what year you are actually in. Maybe for yourself as a reader you may find this irritating especially with the lack of dates but after reading the whole story you begin to understand, date juggling became part of life when Gypsy was a child.
Example: Gypsy birth date changed frequently depending on what town and theatre they worked that month or week and they were endlessly trouping around. Gypsy was constantly underage (Mama Rose went to great lengths to change documentaion when need be). Newspapers were only read for reviews of their performances of their shows. Dates on a day to day basis were not necessary or a requirement to gypsy as a child she was to busy trying to remember her new date of birth and different details to keep the authorities at bay.
A few other pointers the publication of this book was back in 1957 taboo's were still out there, this book is based on Gypsy's early days. Relationships with men therefore were few and only briefly covered.
Gypsy only son Erik Lee Preminger although was introduced in the Prologue was still only young at the time of publication and out of respect for him absent details in certain places may have been for that reason. Another reason may have been for Gypsy's own privacy and precautions of those times. Take all this into account when reading.
Even though I have mentioned the above points this does not take anything away from the book, it's completely fascinating to read what shines through was Gypsy Rose Lee's incredible Zest for life and her intelligence. It's Irresistible.
Great Life...
Many people don't knwo who Gypsy Rose Lee was, if you don't she was one of the most highly respescted highly, highly paid strip teasers in the business. What made her different though was the class with which she did it. There was nothing leude, or vulgar about her acts, which was what made her a star. If you like reading about lives you normally wouldn't, like a burlesque queen. Then this is definately for you. She had an amazing life, and anyone can learn alot about how to face life through this book. It is not that long and is fast paced, filled with comedic interludes. All I can say is enjoy the show...
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