Gypsy (1962)

Mama Rose lives to see her daughter June succeed on Broadway by way of vaudeville. When June marries and leaves, Rose turns her hope and attention to her elder, less obviously talented, daughter Louise. However, having her headlining as a stripper at Minsky's Burlesque is not what she initially has in mind.

Rosalind Russell, a true world-class actress, brought perfect line readings and comic timing and delivery, along with a nice patrician air, to the role of Rose, and no one has matched her – before or since. I've seen every Mama Rose – Merman, Peters, Midler, Lansbury, Betty Buckley, Andrea McArdle, Mary McCarty, Joanne Worley and Giselle MacKenzie – and none of them touches Russell in the role, certainly not in the kind of nuanced humanity she brought to it. (There have been a lot of caricaturing, mugging and over-acting in this role.) And Natalie Wood is the only actress I've seen to do anything remotely three-dimensional with the underwritten role of Louise/Gypsy. Bravo to both!