Book: "American Rose--a Nation Laid Bare, the Life & Times of Gypsy Rose Lee" (2010)

[Bob Pr.]

This is the most frustrating book (IIRC) I've ever read. It was no doubt a chore for the author
(Karen Abbott) to get close to the facts of Louise Horvick's (aka GRL/Gypsy) life since so
much was invented either by Gypsy or her mother. But the author needlessly makes it more
frustrating by not presenting Gypsy's life sequentially, longitudinally but, instead, presents
Gypsy (or those important to her) in many time periods through 38 short chapters that alternate
the time periods they cover. E.g.,
Ch.10: NYC, 1917-20
Ch 11: Chicago 1941
Ch 12: Vaudeville Circuit, 1920-24
Ch. 13: NYC 1942.

And Abott sometimes inappropriately interchanges present and past tense verbs. Her organization
results in many topsy-turvy descriptions, e.g., the divorce from a husband occurs in one chapter
before their marriage in a later one. Too many chapters (& paragraphs, IMO) intrude with the
Minsky brothers' buying burlesque houses without contributing much to the story--unless you're
interested in real estate deals in NYC. And Minskys' also had a burlesque theater in nearby NJ
which served many NYC customers but that one's never mentioned--very disappointing to a close
friend who danced there in the 1950s (before she became a social worker.)

The resulting book is a bit like an Impressionist painting--a collage of small dabs of color which
blur to form images rather than presenting well-defined characters. This seems to be deliberate:
the author's (& editor's?) decision to put readers through some of what she went through in
researching the material? -- or to obscure the fact that the book lacks a well-defined whole and
went to print before it was sufficiently organized and completed?

There are other misses: GRL (& sister June) were obviously much twisted by their mother, Momma
Rose. But Abbott has nothing about Momma Rose's relationship with her mother. Momma Rose
certainly meets the criteria for being a sociopath (anti-social personality disorder) with her lack of
empathy, deceits and lies, murders, manipulations, self-centeredness, lack of remorse, etc. From
where did this come? And Abbot sometimes implies extremely serious actions on Momma Rose's
part (e.g., murder) in a nudge-nudge, wink-wink way; who needs this?

Nonetheless, Abbott's book presents some interesting information about this family and their lives
which may have been previously unknown. If the book had been organized in a different way, it
would have been a far easier and more pleasant read.

The many positive 5 star ratings by readers on Amazon influenced me to buy & read this book. But
since then, I've gone back to read the 2 & 1 star (critical) reviews and agree with all I've seen so far.
While this book IS maybe worth reading, it has been made needlessly complex. "Stripping Gypsy"
is a much better researched, far more easily read and factual account of Gypsy's life.
(BTW/FWIW, Gypsy's own book, "Gypsy" is a largely invented account of her life in which most
of Momma Rose's sociopathic berhavior was eliminated.)

5 star reviews: Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee

1 star reviews: Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee

2 star reviews: Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee

[Bob Pr.]

Frustrated by the lack of information I wanted and didn't get in Abbot's "American Rose," I'm half-way through reading Noralee Frankel's "Stripping Gypsy, the Life of Gypsy Rose Lee."

It's far more satisfying to me, answering questions I had while reading the other, while raising and answering other pertinent ones that didn't occur to me. Far more detail on Gypsy's marriages and relationships, Hollywood, extended family. I'll post a review of it after I finish reading it.

ETA: (The following is a slightly modified cut & paste from my Amazon review of this book) "Stripping Gypsy: The Life of Gypsy Rose Lee" (Paperback)
On discussing with someone the difference in Momma Rose between the movie "Gypsy" and the Broadway musical, I wondered if the stage version may have given a much kinder view of Momma Rose (Gypsy & June's mother) than that in the movie so I bought and read Abbot's "American Rose."

I was SO disappointed in it, I then bought and read Frankel's "Stripping Gypsy;" I found Frankel's book FAR superior. As another reviewer has commented, it's a bit like a text book, filled with facts & footnoted. Some will find it a great read for its own sake while, for a some others, it'll be more a source of great information and scholarship. A few, wanting a fast, fun read more than all those facts, will be bored and disappointed by it. I liked it very much.

This gave me the information I sought and more. "Stripping Gypsy" forms a good foundation to go further and read the book by Gypsy's son, Erik Preminger, "My G-string Mother" (the same book is also published as "Gypsy & Me") as well as the two books by June Havoc, "Early Havoc" and "More Havoc." (Of course, you CAN also read Gypsy's memoir, "Gypsy," which was further fable-ized into the Broadway musical, if you want to see how much Gypsy distorted and prettified most of her mother's appalling relation with her and her sister, June Havoc.)

As a retired marriage & family therapist, I've long been VERY interested in how some traits--both good and bad--get passed through the generations fairly intact while others are modified, some disappear, etc. "Stripping Gypsy" outlines the good and bad which we see Gypsy, Erik, and June experiencing in their own ways (as described in their books).

[Bob Pr.]

(The following is an edited/modified version of my Amazon review)

Erik Preminger served as his mother's helper/dresser in her shows from the time he was able (around age 4-5) until he left her in his teens. This is his account of his mother and that experience. I'm a retired psychologist/psychotherapist and I was VERY impressed by Erik's honesty in describing his behaviors and feelings. He reported what he thought and felt at the various times through his life with extreme candor and without the slightest attempt (that I saw) to whitewash his own behavior or motivations. Remarkable!!

After recently seeing the movie "Gypsy," I became very interested in this family's dynamics and wondered how they originated and how they were transmitted through the generations. This is a remarkable family and the various books by family members provide views into the family edifice through different windows. First, I read "American Rose" (1 star, IMO) and "Stripping Gypsy" (5 stars, IMO) and learned that Gypsy's mother (and that of her sister, June Havoc), Momma Rose, was a self-centered, child abusing, dominating liar, a thief, extreme manipulator, completely lacking in empathy, vindictive, and a murderer.

Gypsy is remarkable for the extent she overcame much of her mother's parental influence but she did, of course, pass some of this on to Erik. And Erik (as did his mother) had to wrestle with freeing himself from those negative traits that were passed on to him. I found Gypsy's attempts to do so and Erik's efforts--his failures and successes--in furthering that for himself VERY MUCH something to respect and admire. After all, it's impossible to get out of the swamp without getting mud on your hands, face, & in your skivvies. Erik's book gives another view of a VERY remarkable lady: Gypsy Rose Lee (nee Louise Hovick); I found it very touching and finished it with my eyes wet.

For those interested in this fascinating family (and/or seeing these family effects through the generations), I suggest reading "Stripping Gypsy" first, followed by Erik's book, "My G-string Mother" (aka "Gypsy & Me")--maybe(?) followed by Gypsy's fictional, semi-factual memoir, "Gypsy"--but certainly followed by June Havoc's "Early Havoc" and "More Havoc."

[Bob Pr.]

Book: "Early Havoc" (1960) by June Havoc (sister of Louise Hovick aka Gypsy Rose Lee)

In family systems (the study of family processes through several generations) there is no ONE truth about a family when it comes to the relationship between 2 people. E.g., each child (unless, in some ways, it's a twin) has a different mother and father than its sibling (as far as parental phase of life, experience, status, assets, emotional qualities, etc.) For that reason, family systems experts identify this as the "'Roshamon' effect" (after that movie's title) because eye witnesses to the same events often come away with such different views. (E.g., consider the contrasting views held by the "unfavored" vs. that of a "favored" child of their "same" parents and sibs, of the various motivations & intents each perceives in significant interactions--they will be quite different and for very good reasons.) From this perspective, it's entirely expected that June, Erik, and Gypsy each will have differing views of themselves and the others in the family.

"Early Havoc" was next on my list after reading "Stripping Gypsy" (5 star), "American Rose" (1 star), "Gypsy & Me"/"My G-String Mother" (5 star) to get more perspective on this remarkable family.

"Early Havoc" was very gratifying and a bit frustrating.

About 3/8ths of this book deals with June's very early and later experience with her mother up through her teenage years (a little involves sister Louise/Gypsy) and 5/8ths with her experience making her living, surviving as a young teenager (posing as an adult) in a dance marathon. Maturity was thrust upon her very early. In "Stripping Gypsy" we learned that June initially was THE most favored child because she was the star of the acts that brought Momma Rose all the money. After June ran away (at 14?) to marry and escape her mother's tyranny, she lost all favor with her mother because her sister Louise ("Gypsy") had recently emerged to become Momma Rose's money fountain. The earlier favor Momma Rose HAD bestowed on June instantly vanished.

June's earlier experiences, e.g., being forced (sometimes 4X/day) by Momma Rose ("the show must go on") to perform her theater singing and dance acts regardless, such as when having a high temp with chicken pox (1 illness) or the mumps (another), possibly gave her a form of boot camp training to endure even though she was just a teenager in the inhumane, exploitative, dog eat dog world of dance marathons. This book takes us only through her first marathon.

While I DO wish there'd been a bit more about her family life, what June DOES describe are gems. She'd been unmercifully used by her mother. Her sister (Louise/Gypsy) later partially handled her own abuse at Momma Rose's hands by writing a highly fictionalized account ("Gypsy") of growing up which may have reduced the pain of the intense relationship injuries Louise/Gypsy received, too.

Maybe June handles her pains by touching on some wounds but leaving the rest for us to conjecture?

I can hardly wait to read "More Havoc."

[Bob Pr.]

I've just now finished reading "More Havoc" and may come back and revise this review after more reflection.

I'm a retired clinical psychologist (& Marr. & Fam Therapist) with an intense interest in how traits and experiences, both good and bad, cascade down through the generations, often seemingly intact, sometimes modified or diminished, sometimes avoided or replaced with others.

Having become somewhat aware of Momma Rose from the movie "Gypsy" and that her children and a grandchild had written books, I've been reading them. "More Havoc" was my last after previously reading "American Rose" (a Gypsy bio), "Stripping Gypsy" (ditto), "Gypsy: a Memoir," Preminger's "Gypsy & Me" (AKA "My G-String Mother"), and Havoc's "Early Havoc."

I was fascinated, partially fulfilled, and disappointed with this book. June picks up where "Early Havoc" left off providing fairly rich detail about her survival for her first 6 or so years after her first dance marathon. This includes: some about her relation with Bobby and their break-up, the affair with Jamie that led to the birth of April; her transitioning from marathon dances to sporadic work modeling, on stage, later some in movies, and her second marriage and divorce. From time to time, episodes with Gypsy and Momma Rose come in although not as many as I wanted.

Nothing June wrote makes one value Momma Rose at all highly. E.g., when June was almost destitute, her mother charged her $15/month (no board) to stay in her flat but she later discovers Momma was simultaneously charging Gypsy $15/mo. for June's stay as well as $15/mo. from Gypsy's rich gangster boyfriend.

This book comes very near its end with her description of out of town rehearsals for Mike Todd's 1944 production of "Mexican Hayride" very shortly after Gypsy, who dearly loved him, had been jilted by Todd. June, desperately needing help with her ill-fitting costume that prevented her from dancing as needed, calls Gypsy (an excellent seamstress). Gypsy immediately goes to Boston from NYC and sews overnight to fix June's costumes for the following day's performance; Gypsy watches June's performance the next day wearing a disguise so as not be recognized by Todd. The book then skips a full decade ahead to the 1954 witch-like deathbed scene of Momma Rose slinging her curses on Gypsy.

There's too little about June's relation with her daughter, April, and nothing past April's maybe 7-8 years, or June's fairly successful(?) third marriage. A bit more is included about the family heritage (Big Lady, Momma Rose's mother, etc.) and their unanimous distrust of men. Also many other interesting tidbits are revealed such as June being sexually molested as a child by Momma Rose's lovers.

If any others are interested reading more about this fascinating family, my recommendation is to first read Nora Frankel's biography, "Stripping Gypsy," which (IMO) gives the best, broad, dispassionate perspective of this interesting family. Next, I suggest Erik Preminger's book "Gypsy & Me'/"My G-String Mother," followed by June's two books in their order.

If desired, one could then add Gypsy's "Gypsy: a Memoir" to appreciate the extent to which Gypsy's book is a fairy tale, as well as Abbot's "American Rose" (a biography that I and many find terribly frustrating to read, has too many "nudge-nudge, wink-wink" implications in it, but has some information not found in other books).