One of the crappiest musicals of all time. Based on a totally trivial premise, i.e., the life of a notorious striptease artist, the only redeeming feature of the story is that it provided a view of that time in American entertainment history when vaudeville faded (for good reason) and the first tame steps toward salacious fare surfaced. The songs are terrible. Rosalind Russell overacts, oversings, overemotes and shouts her way straight through this turkey: instead of coming across as a memorable and remarkable woman, her performance is a flop-sweat approximation of a shrill, pushy, obnoxious, proud, vain, self-centered would-be martyr menopausal biddy. Enough to make you puke. Natalie Wood, usually a fine actress, is miscast in this one, and as a result, isn't too convincing. Karl Malden puts in his typical stolid, measured workmanlike role, and as such, puts in the best performance. It's a wonder they did a remake of this carwreck: maybe they figured that for once, they could top the original. It wouldn't be difficult. But I hear the remake sucked too. Can't make chicken salad out of tuna salad...