A brilliant woman who happened to disrobe for a living, Gypsy Rose Lee was commonly known as the intellectual stripper. Born Rose Louis Hovick in 1911, she had meager beginnings, no formal education, and a mentally ill stage mother who never failed to criticize and demean her daughter. This book details how, despite these hurdles, Gypsy climbed to the peak of every career she tackled. It chronicles her triumphs as an actress, novelist, playwright, artist, political activist, and, ultimately, a star. Three appendices include details on Gypsy's will and estate, the original production and Broadway revivals of her play Gypsy, and complete filmographies and discographies. The book also includes many rare and never-before-published photographs.