Funny Girl

Columbia, 1968
Starring Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford, and Walter Pidgeon
Directed by William Wyler
Music by Jules Styne and others; Lyrics by Bob Merrill and others

Thirty years later, Fanny Brice's story did make it as a hit stage musical, this time in a fully-authorized version. Barbra Streisand was such a sensation as Brice, they wouldn't do the film version without her. For most people, she and her ways with both ballads and comic numbers really made the show. She even won an Oscar for this, her first film performance. How does the movie surrounding her look today? Let's head to the Ziegfeld Theater in New York with Fanny herself and find out...

The Story: We join Fanny as she recalls how she began in the early 1910's, when she was just a determined teenager looking for jobs in vaudeville. She manages to get a singing job after the manager realizes she stands out too much to be in the chorus. Gambler Nicky Armstein (Sharif) is in the audience and is smitten, asking her to dinner. She can't believe a handsome guy like him would be interested in a girl like her and turns him down.

Nicky's not the only one who catches Fanny at the show. None other than Florenz Ziegfeld (Pidgeon) hires her to sing in his famous Ziegfeld Follies. She becomes a star, which brings Nicky back into her life. He does everything he can to seduce her. Despite her awkwardness, she eventually falls for him, even following him to the ocean liner where he's gambling. They eventually marry and have a daughter and a beautiful huge house.

While Fannie is able to return to the Follies and continue as a success, Nicky doesn't do nearly as well with his business ventures and resents his wife trying to help. Fanny eventually admits that looks aren't everything when he gets in trouble for an embezzlement scam, and she realizes that, she may be the funniest woman around, but losing the love of her life is a lot less amusing.

The Song and Dance: Yes, Streisand is as good as every critic has always says she is in this. She throws herself into the role of the gawky young woman who becomes...well, if not a swan, at least someone more assured and poised. Sharif matches her as the caddish gambler who finds her fascinating, if only she wasn't so determined to keep performing and trying to bail him out. The widescreen cinematography is some of the most famous in any musical, including that much-discussed tracking shot at the end of the "Don't Rain on My Parade" number.

Favorite Number: I mentioned that famous tracking shot at the end of "Don't Rain on My Parade." The rest of that song is classic too, from the driving montage of Streisand on the train to her powerhouse performance. She also gives a lovely rendition of "People" early on, after her first date with Arnstein at her mother's post-Follies party. "The Roller Skate Rag" is supposed to be a typically cute vaudeville chorus girl number...if only Fanny could actually skate! She does better by the classic ballad "I'd Rather Be Blue." "His Love Makes You Beautiful" starts out as a typical Follies number with mirrors and chorus girls as seasonal brides...before Fanny steps in and shows just what love that makes you "beautiful" does. She ends with a truly searing version of Brice's signature dark ballad, "My Man."

Trivia: Funny Girl opened on Broadway in 1964. It was nominated for eight Tonys...but it debuted the same year as Hello Dolly and lost in every one. It still managed to run for over four years, even after Streisand left the show. A Broadway revival in 2012 failed to materialize, but a 2016 West End revival did well in a limited run.

The film version dropped 8 numbers, including a song for Fanny's mother and her friend at the vaudeville house, a chorus song for her neighbors at the big post-Follies party, several more Ziegfeld Follies routines, and a lovely ballad for Streisand, "The Music That Makes Me Dance."

This was the biggest hit film of 1968.

What I Don't Like: If you're not a fan of Streisand or Sharif, this is not the place for you. Most of the remaining cast, including Medford and Anne Francis as a Ziegfeld showgirl, barely register.

Likewise, I have mixed feelings on all those numbers being dropped. On one hand, they gave more characters stuff to do. On the other hand, the extra Follies songs and neighbors song weren't really necessary to the plot and took the focus away from Fanny.

There's also the problem that, like many musical films of this era, the movie is simply too long. They could have trimmed the more than two and a half hour running time.

The Big Finale: f you love Streisand or the extra-long epic movies of the late 60's, you'll find much to enjoy in this classy film.

Home Media: As a major hit and one of Streisand's most popular vehicles, this is easily found on all major formats, usually for under $10.

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