Funny Girl (film)
"Funny Girl" is a romantic musical comedy film released in 1968, inspired by the life of Fanny Brice, a Broadway and film star known for her work in Florenz Ziegfeld's Ziegfeld Follies. The film, produced by Brice's son-in-law Ray Stark, explores her rise to fame and her tumultuous relationship with gambler Nicky Arnstein. Originally written as a dramatic screenplay titled "My Man" by Isobel Lennart, it was adapted into a successful stage musical before being transformed into the film. Barbra Streisand starred in both the Broadway version and the film, overcoming initial skepticism from Columbia Pictures executives who preferred a more established actress for the role.
Set in New York City around World War I, the story follows Fanny as she navigates her aspirations and personal challenges, including her complicated romance with Nicky, who struggles with his gambling addiction. Streisand's portrayal of Brice was significant for depicting a Jewish woman authentically, showcasing her humor and talent without downplaying her heritage. While the film received mixed reviews, Streisand's performance was universally acclaimed, earning her an Academy Award for Best Actress. "Funny Girl" is recognized as a classic of American cinema, ranking sixteenth on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest movie musicals, and remains notable for its cultural impact and memorable quotes.
Funny Girl (film)
- Release Date: 1968
- Director(s): William Wyler
- Writer(s): Herbert Ross
- Principal Actors and Roles: Omar Sharif (Nick Arnstein); Barbra Streisand (Fanny Brice); Lee Allen (Eddie Ryan); Anne Francis (Georgia James); Kay Medford (Rose Brice); Walter Pidgeon (Florenz Ziegfield)
- Book / Story Film Based On: Funny Girl by Isobel Lennart
Funny Girl is a romantic musical comedy film inspired by the career of Fanny Brice, a Broadway and film star who got her start in Florenz Ziegfeld’s Ziegfeld Follies. It also details her personal life and her rocky relationship with Nicky Arnstein, a gambler and con artist. Brice’s son-in-law, Ray Stark, produced the film.
Isobel Lennart originally wrote the screenplay as a dramatic film titled My Man. However, she received advice that it would work better as a musical show and adapted it for the stage. The Broadway play, also titled Funny Girl, had a successful run and inspired the film version. Lennart then adapted her musical for the film.
Barbra Streisand starred in the Broadway musical and became Stark’s number one choice for the film version. However, Streisand had not starred in any films so executives at Columbia Pictures were skeptical. Instead, Columbia Pictures wanted Shirley MacLaine, who was much better known than Streisand at the time, to star in the lead role. Stark maintained that Streisand was the only person for the role and warned executives that if they decided not to cast her, he would not allow the film to be made. Backed into a corner, the executives at Columbia Pictures finally agreed to give the role to Streisand. Critics and audiences alike have praised Streisand for her exceptional performance in the film.
Plot
Funny Girl is primarily set in New York City during the time just before and after World War I. At the beginning of the film, Fanny Brice is a young Jewish girl with big aspirations of becoming a Broadway star. She knows she is not glamorous looking, but tries her hardest anyway. Fanny lies her way into a roller skating performance and her clumsy, comical routine becomes a hit. After the performance, Nicky Arnstein, a gambler, visits Fanny backstage and helps her secure a pay raise. Fanny continues performing until word of her comedic performances reaches Florenz Ziegfeld, a producer of a famous vaudeville show. He is impressed with Fanny and hires her for the Ziegfeld Follies at the New Amsterdam Theatre.
In her debut performance for the Follies, Fanny turns the show’s wedding finale into a comical bit with her as a pregnant bride. Ziegfeld is furious that Fanny made her own choices on the stage. However, Ziegfeld finds it difficult to stay mad at Fanny because her comical performance was such a hit with the crowd. He decides to keep Fanny’s routine in the show and, after much persuasion from Fanny, agrees to let her choose her own material. Nicky Arnstein is at the performance once again. He tags along to a party held by Fanny’s mother, then departs for Kentucky later that night.
A year passes before Fanny and Nicky’s paths cross again, this time in Baltimore, where Fanny is performing on tour. During their affair, Nicky suffers a big gambling loss from a bad bet on a horse race. He decides to make back some of his money by going on a gambling cruise to Europe. He sends fanny a bouquet of roses, and instead of continuing on her tour, decides to resign from the Follies to be with Nicky. After calling Ziegfeld to quit, she travels to New York to catch up with Nicky. Onboard the cruise, Nicky wins a fortune playing poker.
Fanny and Nicky marry, moving into an extravagant home and have a daughter. Fanny begins performing in the theater again, while Nicky’s business ventures fail, eventually forcing them to sell their home. Nicky refuses to accept money from his wife and feels jealous of her success. After getting involved in a bonds scam, Nicky is sent to jail for embezzlement. A year later, Nicky visits Fanny in her dressing room to tell her goodbye.
Significance
Barbra Streisand’s portrayal of Fanny Brice was the first time a Jewish woman appeared on screen with Jewish features. Many earlier representations of Jewish characters in films had many of the truly Jewish aspects of their characters heavily downplayed. In Funny Girl, however, Streisand portrayed Brice with all of her Jewish physical features and characteristics, instead of shying away from the subject, or turning the character into something she was not. Brice was depicted, as a she truly was—a Jewish woman who was intelligent, funny, and beautiful, all the things classic films traditionally attributed to white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant women.
When Funny Girl was released, the critics had mixed reviews. The film was criticized for being melodramatic and over-produced. However, despite the negative criticisms directed at the film as a whole, the one thing everyone seemed to agree on was the brilliance of Streisand’s performance. In Roger Ebert’s Chicago Sun-Times review, he referred to her performance as "transcendent," but noted that the rest of the film felt "curiously flat" when Streisand was off-screen, "as if everyone were waiting until she got back."
Barbra Streisand went on to win the Academy Award for best actress for her role as Fanny Brice, sharing the award with Katharine Hepburn for The Lion in Winter. Streisand famously began her acceptance speech with "Hello, gorgeous," which were also the first words spoken by her character in the film. This line is listed on many memorable movie quotes lists, including the American Film Institute’s "100 Years . . . 100 Movie Quotes" list.
In addition to Streisand’s recognition by the Academy Awards for her excellence, and despite the mixed critical reception, the film was nominated for an additional seven Oscars. The AFI ranks Funny Girl as number sixteen on their list of the greatest movie musicals. In 1975, Stark produced a sequel, also starring Streisand, titled Funny Lady.
Awards and nominations
Won
- Academy Award (1968) Best Actress: Barbra Streisand
- Golden Globe (1968) Best Motion Picture Actress (Musical or Comedy): Barbra Streisand
Nominated
- Academy Award (1968) Best Picture
- Academy Award (1968) Best Supporting Actress: Kay Medford
- Academy Award (1968) Best Score (Adapted)
- Academy Award (1968) Best Original Song
- Academy Award (1968) Best Film Editing
- Academy Award (1968) Best Cinematography
- Golden Globe (1969) Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy)
- Golden Globe (1968) Best Director: William Wyler
- Golden Globe (1968) Best Original Song
Bibliography
Ebert, Roger. "Funny Girl." Chicago Sun-Times 18 Oct. 1968. Web. 11 June 2015.
"Funny Girl." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Inc. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2015. Web. 11 Jun. 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/topic/Funny-Girl-film>.
"Funny Girl (1968)." Turner Classic Movies. Turner Entertainment Networks, 2015. Web. 11 June 2015. <http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/25128/Funny-Girl/>.
Goldman, Herbert G. Fanny Brice: The Original Funny Girl. New York: Oxford UP, 1992. Print.
Herman, Felicia. "The Way She Really Is: Images of Jews and Women in the Films of Barbra Streisand." Talking Back: Images of Jewish Women in American Popular Culture. Joyce Antler, ed. Hanover: U of New England, 1998. Print.