Product: Funny Girl [VHS] (1968)
Rating: 5.0
Barbra Streisand's first - and best - film!
The film of "Funny Girl" was awaited with much anticipation after all the tremendous publicity given to Barbra Streisand following her stunning portrayal of Fanny Brice in the hit Broadway show. Streisand won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in the film (but had to share the award with Katharine Hepburn).The young Fanny Brice (Barbra Streisand) desperately wants to be a success in show business and after a shaky start thinks she has made it when she lands a part in a big Ziegfeld show. Ziegfeld (Walter Pidgeon) and Fanny clash over various matters connected with the show due to her strong personality but her talent shines through and she eventually becomes a major star. She meets gambler Nicky Arnstein (Omar Sharif) and falls madly in love with him. Unfortunately, his gambling habits get him in trouble with the police causing Fanny much sadness and anguish. However, she manages to overcome these problems to concentrate on her career and becomes a big Broadway star.The film was directed by the legendary William Wyler and produced by Ray Stark (who was in fact Fanny Brice's son-in-law!). The film had a superior supporting cast including Kay Medford (repeating her Broadway role as Rose Brice), Anne Francis (Georgia James), Lee Allen (Eddie Ryan), Gerald Mohr (Branca), and Frank Faylen as Keeney.Some favourite lines from the film:Barbra Streisand (to her reflection in theatre mirror): "Hello, gorgeous".Lee Allen (to Streisand): "Are you sure you can rollerskate?". Streisand: "Can I rollerskate?".Streisand (to Walter Pidgeon): "O.K. you win. You don't win fair but you win!".Due to the success of "Funny Girl" a sequel was made (in 1975) called "Funny Lady" with Streisand again and James Caan as Billy Rose. Omar Sharif also returned in a cameo role but the sequel was not as popular as the original. "Funny Girl" was one of those rare occasions when the perfect part came along with the perfect actress to play it. One of the last of the great Hollywood musicals. Clive Roberts.