Re: What Did You Watch? 2024-05-09 (Thursday)

Arthur Lipscomb <arthur@alum.calberkeley.org> wrote:

On 5/10/2024 8:40 AM, Adam H. Kerman wrote:

Arthur Lipscomb <arthur@alum.calberkeley.org> wrote:

Funny Girl (TCM) 1968 musical starring Barbra Stresand as a real life
singer who rises to fame while falling in love with Omar Sharif.

While Fanny Brice could sing, she's best known as a comedienne, and on
radio variety programs (and eventually her own program) later in her
career as a sketch comic, especially the Baby Snooks character. In the
sequel movie Funny Lady (1975), they have one brief scene with her radio
program, which was ridiculous. She had an enormous nationwide audience
and that's what she was famous for. The sequel was disappointing but has
a few good songs in it. Barbra didn't want to do the sequel but she was
already contracted for it.

I rented both movies from Netflix in 2008.  I really didn't remember
them, but at the time I rated them 2 stars.

The "real life singer" is Barbra herself, given that the Broadway
production (developed by Brice's son-in-law) made Barbra a superstar.

The TCM host mentioned some of this.  Apparently the studio didn't want
Barbara but the director fought for her.

The son-in-law controlled the rights and got the final say. I think it
was the top-grossing movie of 1968, so maybe there was an audience for a
very ethnic-looking Jewish girl who could sing and really sell the
entertainment while she's performing. It's amazing how little studio
executives know about finding an audience.

. . .

So, who is playing Barbra, er, Fanny?

Katerina McCrimmon is doing the US National Tour:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy8_xZ0Lj6g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia6zsnnfsmc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md3O-HomMpE

I hope you have a nice time.