Funny Girl (1968)

The life of comedienne Fannie Brice, from her early days in the Jewish slums of the Lower East Side, to the height of her career with the Ziegfeld Follies, including her marriage to and ... See full summary »

Director:

William Wyler

Writers:

Isobel Lennart (book), Isobel Lennart (from the original story by: based on the play with),

Stars:

Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford

Won 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Barbra Streisand	...	Fanny Brice
Omar Sharif	...	Nick Arnstein
Kay Medford	...	Rose Brice
Anne Francis	...	Georgia James
Walter Pidgeon	...	Florenz Ziegfeld
Lee Allen	...	Eddie Ryan
Mae Questel	...	Mrs. Strakosh
Gerald Mohr	...	Branca
Frank Faylen	...	Keeney
Mittie Lawrence	...	Emma
Gertrude Flynn	...	Mrs. O'Malley
Penny Santon	...	Mrs. Meeker
John Harmon	...	Company Manager
Thordis Brandt	...	Ziegfeld Girl
Bettina Brenna	...	Ziegfeld Girl

Storyline

The life of comedienne Fannie Brice, from her early days in the Jewish slums of the Lower East Side, to the height of her career with the Ziegfeld Follies, including her marriage to and eventual divorce from her first husband, Nick Arnstein.

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Plot Keywords:

divorce | comedienne | jewish | ziegfeld follies | marriage | 

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Taglines:

People who see FUNNY GIRL are the luckiest people in the world!

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Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 September 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Funny Girl (Una chica divertida)

Filming Locations:

Stage 4, Columbia/Sunset Gower Studios - 1438 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$14,100,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$65,560 (USA) (31 August 2001)

Gross:

$223,306 (USA) (5 October 2001)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Rastar Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

151 min 155 min (roadshow)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) Dolby SR (35mm restored version) Dolby Digital (35mm restored version) SDDS (35mm restored version) DTS (35mm restored version)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally a musical on Broadway (03/1964 - 07/1967), based on the real life story of Fanny Brice.

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Goofs

When Nick and Fannie leave the lobster restaurant in Baltimore, the sun is setting over a large expanse of water, with no land visible, presumably the ocean. A sunset in Baltimore would be over land (west) rather than the ocean (east).

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Quotes

[first lines]
Fanny Brice: [looking in the mirror] Hello, gorgeous.

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Connections

Referenced in The Nanny: Ode to Barbra Joan (1994)

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Soundtracks

"If A Girl Isn't Pretty"
(uncredited)
Music by Jule Styne
Lyrics by Bob Merrill
Performed by Barbra Streisand, Mae Questel, and Kay Medford

User Reviews

a (hello) gorgeous debut for Barbra Streisand

In one sense, "Funny Girl" is a little hokey, but it's really good nonetheless. In an Oscar-winning role, Barbra Streisand makes her film debut as Fanny Brice, who wanted dearly to be a Ziegfield Folly. Brice wasn't particularly good-looking, but she was sassy enough to have what it took (as certain scenes show). Accompanying her was gambler Nick Arnstein (Omar Sharif), whose habits eventually went too far for his own good.

Both Streisand and Sharif do a great job, as does director William Wyler. As someone who doesn't usually like musicals, I have to speak positively of this one. It's a real treat in every sense. This is what classics are all about.