Funny Girl (1968)

Director:

William Wyler

Writers:

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

Release Date:

19 September 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

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

Plot:

The life of comedienne Fannie Brice, from her early days in the Jewish slums of the Lower East Side...

Plot Keywords:

Divorce | Comedienne | Jewish | Ziegfeld Follies | Marriage

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 6 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

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
Virginia Ann Ford	...	Ziegfeld Girl
Alena Johnston	...	Ziegfeld Girl
Karen Lee	...	Ziegfeld Girl
Mary Jane Mangler	...	Ziegfeld Girl
Inga Neilsen	...	Ziegfeld Girl
Sharon Vaughn	...	Ziegfeld Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lillian Adams	...	Pushcart Woman (uncredited)
Peter Adams	...	Card Player (uncredited)
Charles Akins	...	(uncredited)
Fred Aldrich	...	Theatre Employee (uncredited)
Kristin Andersen	...	Fanny Cousin (uncredited)
Martin Ashe	...	First Nighter (uncredited)
Al Avalon	...	Card Player (uncredited)
Chela Bacigalupo	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Frank Baron	...	Regan (uncredited)
Bobbie Bates	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Rudy Battaglia	...	Joey (uncredited)
Richard S. Baughn	...	Branca's Aide (uncredited)
William 'Billy' Benedict	...	Western Union Boy (uncredited)
Donald Bradburn	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Paul Bradley	...	Card Player (uncredited)
Blanche Bronte	...	Woman in Window (uncredited)
Phyllis Brown	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Buddy Bryant	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Fletcher Bryant	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Barbara Burgess	...	Mirror Girl (uncredited)
Irving Burns	...	Dentist (uncredited)
Gene Callahan	...	Captain (uncredited)
Kyra Carleton	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Nancee Charles	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Robert Christian	...	Messenger (uncredited)
Roy Clark	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Sterling Clark	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Ruth Clifford	...	Maid (uncredited)
Beverly Cole	...	Ziegfield Girl (uncredited)
Jerome Collamore	...	Milkman (uncredited)
Gene Columbus	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Daniel Cook	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Cis Corman	...	Ziegfield Girl (uncredited)
Tom Cound	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Chris Cranston	...	Ziegfeld Girl (uncredited)
Leon Daniels	...	Card Player (uncredited)
Diane Davis	...	Candelabra Girl (uncredited)
Gayle Davis	...	Chandelier Girl (uncredited)
Hal K. Dawson	...	Doorman at Keeney's (uncredited)
Lavina Dawson	...	Sadie (uncredited)
Marcel De la Brosse	...	Paul - Waiter (uncredited)
Margarita de Saá White	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Pepe J. DeChiazza	...	Skater (uncredited)
Jack Del Rio	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
John Dennis	...	Newsman (uncredited)
George DeNormand	...	Card Player (uncredited)
Joanna DiGiovanna	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Joseph Dolphin	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Pat Doty	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
John Downing	...	Boy on Henry Street (uncredited)
Barrie Duffus	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Kevin Edwards	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Edith Emelyne	...	Wardrobe Woman (uncredited)
Sheila English	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Lynn Fields	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
John Frayer	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Larry Gelman	...	Newsman (uncredited)
Lloyd Gough	...	Bill Fallon, Lawyer (uncredited)
Janet Hadland	...	Bride (uncredited)
Dann E. Hadzick	...	Card Player (uncredited)
Viola Harris	...	First Nighter (uncredited)
John Hawke	...	Card Player (uncredited)
Howard Henderson	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Hildegard	...	Mirror Girl (uncredited)
Barbara Houston	...	Ziegfield Girl (uncredited)
Linda Howe	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Craig Huxley	...	Hecky (uncredited)
Jeri Jamerson	...	Skater / Dancer (uncredited)
Rini Jarmon	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Howard Jeffrey	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Elaine Joyce	...	Keeney Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Jack Kassabian	...	Assistant Photographer (uncredited)
Adam Kaufman	...	Little Boy (uncredited)
Paul Keith	...	Choreographer (uncredited)
Sherwood Keith	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Ingeborg Kjeldsen	...	Opera Singer (uncredited)
Norma Jean Kron	...	Customer (uncredited)
George LaFave	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Sherry Lansing	...	Girlfriend (uncredited)
Abe Lax	...	Tie Peddler (uncredited)
Frances Weintraub Lax	...	Pushcart Woman / Woman on Henry Street (uncredited)
Pam Leho	...	Chandelier Girl (uncredited)
Robert Locke Lorraine	...	Butler (uncredited)
Arlyn E. Loynd	...	Cameraman (uncredited)
Freeman Lusk	...	Judge (uncredited)
Lester Mack	...	(uncredited)
Sonya Mahler	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Michael Mark	...	Halvah Peddler (uncredited)
Katherine Marking	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Kathy Martin	...	Bride (uncredited)
Mark Maskin	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Sally Mason	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Frank Mathias	...	Young Escort (uncredited)
Diane Mayer	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Pat McCaffrie	...	Newsman (uncredited)
Max Mellinger	...	First Nighter (uncredited)
Lee Meredith	...	Ziegfield Girl (uncredited)
Belle Mitchell	...	Woman on Henry Street (uncredited)
Richard Monahan	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Barbara Monte	...	Skater (uncredited)
Shelley Morrison	...	Second Floor Woman (uncredited)
E.A. Nicholson	...	Counterman (uncredited)
Tom Noel	...	Ticket Seller (uncredited)
Gerry Okuneff	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Charlie Peterson	...	Train Porter (uncredited)
Ron Poindexter	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Tommy Rall	...	Prince in 'Swan Lake' Parody (uncredited)
Paul Randall	...	First Nighter (uncredited)
Teresa Ravid	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Tony Regan	...	Man in Audience (uncredited)
Hanne-Marie Reiner	...	Skater (uncredited)
Leoda Richards	...	First Nighter (uncredited)
Alex Rodine	...	Villain Dancer (uncredited)
Clark Ross	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Françoise Ruggieri	...	Girlfriend (uncredited)
Jack Bowen Saunders	...	Conductor (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Man Dancing at Brice's (uncredited)
Yvonne Schubert	...	Mirror Girl (uncredited)
Darryl Seamen	...	Steiny (uncredited)
Jet Sharon	...	Skater / Dancer (uncredited)
Johnny Silver	...	Arnstein's Jockey (uncredited)
Harry Stanton	...	Card Player (uncredited)
Geoffrey Steele	...	Steward (uncredited)
Nancy Stone	...	Chandelier Girl (uncredited)
Frank Sully	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Bunny Summers	...	Mrs. Nadler (uncredited)
Earl Sydnor	...	Pullman Porter (uncredited)
Judy Taylor	...	Mirror Girl (uncredited)
Arthur Tell	...	Conductor (uncredited)
Rita Thiel	...	Bride (uncredited)
Bob Thompson	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Victoria Thompson	...	Mirror Girl (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	First Nighter (uncredited)
Pat Tribble	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Terri Tucker	...	Ziegfield Girl (uncredited)
Kaye Turner	...	Ziegfield Girl (uncredited)
Caprice Walker	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
John Warburton	...	Card Player (uncredited)
Carol Warner	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Joni Webster	...	Candelabra Girl (uncredited)
Sandra Wells	...	Mirror Girl (uncredited)
Marjorie White	...	(uncredited)
Shari White	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Marc Wilder	...	Comedy Dancer (uncredited)
Caroline Williams	...	Ziegfeld Girl (uncredited)
Christine Williams	...	Ziegfeld Girl (uncredited)
Susan Williams	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
Sally Winn	...	Wardrobe Woman (uncredited)
Dick Winslow	...	Violinist at Keeney's (uncredited)
Nancy Woods	...	Chandelier Girl (uncredited)
Charles Woolf	...	Court Clerk (uncredited)
Beverly Yates	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Joe Yore	...	Sadie's Husband (uncredited)
Enid Yousen	...	Pushcart Shopper (uncredited)

Directed by
William Wyler

Writing credits
Isobel Lennart		(book by: based on the play with)
Isobel Lennart		(from the original story by: based on the play with) (as Miss Lennart)
Isobel Lennart		(screenplay)

Produced by
Ray Stark	....	producer

Original Music by
Jule Styne

Cinematography by
Harry Stradling Sr.		(director of photography) (as Harry Stradling)

Film Editing by
William Sands
Maury Winetrobe

Production Design by
Gene Callahan

Art Direction by
Robert Luthardt
Linus Aaberg		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
William Kiernan

Makeup Department
Virginia Darcy	....	hair stylist
Ben Lane	....	makeup supervisor
Frank McCoy	....	makeup artist
Vivienne Walker	....	hair stylist
Jan Van Uchelen	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Paul Helmick	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ray Gosnell Jr.	....	assistant director (as Ray Gosnell)
Jack Roe	....	assistant director
Michael Blum	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Richard M. Rubin	....	properties
Craig Binkley	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Joe Henrie	....	sound effects editor
Arthur Piantadosi	....	sound
Charles J. Rice	....	sound supervisor
Jack Solomon	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Albert Whitlock	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Borland	....	key grip (uncredited)
Doug J. Campbell	....	best boy grip (uncredited)
Doug J. Campbell	....	key grip: second unit, New York (uncredited)
Wally Meinardus	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Val O'Malley	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Nelson Tyler	....	helicopter photographer (uncredited)
Roy H. Wagner	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Irene Sharaff	....	costume designer: Barbra Streisand

Editorial Department
Jeff Smithwick	....	color timer: Technicolor (2000 restoration)
Robert Swink	....	supervising film editor
Ralph James Hall	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator
Bob Merrill	....	lyrics by
Herbert Ross	....	director: musical numbers
Walter Scharf	....	conductor
Walter Scharf	....	music supervisor
Walter Scharf	....	orchestrator
Ted Sebern	....	music editor
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator
Herbert W. Spencer	....	orchestrator (as Herbert Spencer)
Jule Styne	....	music by: based on the play with
Betty Walberg	....	vocal-dance arrangements
Bill Campbell	....	musician: piano (uncredited)
Jack Lesberg	....	musician: bass (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Frank Khoury	....	transportation (uncredited)

Other crew
Jack Brodsky	....	public relations
David Dworski	....	assistant to producer
Lorry McCauley	....	assistant to producer
Marshall Schlom	....	script supervisor
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer (uncredited)
J. David Jones	....	pilot: picture helicopter (uncredited)
Dominic Santarone	....	caterer (uncredited)
Ruth Santarone	....	caterer (uncredited)
Lee Solters	....	publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (present)
• Rastar Productions (present)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1968) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1972) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD) (restored version)
• Columbia Film-Verleih (1969) (West Germany) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1973) (USA) (TV) (pan/scan)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (2001) (Argentina) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Technicolor  color by
• Panavision  filmed in
• Columbia Records  original sound track album on
• Reiss & Fabrizio  furs by
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  acknowledgment (as I.A.T.S.E.)
• Lepard/Neuhart  titles
• Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)  acknowledgment (as M.P.A.A.)
• Chace Productions  audio restoration (uncredited)
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies (uncredited)
• Cineric  restoration (as Cineric, Inc. New York) (uncredited)
• Rastar Productions  from the original story and produced by
• Solters & Digney  publicity (uncredited)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment  restored by (as Sony Pictres Entertainment) (uncredited)
• Technicolor  dye transfer prints by: Rastoration (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

151 min | USA:155 min (roadshow version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

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)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | France:U | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:G | West Germany:6 | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Frank Sinatra was seriously considered for the role of Nicky Arnstein but Barbra Streisand vetoed this as she didn't like him.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Nick leaves for the first time after he and Fanny meet, Fanny walks to a blue door with a window, then the door turns solid blue with no window.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Broadway: The American Musical: Give My Regards to Broadway: 1893-1927 (#1.1)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

You Are Woman, I Am Man

Bad Biography...Great Musical

Every time a film is made about a real-life figure, particularly a show business figure, people love to complain that the movie is not accurate regarding the facts of that person's life. If the truth be told, if movie biographies were strictly about the facts, no one would go to see them, because for the most part, the facts don't make for great entertainment and Fanny Brice is no exception. The 1968 musical FUNNY GIRL has been maligned for years because it is not a very accurate representation of the facts of Fanny Brice's life. If you want to learn about Fanny Brice's life, read a biography or go on the internet, but if you want to see an amazing movie musical spotlighting a legendary performer at the beginning of her amazing career, then you can't beat FUNNY GIRL, the 1968 musical based on the 1964 Broadway musical that made Barbra Streisand a star. Streisand tied with Katharine Hepburn for the Best Actress Oscar for this charismatic star turn as the young girl from Henry Street who becomes a big star of the Ziegfeld Follies and has a heartbreaking romance with a charming gambler named Nick Arnstein, played by Omar Sharif. Streisand is in practically every frame of this film and never makes you wish otherwise...one of the great performances in the history of cinema...whether she is defying Florenz Ziegfeld by refusing to appear in the finale or chasing an ocean liner to be with Nick, Streisand gives the one-woman performance of a lifetime here. Directed by Oscar-winner William Wyler, Streisand is lovingly photographed and effectively showcases the Jule Styne-Bob Merrill score, which includes classics like "People" and "Don't Rain On My Parade". Some changes have been made in the score from the stage musical but Streisand makes it all work and the finale "My Man" is just devastating. It's not an accurate biography of the vaudeville legend, but as a dazzling and entertaining movie musical, it's hard to top this one.