Funny Lady (1975)

Director:

Herbert Ross

Writers:

Arnold Schulman (story)
Jay Presson Allen (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 March 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Musical | Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

How Lucky Can You Get

Plot:

Story of singer Fanny Brice's stormy relationship with showman Billy Rose.

Plot Keywords:

1930s | New York City | Sequel | Female Protagonist | Love

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 6 nominations

Cast

Barbra Streisand	...	Fanny Brice
James Caan	...	Billy Rose
Omar Sharif	...	Nicky Arnstein
Roddy McDowall	...	Bobby Moore
Ben Vereen	...	Bert Robbins
Carole Wells	...	Norma Butler
Larry Gates	...	Bernard Baruch
Eugene Troobnick	...	Ned (as Gene Troobnick)
Heidi O'Rourke	...	Eleanor Holm
Royce Wallace	...	Adèle
Lilyan Chauvin	...	Mademoiselle
Samantha C. Kirkeby	...	Fran (as Samantha Huffaker)
Matt Emery	...	Buck Bolton
Joshua Shelley	...	Painter
Cliff Norton	...	Set Manager
Corey Fischer	...	Conductor
Garrett Lewis	...	Production Singer
Byron Webster	...	Crazy Quilt Stage Director
Ken Sansom	...	Frederick Martin
Colleen Camp	...	Billy's Girl
Alana Stewart	...	Woman with Nick (as Alana Collins)
Jackie Stoloff	...	Mrs. Arnstein
Bert May	...	Assistant Set Manager
Bea Busch	...	Ned's Secretary
Maggie Malooly
Don Torres	...	Man at Wedding
Jodean Lawrence	...	Woman at Wedding (as Jodean Russo)
Larry Arnold	...	Billy's Night Club Maître d'
Shirley Kirkes	...	Billy's Night Club Singer
Jerry Trent	...	Tap Dancer
Toni Kaye	...	Tap Dancer
Gary Menteer	...	Tap Dancer
Raymond Guth	...	Buffalo Handler
Deborah Sherman	...	Billy's Secretary
Dick Winslow	...	Fritz
Dick DeBenedictis	...	Pianist (as Dick De Benedictis)
Louis Da Pron	...	Choreographer
Hank Stohl	...	Radio Director
Diane Wyatt	...	Baruch's Secretary
Tom Northam
Todd Durwood	...	Photographer
Paul Bryar	...	Ben, Cleaning man
Brett Hadley	...	Aquacade Assistant
Jack Frey	...	Aquacade Assistant
Jadeen Vaughn	...	Aquacade Assistant
Ben Freedman	...	Newspaper Vendor
Maralyn Thuma	...	Radio Singer
Phil Gray	...	Radio Singer
Frank L. Pine	...	Pilot
Bill Baldwin	...	Speaker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ty Randolph	...	Chorus Girl (as Mindi Miller)
Jack Angel	...	Radio announcer (uncredited)
Ken Grant	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Ann Pennington	...	(uncredited)
Donald Wayne	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Herbert Ross

Writing credits
Arnold Schulman		(story)
Jay Presson Allen		(screenplay) and
Arnold Schulman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Ray Stark	....	producer

Original Music by
Fred Ebb
John Kander
Peter Matz

Cinematography by
James Wong Howe

Film Editing by
Marion Rothman
Maury Winetrobe

Casting by
Jennifer Shull

Production Design by
George Jenkins

Set Decoration by
Audrey A. Blasdel		(as Audrey Blasdel)
John Franco Jr.

Costume Design by
Ray Aghayan
Bob Mackie

Makeup Department
Don L. Cash	....	makeup artist (as Don Cash)
Ben Lane	....	makeup supervisor
Ray Pownall	....	hair stylist
Jim Gillespie	....	key makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Howard Pine	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dodie Fawley	....	second assistant director
Stuart Fleming	....	second assistant director (as Stu Fleming)
Jack Roe	....	assistant director

Art Department
David M. Haber	....	assistant art director (as David Haber)
Richard M. Rubin	....	property master

Sound Department
Richard Oswald	....	sound effects
Richard Portman	....	sound re-recordist
Jack Solomon	....	sound
Don MacDougall	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Curly Thirlwell	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Jerry Trent	....	dance foley (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Phil Cory	....	special effects
Charles E. Dolan	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Albert Whitlock	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunt performer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dick Johnson	....	camera operator
Robert Moore	....	key grip (as Bob Moore)
Bill Shaw	....	gaffer
Nick McLean	....	first assistant cameraman (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Seth Banks	....	costumer: men
Shirlee Strahm	....	costumer: Mrs. Streisand
Edna Taylor	....	costumer: women

Editorial Department
Michael E. Polakow	....	assistant editor (as Michael Polakow)
David Ramirez	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Ray Charles	....	chorus supervisor
Marvin Hamlisch	....	additional music adaptor
Peter Matz	....	music arranger
Peter Matz	....	musical director
William Saracino	....	music editor
Betty Walberg	....	music arranger

Other crew
Frank Bueno	....	assistant to producer
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Regina Gross	....	publicist
Howard Jeffrey	....	associate choreographer
Marion Kane	....	oak park marionettes supervisor
Nora Kaye	....	assistant: Mr. Ross
Howard Pine	....	production administrator
Herbert Ross	....	stage director
Marshall Schlom	....	script supervisor
Lester Wilson	....	assistant choreographer

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Rastar Pictures
• Vista

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1975) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1980) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Columbia TriStar (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Pioneer Entertainment (1990s) (USA) (video) (LaserDisc)

Other Companies

• Arista Records  soundtrack
• Regency Production Company  production services
• Solters & Digney  publicity
• Tyler Camera Supplies  aerial pictures

Also Known As:

Runtime:

136 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:6 | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:AL | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The scene where Fanny's character is in the train station was filmed in the old Oakland Central Station in downtown Oakland, California, which at the time of filming, was still in use by Amtrak and still looked remarkably like it did in the 40's. The Central Station was shut down after sustaining damage during the the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, although the building still stands and can be enjoyed from the exterior for its Beaux-Arts architectural styling, and glimpses of what is left of the inside splendor can still be had by looking through the windows.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the rainy scene where they are leaving the theatre, there are signs posted about "Crazy Quilt" in it's 5th month. The show only had 79 performances from mid-May to July, 1931.

Quotes:

Fanny Brice:[at her first meeting Billy Rose] If we hate the same people and you get your suit cleaned, it's a match.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Fisher King (1991)

Soundtrack:

It's Only a Paper Moon/I Like Her

Disjointed bio sequel with a great Streisand performance

This sequel to FUNNY GIRL gives us an older, shrewder, tougher Fanny Brice than in the first film and Streisand pulls out the stops to give another terrific performance - one that should have netted her an Oscar nom but didn't - it's way better than her work in FUNNY GIRL and that did deserve its Oscar.

The film's look at Brice's stormy second marriage to Billy Rose has two very big negatives working against it. First, Caan does a terrific job as Rose but the character is a dumb and abusive mug - he's common and Brice is really slumming here. So we can't really care that she makes a go of it. Second, the film is very disjointed. Great numbers we hear complete on the soundtrack album are truncated to a few seconds - others are complete as performed but the performance and staging are lacklustre.

Don't get me wrong - it's very entertaining -much more so than FUNNY GIRL. Streisand is funnier and has more character to work with. There's a plethora of songs, which keep things moving and colorful. However, it doesn't add up to much. An okay ride but with no real significance except

for Streisand's beautifully shaded performance.

I counted 23 musical numbers or snatches of same matching 12 numbers on the soundtrack album. Main Title (Isn't It Better?); Blind Date; More Than You Know; More Than You Know-reprise; Paper Moon/I Like Him; Girl Of Mine; Million Dollar Baby; Goodtime Charlie; You Must Have The Rain; So Long, Honey Lamb (truncated); Am I Blue? (truncated); I Got A Cold in My Nose; Goodtime Charlie- reprise; A Great Day; People (background music); More Than You Know - reprise; How Lucky Can You Get?; Isn't It Better?; Me And My Shadow - orchestral; If I Love Again; People (background music); Let's Hear It For Me; Me And My Shadow; Let's Hear It For Me- reprise; End Title - How Lucky Can You Get?

This is overall an okay way to spend two and a quarter hours but only Streisand fans will really reap the benefits of watching their idol deliver another stunning portrayal.