Funny Lady (1975)

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

Director:

Herbert Ross

Writers:

Jay Presson Allen (screenplay), Arnold Schulman (screenplay)

Stars:

Barbra Streisand, James Caan, Omar Sharif

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Barbra Streisand	...	Fanny Brice
James Caan	...	Billy Rose
Omar Sharif	...	Nicky Arnstein / Nick Arnstein
Roddy McDowall	...	Bobby
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	...	Adele
Lilyan Chauvin	...	Mademoiselle
Samantha C. Kirkeby	...	Fran (as Samantha Huffaker)
Matt Emery	...	Buck Bolton
Joshua Shelley	...	Painter
Cliff Norton	...	Stage Manager

Storyline

The continuing story of Fanny Brice following that depicted in Funny Girl (1968) is presented. An established star on Broadway as a headliner for the Ziegfeld Follies, Fanny and the rest of the world are hitting difficult times entering into the 1930s. Her marriage to Nicky Arnstein, who she still loves is ending in divorce, and even Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. is having trouble coming up with money to continue to produce the Follies. Along comes brash nightclub owner, song lyricist and wannabe impresario Billy Rose, who says he can raise the money and has the material to produce his own revue, which he wants to star Fanny. Fanny is both attracted to and repelled by Billy because of his chutzpah, his stubbornness and knowing that underneath his outer veneer is the soul of a true hustler... much like she was when she was first starting out and much like she still is now. Through their professional trials and tribulations, they slowly start to fall for each other. But Fanny admits that Nicky ...

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Plot Keywords:

nightclub | singer | 1930s | love | songwriter | 

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Taglines:

Streisand & Caan - How Lucky Can You Get!

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Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 March 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Naljakas daam

Filming Locations:

Pan-Pacific Auditorium - 7600 W. Beverly Boulevard, Fairfax, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$40,055,897

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Rastar Pictures, Vista

Technical Specs

Runtime:

136 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (uncredited)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Barbra Streisand did not want James Caan to douse her with the talcum powder. She feared the powder was toxic and, when breathed in, would coat her lungs. Caan agreed to hold back, but when cameras were rolling he hit her with it anyway. The scene was only filmed once, and both stars got a big laugh of it.

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Goofs

When Fanny Brice takes off, singing, in the yellow biplane, the plane is shown taking off from a runway clearly marked with Instrument Landing System (ILS) bars, which had not yet been developed in the late 1920's when the scene is set.

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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.

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Connections

Referenced in In & Out (1997)

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Soundtracks

More Than You Know
(uncredited)
Music by Vincent Youmans
Lyrics by Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu
Performed by Barbra Streisand

User Reviews

As Sequels Go, I've Seen Worse...

Barbra Streisand reprised her Oscar-winning role of Fanny Brice in 1975's FUNNY LADY, a big splashy musical that centers around Fanny at the height of her stardom and her stormy relationship with second husband, Billy Rose (James Caan). Much has been written about how unnecessary this sequel was and how it wasn't very factual regarding Fanny and Billy's marriage. First of all, Hollywood has always had sequel-itis. Any movie that makes a decent profit at the box office is going to have a sequel sooner or later. Second, as far as accuracy is concerned, does anyone really think FUNNY GIRL stuck to the facts? FUNNY GIRL was about as close to a factual biography of Fanny Brice as a Harlequin romance novel, but people loved it and Barbra won an Oscar. For what it is, FUNNY LADY is a very entertaining movie with a charismatic starring performance by Streisand as an older, wiser, and more savvy Fanny who is definitely in charge of her own life now...that is, until Nick Arnstein (Omar Sharif, in a gratuitous cameo)briefly re-enters her life. The film really focuses on Fanny's relationship with Rose, antagonistic at first but it does grow into a relationship based on mutual respect and affection, but not love or passion, which Fanny had with Nick. I love the scene where Billy proposes to Fanny because it's more like a business merger than a marriage proposal. These people are clearly not in love with each other but they are both lonely and need each other so they agree to a marriage they don't really want. The musical numbers, for the most part, are well-staged if not terribly original. There's a definite "been there done that" feel to some of the numbers. Fanny on stage in an empty theater belting out "How Lucky Can You Get?" reminded me of Fanny on stage in an empty theater belting out "I'm the Greatest Star." And many comparisons have been made to "Let's Hear it from Me" to "Don't Rain on my Parade", except that Fanny takes off in a plane instead of chasing a tugboat. Barbara shines in the "Big Day" production number and her take on two lovely ballads "Isn't this Better?" and "If I Love Again" is memorable. The score effectively combines songs from Fanny's era as well as new songs by John Kander and Fred Ebb (CABARET). Cann is charming as Billy Rose and Sharif has aged surprisingly well. Kudos also to Ben Vereen for his one-show-stopping number, "Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie". Not historically accurate or terribly original, but FUNNY LADY is an entertaining musical with Barbra in top form and her fans will not be disappointed.