Funny Girl (1968)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

William Wyler

Writers:

Isobel Lennart (play)
Isobel Lennart (screenplay)

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:

Ziegfeld Follies | Comedienne | Divorce | Jewish | Marriage

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 5 wins & 16 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Wed. July 29

2:45 PM

TCM

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	...	Tom 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:
Charles Akins	...	(uncredited)
Kristin Andersen	...	Fanny Cousin (uncredited)
Bobbie Bates	...	Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
William 'Billy' Benedict	...	Western Union boy (uncredited)
Paul Bradley	...	Card player (uncredited)
Chris Cranston	...	Ziegfeld Girl (uncredited)
Hal K. Dawson	...	Doorman at Keeney's (uncredited)
George DeNormand	...	Card player (uncredited)
Lloyd Gough	...	Bill Fallon, Lawyer (uncredited)
Elaine Joyce	...	Keeney Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Lester Mack	...	(uncredited)
Tommy Rall	...	Prince in 'Swan Lake' parody (uncredited)
Frank Sully	...	Bartender (uncredited)
John Warburton	...	Card player (uncredited)
Caroline Williams	...	Ziegfeld Girl (uncredited)
Christine Williams	...	Ziegfeld Girl (uncredited)
Dick Winslow	...	Violinist at Keeney's (uncredited)
Enid Yousen	...	Pushcart shopper (uncredited)

Directed by
William Wyler

Writing credits
Isobel Lennart		(play)
Isobel Lennart		(screenplay)

Produced by
Ray Stark	....	producer

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	....	property master

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

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

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Borland	....	key grip (as Dick Borland)
Doug J. Campbell	....	best boy grip (uncredited)
Doug J. Campbell	....	key grip: second unit, New York (uncredited)
Wally Meinardus	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Roy H. Wagner	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Irene Sharaff	....	costumes: Barbra Streisand

Editorial Department
Jeff Smithwick	....	color timer: Technicolor (2000 restoration)
Robert Swink	....	supervising editor

Music Department
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator
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)
Betty Walberg	....	music arranger: dance vocals
Jack Lesberg	....	musician: bass (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)
Dominic Santarone	....	caterer (uncredited)
Ruth Santarone	....	caterer (uncredited)
Lee Solters	....	publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Rastar Pictures

Distributors

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

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Columbia Records  soundtrack
• Lepard/Neuhart  titles
• Reiss & Fabrizio  furs
• Solters & Digney  publicity

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)

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The highest-grossing film of 1968.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When Fanny and Nicky are on the East Coast pier following a lobster dinner, the sun is setting over the ocean. In reality, this could only happen on the West Coast--the sun rises in the east.

Quotes:

Fanny Brice: When you look at him, you only see what you want to see.
Fanny Brice: I see him as he is. I love him as he is!
Fanny Brice: Fanny. Love him a little less. Help him a little more.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Operation Double 007 (#6.8)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

Henry Street

The Greatest Star

Quite simply, Barbra Streisand's extraordinary, scintillating Oscar-winning debut in this classic is one of the finest musical-comedy performances ever committed to celluloid. Better than that...I'd venture to say that alongside Vivien Leigh's masterful performance in "Gone With The Wind," Barbra's portrayal of vaudeville icon Fanny Brice may be one of the most ambitious, captivating turns by a lead actress ever captured on film. Even Barbra-phobes would have to concede that the woman completely knocked herself out with "Funny Girl" and her renditions of "I'm The Greatest Star," "My Man," "People" and especially the pulse-jolting "Don't Rain On My Parade" rank right up there with the best of Judy Garland ("Over The Rainbow," "The Trolley Song" and "The Man That Got Away."). Because Streisand has been an exalted Hollywood legend for many decades, people tend to almost take her remarkable talents - both as an actress and as a singer - for granted now but this opulent musical, sparkling score and her thrilling, take-no-prisoners performance will endure as a testament to what pure show business, high octane theatricality and legitimate talent are all about. Sing Proud, Barbra!