Funny Lady (1975)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Herbert Ross

Writers:

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

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 | Love | Sequel | Husband Wife Relationship | Male Female Relationship

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

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

Filming Locations:

Central Station - Oakland, California, 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: Near the end of the movie, in a meeting between Brice and Rose, he mentions taking over the Ziegfeld Theatre. Rose took over the Ziegfeld Theatre after NBC dropped their lease long after Brice was dead. The discussion could not have taken place as portrayed in the film.

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 Three Days to Vegas (2007)

Soundtrack:

How Lucky Can You Get

Entertaining sequel

The 1968 film version of FUNNY GIRL was an absolute masterpiece, and as perfect as a musical-comedy film can be. A sequel to this classic was not something that was ever needed to be made, but since the original was so successful (FUNNY GIRL was the highest-grossing film of 1968) and well-loved, it was pretty obvious why producer Ray Stark wanted to make this follow-up so badly. It took awhile, but he eventually convinced Streisand to sign on and reprise her role as Fanny Brice, with Herbert Ross (who had staged the musical numbers in the original film and had directed Streisand in the box office hit THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT) set to direct. Although the film was generally well-received by most critics and proved to be another big box office hit, many fans of the sweet-natured original did not care for the slightly more harsh and cynical tone of this follow-up, and it has since fallen out of favor with many Streisand fans.

While no film could ever recapture the easy charm and beautiful sentiment of FUNNY GIRL, FUNNY LADY is highly entertaining when viewed on it's own terms. Streisand plays the now-hard-bitten Fanny with a depth and maturity that is very different from her characterization in the first film, but almost equally as stunning. Many viewers often complain that James Caan was badly miscast as Billy Rose. While Caan is physically wrong for the role of the short, unattractive Rose, he still comes across as oddly likable, and he has a nice comic chemistry with Streisand. Roddy McDowell is fun as Fanny's assistant, and veteran hoofer Ben Vereen brings down the house with a incredible, almost gravity-defying dance routine. Omar Shariff also returns for two very effective scenes as Nick Arnstein, the man Fanny will always love, but can't seem to live with.

Though Streisand is in terrific singing voice, the song score is a bit more hit-and-miss. The period standards that Streisand vividly performs (particularly the bittersweet "More Than You Know," the gospel-infused "Great Day," and the heart-wrenching "If I Love Again") are absolutely fantastic, however, the heavily-promoted original songs from Cabaret composers Kander and Ebb are a major disappointment. The intended show-stopper "How Lucky Can You Get" is fine number that is made memorable by Streisand's scorching performance, however, the remainder of the original songs ("Blind Date," "Let's Here It For Me") are pretty forgettable despite Streisand's impassioned vocals. Fortunately, these few mediocre numbers (and the rather predictable narrative) are flaws that are very easy to forgive. No, FUNNY LADY doesn't hold a candle to FUNNY GIRL, but the film remains a fun and enjoyable ride that should entertain those who loved the original.