Don't tell me not to live, just sit and putter
Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter
Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade
—From the film's most famous number, "Don't Rain On My Parade"
A 1964 musical based on the life of Ziegfeld Follies star Fanny Brice,
Funny Girl was the breakthrough role of
Barbra Streisand. In 1968,
William Wyler directed the film version, also starring Streisand, who tied with Katherine Hepburn for the Best Actress Oscar. Basically, it chronicles the life of Brice from her humble beginnings to her meeting her future first husband, poker player Nick Arnstein. She becomes famous in the Follies, but leaves to marry him. He eventually runs himself into financial ruin, and is busted for his part in a bonds scam.
A
sequel to the film version,
Funny Lady, was released in 1975. While Funny Girl was met with critical acclaim,
Funny Lady was widely panned, becoming one of the lowest rated movie musicals in history. Ironic, because Funny Girl is one of the most highest rated movie musicals in history.
This work features examples of:
- Author Existence Failure: Carol Haney, identified as the Broadway production's choreographer, actually died (at age 39) very early on in the show's development.
- Babies Ever After: The number "Sadie, Sadie, Married Lady" is used to express the trope.
- Broken Record: "His Love Makes Me Beautiful" is full of this. "These are the words - repeating, repeating, repeating repeating inside..." Then the first verse simply repeats itself for the second. But then Inverted by the way that Fanny sings Verse Two.
- Follow the Leader: This was one of the few financially successful big-budget musicals to follow The Sound of Music.
- Genki Girl: As well as a Funny Girl.
- Grandma, What Massive Hotness You Have: In the musical-only song "Who Taught Her Everything?" Fanny's mother, Rosie Brice, jokingly asserts herself to be this.
- Historical Beauty Update: Nick and Fanny.
- Homage: In The Movie, Streisand sings "Secondhand Rose," which was one of Fanny Brice's biggest hits (and later became one of Streisand's.) Also, the character of Baby Snooks was Brice's most popular character.
- How We Got Here: The story begins when Fanny's waiting for Nick to be released from prison. It works its way back to there.
- 'I Am' Song: "I'm The Greatest Star"
- Inverted Portrait: The cover art
◊ on the Original Cast Album. - Movie Bonus Song/ Award Bait Song: The Oscar nominated "Funny Girl."
- Oscar Bait
- Pillow Pregnancy: " His Love Makes Me Beautiful."
- Race for Your Love: Used at the end of Act One of the film. Fanny, having had a Love Epiphany, tells Ziegfield and all his follies to go jump in a lake and takes the train to see Nicky Arnstein. But when she finally gets to New York - his boat is gone. So she pays a little cargo ship to ferry her to her one true love, singing her heart out all the way.
- That Reminds Me of a Song: Half the songs in the movie and show are in shows or rehearsals.
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