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Released by: Twilight Time
Released on: December 9, 2014
Director: Herbert Ross
Cast: Barbara Streisand, James Caan, Omar Sharif, Roddy McDowell, Ben Vereen, Carole Wells
Year: 1975
Purchase From Screen Archives
The Movie:
Born in New York City in 1891 to a Jewish mother and an Alsatian immigrant father, Fania Brioch dropped out of high school her senior year, took on the name Fanny Brice, and joined a burlesque revue. Two years later, in 1910, she hooked up with Florenz Ziegfeld and headlined the famous Ziegfeld Follies. After taking a decade-long break, she rejoined the Follies in 1921 and performed with the troupe into the 1930s. It was during this second period that she recorded her hit songs “Second Hand Rose†and “My Man.â€
Throughout her lengthy career, Brice recorded for Victor and Columbia; made the jump to higher-brow Broadway productions; starred in movies alongside John Barrymore, Loretta Young, William Powell, Myrna Loy, Frank Morgan, Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, and many others; and became a fixture on radio, working with all three of the major networks: ABC, NBC, and CBS. It was in this latter venue that she became most famous, starring as the ornery Baby Snooks in a long-running series. The creation proved so popular that it lasted from the late 1930s until 1951, shortly before Brice's death on May 29 of that year from a cerebral hemorrhage.
Yet, Brice's own popularity didn't end with her death. After a failed attempt at commissioning a biography and another at a biopic, Brice's son-in-law, Ray Stark, struck upon the idea of a musical stage play. Written by Isobel Lennart, Jule Styne, and Bob Merrill, Funny Girl opened on Broadway on March 26, 1964 with a relative unknown, Barbra Streisand, in the role of Fanny Brice. The musical focused on Brice's volatile relationship with Nick Arnstein and was predominantly fiction; reviews were decent, but audiences couldn't get enough of Streisand, who was also tasked with playing the part when it was performed in London's West End two years later.
When it came time to adapt the play to the big screen, Lennart was brought on board to write the script, while Stark produced. Directorial legend William Wyler was hired to helm the picture, and Streisand was contracted to reprise her role. It was a smart move. The film was a tremendous commercial and critical success, making a star of Streisand and helping to cement Wyler's reputation. Streisand went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for the role (she tied with Katharine Hepburn, who had been nominated for The Lion in Winter) and has remained in the public eye ever since.
The film proved such a huge success that a sequel must have seemed inevitable from the outset, and Stark had been wise to tie Streisand down with a two-film contract. At first, Streisand refused to do another film, telling Stark that he would have to pursue litigation to force her hand. However, when she read the script, she fell in love with it and jumped aboard. The result was a mixed bag, though far from an unentertaining one.
Funny Lady went before the cameras in 1974 and was released to theaters on March 15 the following year. Like its predecessor, it was a smash hit, coming in seventh place that year at the domestic box office. Also like its predecessor, it was a highly fictionalized account of Brice's life, this time detailing her relationship with singer/songwriter Billy Rose.
After the disappearance of her former husband, Brice struggles to make ends meet, thanks to a stock market crash that has left her high and dry. Enter young upstart Rose, who believes he can revitalize her career and make his own by casting her in a new musical he wants to produce. Brice is dubious, but Rose wins her over. The preview proves to be an unmitigated disaster, but Rose convinces Brice to persevere; even better, he listens to and takes her advice. A trimmed-down production is a hit, and Brice and Rose, despite their constant bickering, marry. Unfortunately, like Arnstein, Rose has a difficult time adjusting to her success, and the two drift apart. Finally, Brice realizes what she must do to save her marriage, but things don't work out as planned.
By the time Funny Lady was released, Streisand had become a powerful player in Hollywood, and friction between her, producer Stark, and director Herbert Ross lead to a difficult shoot. The film is something of a mess as a result; though trimmed to 136 minutes before release, it's still too long. The first hour is hysterical, with some genuinely funny dialogue, and the scene in which the play is previewed is a real highlight. Regrettably, the film loses sight of its plot and falls apart after that, leading to a second half that seems considerably longer than it actually is. Regardless, the film features excellent performances from Streisand, James Caan, and Roddy McDowell. Omar Sharif reprises his role from the first film, though he largely walks through the part.
While it isn't a perfect film, it is largely an entertaining one, well worth a viewing or two. And Streisand's voice is in top form. The songs aren't as catchy as in other Streisand films (Yentl included), but some of them are still quite good.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Funny Lady has been released by Twilight Time in a special edition limited to 3,000 copies. The film is presented on Blu-ray in 1080p high definition (MPEG-4 AVC encoded) at its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1. It has never looked better! Given the film's lengthy running time, Twilight Time has wisely placed the film on a 50GB disc, and the detail is nothing short of revelatory. Every facial line, fiber of fabric, and particle of plant material is clearly rendered. Color reproduction is gorgeous and maintains a vibrancy that is more often associated with films of the 1950s than of the 1970s. Those who hate grain will be happy to know that the grain structure is very natural and unpronounced, yet there has been no obvious use of noise reduction or edge enhancement tools. In short, this is a perfect visual presentation.
The film's audio is just as vivid as its video. It has been rendered in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and is the perfect showcase for Streisand's incredible voice. But hers isn't the only voice that comes through loud and clear; so too does Ben Vereen's and James Caan's. Sound effects are nicely rendered, and dialogue is crisp. Everything is so perfectly placed that no sound is ever allowed to interfere with another to its detriment. (There are also subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired.)
Twilight Time has packed the disc with special features, all of which are worth a look. The first, a vintage featurette titled “In Search of a Star,†is approximately nine minutes long and showcases behind-the-scenes footage with voice-over narration that includes interview snippets from James Caan. Next up is “The New Look of Barbra in Funny Lady,†another vintage featurette, this one also lasting approximately nine minutes. As with the previous featurette, it is comprised mostly of behind-the-scenes footage held together by voice-over narration. “Dancing on Water†is approximately three minutes in length and focuses on the film's water ballet sequence. Rounding out the extras are two trailers, one domestic (two and a half minutes long), the other international (approximately ninety seconds long). Both have been remastered and look terrific in hi-def. The sound is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.
Twilight Time has also included a booklet with insightful liner notes from Julie Kirgo and a catalogue of previously released DVDs and Blu-rays.
The Final Word:
Funny Lady is a step down from Funny Girl, but it isn't without merit. Better yet, Twilight Time's release not only looks and sounds superb, but it also features a number of cool extras. Fans of Streisand will want to snatch this disc up before it's gone, as it's highly doubtful it will get another release a la Twilight Time's Fright Night and Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
