Long before Streisand became an impossible diva who confused obsessive control with artistry, she was an extremely talented comedienne with a voice that deserved all the raves. Her first film, a so-so biopic of Fanny Brice, is the only film that really showcased her properly; she was never seen to such advantage again.
More of a comedy with songs than traditional musical, it works well enough in the first half as Fanny makes her way from starstruck East Side girl to Ziegfeld star. The supporting performances are fine--Kay Medford as Mrs. Brice is perfect, Walter Pidgeon is both stuffy and amusing as Flo Ziegfeld, and Omar Sharif is much better than I ever expect him to be. The dialog is witty and sharp, and there are two excellent comic scenes--in fact, I think it may be the second funniest "musical" after Singin in the Rain, based solely on the first half's achievements. The movie rests on Babs' shoulders and for the first 90 minutes she carries it effortlessly. Her singing is truly extraordinary; it reminds me again that age has not been kind to her voice.
The second half sucks, as do almost all musicals based on Broadway shows. The only bright spots are a comic stage show of The Swan--which has a nice turn by Tommy Rall as the Prince--and Streisand's gorgeous delivery of Brice's signature song "My Man". The last is a variation from the stage show; I think the stage song is more fitting but I'm not sure I'd trade.
It has been gussied up for re-release and is making the arthouse rounds. Worth seeing on the big screen; this is a movie that suffers badly from pan and scan. If you can, see it with a large crowd--the gayer the better. I saw it at the Castro. Okay, proximity to SF gives me an unfair advantage. But shoot for the big crowd, anyway.
