Even as late as 1968 Hollywood couldn't help buying Broadway musical hit shows and tampering with them. In this case they inexplicably jettisoned what was arguably the best ballad in the score, The Music That Makes Me Dance as well as several lesser numbers. That said the film itself delivers from the two leads down to the support and on to production values. Barbra Streisand is assured in her movie debut and Kay Medford is outstanding as the epitome of the Jewish mother and if Frank Faylen is 1) wasted and 2) barely recognizable he is at least competent leaving Walter Pigeon to complete the main casting and compete for acting honours. Virtually the only jarring note is the truncated (for a major musical) score and it's as good an example as any of the Hollywood late-blooming musical.
Review of Funny Girl
