This biography of Fanny Brice focuses on her rise to stardom in the Ziegfeld Follies. It is a fitting companion piece to the series of overblown musicals that were fashionable during the 1960s. The story is fairly standard show business fare, with parallels to "A Star is Born." The main interest here is the film debut of Streisand, who snagged an Oscar not so much for her acting skills as for her musical performances. Sharif is smooth as her ill-fated husband. Wyler, who replaced Sidney Lumet (an odd choice to direct a musical), was a brilliant director who excelled in every genre but he had never done a musical and he struggles here to breathe life into this never-ending film.
Review of Funny Girl
