Funny Lady film on DVD

This is the film that got in the way of some good songs. It was never on stage, but as the sequel to Funny Girl, Funny Lady depicts the later life and unhappy, second marriage of Follies legend Fanny Brice. Reprising her role as vaudevillian cum chanteuse is Barbra Steisand. Reprising his role from the first film as husband no. 1 is Omar Sharif. Standing in as husband no. 2, Broadway impressario Billy Rose, is James Caan. What is it with La Babs working with men who don't (or shouldn't) sing?

Well, almost all of the music for Funny Lady is for Ms. Streisand and it is mostly pretty good stuff, if the production of the film would just get out of the way. Perhaps the soundtrack for the film gives its due to the songs of Kander and Ebb. Odd that John Kander and Fred Ebb should write the songs for the sequel to a show with songs by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill. There must be a story there somewhere. Well, I guess the story starts by saying many of the songs are by composers of the past, like Youmans and Jolson and Arlen, and only a couple of new songs by Kander and Ebb make it into the film.

I was particularly taken with the version of the gospel classic "Great Day" that Fanny sings as the big number from Rose's production of Crazy Quilt, the show-within-the-show of the first part of the film. It's a version by Vincent Youmans. "If I Love Again" is good and is by Jack Murray. "Let's Hear it for Me" is actually by Kander and Ebb.

There's a bit of chemistry between Streisand and Caan, which helps, but the story-telling of their love affair is poorly handled and we don't quite see how love blossoms. Some of the scenes between them feel forced. Particularly awkward is a scene between Fanny and Billy of the 1940s, when the pair have "aged". The Joan Crawford-inspired hair on Streisand is funny, unintensionally.

Would the third installment be Funny Woman?

Well, this was never on the Broadway stage, only the Hollywood studio, so I'd better get back to the real thing.

Funny Lady
Music by Fred Ebb, but mostly by a lot of others
Lyrics by John Kander, but mostly by a lot of others
Screenplay by Arnold Schulman and Jay Presson Allen
Film directed by Herb Ross released in 1975
Cast: Barbra Streisand, James Caan, Ben Vereen, Omar Sharif, Roddy McDowall