Profile of Fanny Brice on Famous Like Me

Fanny Brice (October 29, 1891 – May 29, 1951) was a United States comedian, singer, and entertainer.

"Fanny Brice" (occasionally spelled "Fannie") was the stage name of Fania Borach, born in New York City, the third child of relatively well-off saloon owners of Hungarian Jewish decent. In 1908, she dropped out of school to work in a burlesque review. She is best known for both her association with Florenz Ziegfeld, headlining his Ziegfield Follies from 1910 into the 1930s, and for her later radio career which lasted a decade and a half.

In the 1921 "Follies," she was featured singing "My Man" which became a big hit and is considered Fanny Brice's "signature" song. She made phonograph records of it for Victor Records and appeared singing it in the 1930 sound film "My Man." The second song most associated with her is the tune "Second Hand Rose". She recorded nearly two dozen record "sides" for Victor, and also cut several for Columbia.

Her brother Lew Brice became actress Mae Clarke's first husband in 1928, but they divorced a few years later without any children.

Trying to leap from stage to screen, Fanny made several films, although a movie career never took off. She appeared in "My Man," "Be Yourself," "Everybody Sing" (with Judy Garland) and "The Great Ziegfeld" (the only original Ziegfeld performer to portray herself in the 1940s film).

Beginning in the late 1930s, and until she died in 1951, Fanny had her own radio show which featured her as a bratty toddler named "Baby Snooks," a role she first premiered in Follies' skit.

Best known as a comedienne, Brice was a multitalented performer. She could sing songs humorously or with great emotion; she is considered one of the first "torch"-style singers. She was a master at both verbal and physical comedy. All who knew her said she remained a very down-to-earth character despite her financial and professional success.

Fanny Brice died in Hollywood, California at the age of 59 of a cerebral hemorrhage.

Film tributes

A loosely-based Hollywood biopic of Brice appeared in 1939 entitled Rose of Washington Square, starring Alice Faye and Tyrone Power. The title "Rose of Washington Square," came from the title of a song which Fanny popularized by performing it in the Follies.

Barbra Streisand later starred as Brice in the 1964 Broadway musical Funny Girl, which made Streisand an overnight sensation. In 1968, she won the Academy Award as Best Actress for reprising her role in the film version of "Funny Girl." In 1975, a sequel film, Funny Lady, was produced. Streisand also eventually recorded both "My Man" and "Second Hand Rose".

It should be noted here that these film interpretations of Fanny Brice's life were not always accurate.

Film stories versus reality

Brice's second husband was gambler Julius "Nicky" Arnstein. "Funny Girl" is a prime example of how films will take liberties with the lives of historical figures and/or events. The Streisand film makes no mention of her first husband at all. It also suggests that Arnstein turned to crime because his pride wouldn't allow him to live off of Fanny; the real Nicky shamelessly sponged off her. The film also suggests Nicky sold phony bonds; he was actually part of a gang that stole $5 million of Wall Street securities. Instead of turning himself in, as in the movie, Arnstein went into hiding. When he finally surrendered, he did not plead guilty, as he did in the movie, but fought the charges for 4 years, taking a toll on his wife's finances. Further, two children were born of the Brice-Arnstein marriage, but only their daughter is depicted in the film.

After Arnstein served his sentence at Fort Leavenworth (he previously did time at Sing Sing, where Fanny visited him every week), a heartsick Brice divorced him. She later married songwriter and stage producer Billy Rose and appeared in his revue "Crazy Quilt," among others. Unfortunately, that marriage also failed.

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