Monday, May 13, 2013

Rose Of Washington Square

     I used to think that Funny Girl and Funny Lady were the only Fanny Brice movies out there until I saw the movie Rose Of Washington Square.
      Fanny Brice was a Jewish stage actress in the early part of the 1900's through the 1930's. She also did radio in the 1930's  and 1940's playing a bratty toddler named Baby Snooks.
       Rose Of Washington was the 1939  goyish version of her life. Irish Alice Fae was Fanny and gentile and very handsome Tyrone Power played Fanny's no good husband Nicky Arnstein. Al Jolson was the only known Jewish actor in the movie though he did not play a Jew. He by the way was top rate. They did not use Fanny or Nicky's names but everyone knew that Rose Of Washington square was Fanny's life story. Fanny even sued them for making a film about her life without her as the star. They used Fanny Brice's signature songs much to her chagrin.
        Funny Girl and Funny Lady feature the very Jewish Barbara Streisand but oddly enough after reading Fanny Brice's biography and watching Rose Of Washington Square I realize that the  vintage 1939 version of the Fanny Brice story captures the life of Fanny Brice more accurately than the Streisand vehicles. Its funny how that is.
        I recommend the film Rose Of Washington Square. Its entertaining , tells a good story and fun to watch the old time music and dance numbers.

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