1968-ish film production still, evidently for FUNNY GIRL

[rg]

the credits for FUNNY GIRL, for which Herbert Ross directed the dance numbers, note that Tommy Rall played the prince to Streisand's Fanny Brice Schwan.

the minimally identified photo scanned here shows what must have been a rehearsal for the movie's SWAN LAKE number with Rall? holding the crossbow.

though it was hardly surprising in its day, the cigarette in Ross's hand as he strikes a 'lunge' pose à deux bras is 'something else.'

[sandik]

I don't mean to read too much into this image, but my first impression is that Ross is "doing" the pose while Streisand is watching it, looking at him and at herself. I get a much bigger kinetic hit from him than from her.

What a treat!

[Farrell Fan]

Funny Funny Girl Foto; thanks, rg.

[bart]

A wonderful photo. Streisand seems to have taken the class in How to Position Your Right Hand, but not (yet) the class for the Left.

I don't remember the performance on film. How did it go? Was it an effective parody?

[Leigh Witchel]

It's hysterically funny.

Shoot my Swans? Dese lovelies? Whattarya, dumb or something?

[Mme. Hermine]

[bart]

Love it! So what do you think of her technique? Did she learn something from Ross's lessons?

It seems to me that this rises to the level of ballet parody, not just vaudeville schtick. My heart was won by that series of speedy entrechats deux, with feet flexed and and nearly an inch of elevation.

[papeetepatrick]

Barbra hilarious and adorable, because always looks campy when she dances. You can see more of Rall's technical legacy and ballerina protege in her next pic, 'Hello Dolly'. He does look good there. I love her left hand in this one, it looks like Cecile Royale's tendrilly fingers in an old mannered photo I recently saw.

[vipa]

Love it! So what do you think of her technique? Did she learn something from Ross's lessons?

It seems to me that this rises to the level of ballet parody, not just vaudeville schtick. My heart was won by that series of speedy entrechats deux, with feet flexed and and nearly an inch of elevation.

Agreed. She did quite a bit of summer stock as a young performer so probably was a singer who moved/danced for some time.

[papeetepatrick]

She did quite a bit of summer stock as a young performer so probably was a singer who moved/danced for some time.

Are you sure of this? Never heard about anything but early clubs, like the Bon Soir, I believe, and maybe Basin Street East, she was in late teens when she did Miss Marmelstein on B'way and 21 when she started 'Funny Girl'. Also, hadn't been in Manhattan till early teens at all (pretty remarkable), I think she saw 'Diary of Anne Frank'. Not saying she didn't do any at all, but I don't see it being very much if any. She had already done the recording of Rome's 'Pins and Needles' too when about 19. Don't know whether she did an actual dance number in 'I Can Get It For You Wholesale' either.

[Mel Johnson]

In order to join Actor's Equity, an actor has to put in Apprentice time somewhere, and clubs don't count. It has to be an Equity house. That's one thing that Goodspeed Opera has been doing well for a long time. Of course, there's always the open audition route, but they don't often, historically too, happen.

[papeetepatrick]

"She originally wanted to be an actress and appeared in summer stock and in a number of Off-Off-Broadway productions, including Driftwood (1959), with the then-unknown Joan Rivers."

This is from wiki. Yes, and I think it comes back that I'd heard a general 'summer stock' quote before, but I've never heard the productions she was in specified. Although they probably are in a detailed bio, which I've never read. Well, this gel certainly worked fast, I'll say she did. She did finish Erasmus Hall High School, although early record bios used to say she was 'born in Rangoon'.

[leonid17]

"She originally wanted to be an actress and appeared in summer stock and in a number of Off-Off-Broadway productions, including Driftwood (1959), with the then-unknown Joan Rivers."

This is from wiki. Yes, and I think it comes back that I'd heard a general 'summer stock' quote before, but I've never heard the productions she was in specified. Although they probably are in a detailed bio, which I've never read. Well, this gel certainly worked fast, I'll say she did. She did finish Erasmus Hall High School, although early record bios used to say she was 'born in Rangoon'.

For Driftwood

See: http://barbra-archives.com/live/60s/driftwood_garrett.html

For early stage career see: http://barbra-archives.com/live/index.html

[papeetepatrick]

leonid--thanks! that was great. Streisand as Millie in 'Picnic', and Ellie Mae in 'Tobacco Road' (now that last is incroyable...) Still looks like only possibility of dancing was something pretty basic at most in 'The Boyfriend' (I doubt Hortense was given big numbers, although it's clear she sang something called 'Nicer in Nice', and showed some leg). Was interested to see how vicious Joan Rivers really is--she made up that whole thing about the Lesbianism just to get a laugh. I remember back in the 80s when she was still guesting for Johnny Carson, and Dame Judith Anderson was on, and at one point said 'she's rotten to the core'. But since this tale about 'Driftwood' is so blatantly false, it's worse than all those months-long (if not more) jokes about Liz Taylor being fat. The crudeness was sometimes funny in a low way, but making this story up about 'Barbra being a great kisser, etc.' is vile, because it's not always obvious when she's joking. I truly dislike her.