fanny brice
Fanny Brice (October 29, 1891 ‘ May 29, 1951) was a popular and influential American comedienne and singer who starred in theater, radio, and film. [1]
For more information on Fanny Brice, visit Britannica.com. [2]
The fame of vaudeville legend Fanny Brice has been largely carried on in a biographical adaptation of her life that has almost nothing to do with the facts of the case, the musical Funny Girl, a star vehicle designed for Barbra Streisand. [3]
Fanny Brice (occasionally spelled Fannie Brice) was the stage name of Fania Borach, born in New York City, the third child of relatively well-off saloon owners of Hungarian Jewish descent. [4]
Widely celebrated as one of the most beloved comediennes in the history of entertainment, stage and screen star Fanny Brice tickled audience’s funny bones for more than a decade as the main attraction of Broadway’s Ziegfeld Follies in the early 1900s. [5]
You could not have seen Fanny Brice on the stage and forgotten her, not as long as you lived.” [6]
The character of Baby Snooks, an incorrigible little girl, which she created to amuse her friends, became a Follies favourite, and in that character Brice was featured on radio from 1936 until her death. [...] It was while touring with this troupe that she came to the attention of Florenz Ziegfeld who signed her for his Follies of 1910. [2]
With her Sadie performance she managed to attract the attention of producer Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr., who hired her for his Follies of 1910. [1]
Baby Snooks was also to be seen as a comic act together with Judy Garland in the 1928 film Everybody Sing. [6]
This sad tale ultimately became the seed for Funny Girl; Brice’s later marriage to Billy Rose provided the inspiration for the film musical Funny Lady. [3]
Her characters included a toddler Baby Snooks which she performed complete with hair ribbon, starched pinafore, ankle socks, and Mary Janes. [1]
Although her third marriage was brief and her film career never quite took off, Brice found fame in her later years when she launched a weekly radio show in 1938. [5]
Prior to their marriage, Arnstein served 14 months in Sing Sing for wiretapping, where Brice visited him every week. [4]
The real Fanny Brice was, in her time, a tremendously popular comedienne who first established herself in vaudeville and later in radio, portraying her trademark character, Baby Snooks. [3]
Sources:
[1] Brice, Fanny
[2] Fanny Brice: Biography from Answers.com
[3] Fanny Brice Biography - Yahoo! Music
[4] Fanny Brice | Fanny Brice Wiki | fannybrice.com
[5] Fanny Brice Movies
[6] fanny brice @ www.brice.nl - the fanny brice collection