Funny Lady, the follow-up to Funny Girl, which made a movie star of Barbra Streisand, is not as good or entertaining as the 1968 movie.
James Caan plays the young Billy Rose (James Caan), an ambitious lyricist, who charms Fanny into an association with him.
Out of town, the show is a flop, and Fanny uses her experience to improve it before going to New York.
The show is now a hit, and Fanny and Billy enjoy their success and get married, though Fanny is still in love with her first husband, Nick (Omar Sharif).
In California working on a radio show, Fanny and Nick connect, and Fanny realizes she is no longer in love with him. Flying to Cleveland, where Billy is working on a new show, she finds him in bed with another woman. The two part, but years later they meet again to discuss a new show.
Oscar Nominations: 5
Cinematography: James Wong Howe
Sound: Richard Portman, Don MacDougal, Curly Thirlwell, Jack Solomon
Song: “How Lucky Can You Get,” music and lyrics by Fred Webb and John Kander
Scoring: Peter Matz
Costume Design: Ray Aghayan and Bob Mackie
Oscar Awards: None
The winner of Cinematography Oscar was John Alcott for Barry Lyndon, which also won Costumes and Scoring awards (Leonard Rosenman); this was James Wong Howe’s last film as lenser.
The Sound Oscar went to Jaws, and the Song to Keith Carradine’s “I’m Easy” from Nashville.