z Follies–brice, My Man

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In A Walkthrough Shows, Songs and More
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This is Wednesday, and we are going to end our review of Fanny Brice in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1921 with her signature song, “My Man.” It was originally a French song, “Mon Homme.” The music was composed by Maurice Yvain and the French lyrics by Albert Willemetz and Jacques Charles. The English lyrics are by Channing Pollack. The scene in the revue takes place on a bridge over the Seine.

Now let’s read the rest of Stu’s summary of her life:

“Brice was also renowned for the emotional singing style she reserved for serious ballads. One of her signature songs was My Man, in which she sang of being loyal to her lover despite the pain he caused her. The lyrics were generally thought to refer to her romance with con man Nick Arnstein, whom she married in 1919 after a lengthy love affair. They had two children before Arnstein was sent to jail on a fraud charge in 1924. Although she never fell entirely out of love with him, Brice divorced Arnstein in 1927 for adultery.

“After leaving the Follies in 1924, Brice made appearances in several films, including My Man (1927) and The Great Ziegfeld (1936). She also appeared regularly in Broadway shows. Among the most notable were Sweet and Low (1930) and Crazy Quilt (1931), both produced by songwriter Billy Rose, whom Brice married in 1929. In Sweet and Low, Brice developed the character of “Babykins,” a wisecracking baby who proved wildly popular with her fans. Renamed “Baby Snooks,” the character made her radio debut in 1936 and became a regular on the program Good Times the following year. In 1944, Baby Snooks received her own show, and on it continued to delight audiences until Brice’s death on May 29, 1951, of a cerebral hemorrhage.

“For the next generation, Brice was reborn in the popular stage musical Funny Girl (1964), which made Barbra Streisand a star. It and the subsequent film adaptation told of Brice’s career with the Follies and her ill-fated romance with Arnstein, while a film sequel, Funny Lady (1975), focused on her marriage to Rose. Both films presented Brice as a confident, charming woman with a genius for parody. Her influence both as a verbal and physical comedian continues to be felt today. ”

Stu wrote this summary for an upload of scenes from the silent movie, The Sheik, also from 1921. According to the post, the song was “performed by: Fanny Brice & Rosario Bourdon Full Song Title: My Man Recorded in: 1921.”