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Fanny Brice (October 29, 1891 – May 29,
1951) was a United States comedian, singer, and
entertainer.

"Fanny Brice" (occasionally spelled "Fannie") was
the stage name of Fania Borach, born in New York
City, the third child of relatively well-off
saloon owners of Hungary|Hungarian Jewish decent.
In 1908, she dropped out of school to work in a
burlesque review. She is best known for both her
association with Florenz Ziegfeld, headlining his
Ziegfield Follies from 1910 into the 1930s, and
for her later radio career which lasted a decade
and a half. 

In the 1921 "Follies," she was featured singing
the Tango music|tango "My Man," which became a big
hit and is considered Fanny Brice's "signature"
song. She made gramophone record|phonograph
records of it for Victor Records and appeared
singing it in the 1930 sound film "My Man."  The
second song most associated with her is the tune
"Second Hand Rose."  She recorded nearly two dozen
record "sides" for Victor, and also cut several
for Columbia.

Trying to leap from stage to screen, Fanny made
several films, although a movie career never took
off.  She appeared in "My Man," "Be Yourself,"
"Everybody Sing" (with Judy Garland) and "The
Great Ziegfeld" (the only original Ziegfeld
performer to portray herself in the 1940s film).

Beginning in the late 1930s, and until she died in
1951, Fanny had her own radio show which featured
her as a bratty toddler named "Baby Snooks," a
role she first premiered in Follies' skit.

Best known as a comedienne, Brice was a
multitalented performer.  She could sing songs
humorously or with great emotion; she is
considered one of the first "torch"-style singers.
 She was a master at both verbal and physical
comedy.  All who knew her said she remained a very
down-to-earth character despite her financial and
professional success.

Fanny Brice died in Hollywood, California.

== Film tributes ==
A loosely-based Hollywood biopic of Brice appeared
in 1939 entitled Rose of Washington Square,
starring Alice Faye and Tyrone Power.  The title
"Rose of Washington Square," came from the title
of a song which Fanny popularized by performing it
in the Follies.

Barbra Streisand later starred as Brice in the
1964 Broadway musical Funny Girl, which made
Streisand an overnight sensation. In 1968, she won
the Academy Award as Best Actress for reprising
her role in the film version of "Funny Girl." In
1975, a sequel film, Funny Lady, was produced. 
Streisand also eventually recorded both "My Man"
and "Second Hand Rose."

It should be noted here that these film
interpretations of Fanny Brice's life were not
always accurate. 

=== Film stories versus reality ===
Brice's second husband was gambler Julius "Nicky"
Arnstein. "Funny Girl" is a prime example of how
films will take liberties with the lives of
historical figures and/or events. The Streisand
film makes no mention of her first husband at all.
 It also suggests that Arnstein turned to crime
because his pride wouldn't allow him to live off
of Fanny; the real Nicky shamelessly sponged off
her. The film also suggests Nicky sold phony
bonds; he was actually part of a gang that stole
$5 million of Wall Street securities. Instead of
turning himself in, as in the movie, Arnstein went
into hiding. When he finally surrendered, he did
not plead guilty, as he did in the movie, but
fought the charges for 4 years, taking a toll on
his wife's finances.  Further, two children were
born of the Brice-Arnstein marriage, but only
their daughter is depicted in the film.

After Arnstein served his sentence at Fort
Leavenworth (he previously did time at Sing Sing,
where Fanny visited him every week), a heartsick
Brice divorced him. She later married songwriter
and stage producer Billy Rose and appeared in his
revue "Crazy Quilt," among others.  Unfortunately,
that marriage also failed.

== External links ==
*
http://www.saxonyrecordcompany.com/v-web/gallery/f
anny-brice/ Visit a large gallery of images from
the career of Fanny Brice
*
http://search.eb.com/women/articles/Brice_Fanny.ht
ml Brice on eb.web
*
http://www.davidpietrusza.com/Rothstein-Arnstein-B
rice.html Arnold Rothstein, Nicky Arnstein and
Fanny Brice