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Featured Reviews | Movie Library Reviews


One of America's Best-Loved Movie Musicals!
Newly Restored and Digitally
Remastered Funny Girl on DVD


Funny Girl, one of the best loved and most acclaimed musicals of all time, returns in an newly restored and remastered version available for the first time ever on DVD from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment.

Nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Song, Funny Girl marks the feature film debut of Barbra Streisand, in her classic Academy Award-winning role under the skillful direction of William Wyler (Ben-Hur, Roman Holiday, The Best Years of Our Lives, The Children's Hour).

The DVD release of Funny Girl celebrates the completion by Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) of the extensive restoration of this Oscar-winning film in its original "road-show" format complete with overture and intermission segments creating a brilliant, vibrant new image and extraordinary sound quality for the re-release.

Grover Crisp, vice president of asset management and film restoration at SPE, oversaw the restoration project. "We started restoring Funny Girl three years ago, to repair the damage that occurred to the original negative when the film was first released, due to the enormous number of prints struck from the negative. Missing frames, numerous scratches and a disintegrating soundtrack were part of the damage done over time."

Some points of reference on the restoration of Funny Girl:

  • The original negative was used as a printing negative close to 300 times when it was released originally, and the film was seriously damaged in this process
  • Almost 20% of the original negative has been replaced for the restoration, and the remaining 80% required literally hundreds of repairs. The negative was virtually rebuilt in a process that took almost three years to complete.
  • In the decade following the original release, many poor quality duplicate negatives were cut into the original negative. Two specific examples were the "People" song sequence: The original had several very poor quality duplicates cut into it over the years and the original sections that were still left were damaged beyond repair. They restorers were able to replace this reel in its entirety with a new duplicate negative from the YCM separations. Also, the "Fanny and Nick argue" sequence: The original negative was replaced with a poor quality duplicate in 1968 and the original was discarded at that time. This entire reel has also been replaced.
  • The original 6-track stereo masters were located, and though somewhat deteriorated, were digitally restored and remastered. The restoration marks the first time the stereo version has been heard theatrically since the original release of the film.

DVD ADDED VALUE ELEMENTS:

  • "Funny Girl: This is Streisand" featurette *"Funny Girl: Barbra in Movieland" featurette
  • Song highlights *Bonus Trailers *Widescreen presentation
  • Talent files of Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, William Wyler, and Walter Pidgeon
  • Digitally Mastered Audio and Anamorphic Video
  • Production notes *Animated Menus *Scene Selection with Motion Images

SYNOPSIS
One of the most popular movie musicals ever made, based on the long-running Broadway musical, Funny Girl follows the early career of stage comedienne Fanny Brice. From her early days in the Jewish slums of the Lower East Side, to the height of her career with the Ziegfeld Follies, Funny Girl follows Brice on her way to stardom. Funny Girl was directed by William Wyler and written by Isobel Lennart and Bob Merrill, and starred Barbra Streisand (in her 1968 Oscar-winning role), Omar Sharif, Kay Medford, Anne Francis, and Walter Pidgeon.

 

Rating: (on a scale of 1-5, with one being poor and five as excellent)
Funny Girl
Lost and Delirious - Five Star Movie

Funny Girl - Digitally Remastered
Director: William Wyler
Starring: Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Walter Pidgeon
Released: 2001 | Rated: G
Category: Comedy / Drama
Length: 155 minutes
Retail: $19.98
Format: DVD / VHS
Click here to buy FUNNY GIRL




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