Scene 10.—Trim. MED. SHOT, A CARD TABLE, FOUR WOMEN

The first trim in the Funny Girl film comes very early: Fanny's first flashback after she says to herself: “Did you hear that, Mrs. Strakosh? Ziegfeld is waiting for me. For me! You see, you were wrong, Mrs. Strakosh... “

The editors then DISSOLVE to a close up of Fanny, looking in the mirror — You can see the continuity lapse: In the mirror, Fanny already has on her sailor jacket  while Mrs. Strakosh is speaking to her!

The next cut shows Fanny putting the jacket on!

There were a few more lines in this scene which were cut out:

Scene 23. EDDIE & FANNY. OUTSIDE DRESSING ROOM, KEENEY'S

After Fanny said goodbye to Nick Arnstein at Keeney’s, there was a scene between Eddie, Fanny, and a chorus girl (played by Elaine Joyce) which was cut from the film.

This is an example of the Eddie subplot of the film (he has a crush on Fanny) which was mostly excised.

The edit used to cover the cut is clever, but obvious.  Fanny closes the stage door once Nick leaves, but the film subtly DISSOLVES to Fanny closing her dressing room door.

This scene would have fallen in between the DISSOLVE.

Scene 30. Cut Song. “Temporary Arrangement”

“Temporary Arrangement” was a song originally written for Nick Arnstein to sing in the Broadway play, but it was cut during out-of-town tryouts. Jule Styne and Bob Merrill retooled the song for the movie and Omar Sharif, adding an introduction.

In the final screenplay, Nick’s solo begins right after the scenes at Keeney’s Music Hall. 

Set in a hotel room, Nick and the Bellboy unpack his suitcases and set up the room with beautiful things: a Spanish shawl, a folding shade over the bare light bulb, a crystal cigarette box, and a blue marble egg on the bureau.

Scene 48-49. “His Love Makes Me Beautiful” Edits & Changes

Paul Helmick, Unit Production Manager, recalled that director William Wyler (who had “final cut” of the musical numbers even though they were directed by Herbert Ross) did not like the assembled edit of “His Love Makes Me Beautiful.” Helmick said Wyler thought the number “was much too long.” He wrote that “there ensued quite a discussion, pro and con …”

So the song was edited down.  The introduction, sung by the men in top hats, and newly written for the film, was the first part to be shortened by a few lines. “Tonight, all of America swells with pride / for a most ravishing beauty shall be glorified …” was excised.

The chorus girls sung an abundance of “oohs” between phrases of the song, which definitely slowed the number down and broke up the melody, so they were removed. 

In the original version of the song, some of the orchestrations were different, especially during the procession of brides down the staircase. Also, it is obvious that the “Horn of Plenty” girl was re-dubbed for the final film.

Pictured here, too, are curious photos from the production of Barbra Streisand wearing a different headpiece (more like a bonnet) for the number. In the final film, she wears a flowered headband with a wedding veil. It’s unclear whether these are costume tests (taken on the actual set with the chorus girls present) or outtakes from an earlier version filmed with the bonnet.

Scene 61. Trim. MRS. BRICE’S SALOON / A SERIES OF QUICK CLOSE SHOTS.

When Fanny and Nick return to Henry Street for a party at Mrs. Brice’s saloon, you can spot where a few lines were trimmed from the scene. The screenplay wanted to present several “character moments” during the celebration, but the final edit really concentrated on Fanny and Nick’s budding romance instead.

Joseph Yore, cast as Bertrum, the dentist (Sadie’s husband) verified this in his memoir. “The first couple of days, I did nothing but watch the famous William Wyler with awe while he was directing the others. The scene I was in took place in a bar. My big two lines were cut down to five words. In my big scene, I waltzed around the room with Barbra Streisand, who was portraying Fanny Brice. I said my five words at the bar. Then, I waltzed her over to the door where she could see Omar Sharif and where I gave her a big hug and a kiss. That took three takes, because she said my kisses were too sloppy.”

Pictured here are two more moments:

Mr. Keeney is seen getting beer foam on his mustache at the bar. Fanny says to him: “Believe me, Mr. Keeney—Ziegfeld isn't half as tough as you!” 

And then there’s Dolly, one of the party guests, tackling Nick on the dance floor before Mrs. Brice has to interfere.

Cut — “Who Taught Her Everything She Knows”

Immediately following “People,” the next scene and musical number was filmed but cut completely from the movie Funny Girl.

A left-over from the Broadway show, Mrs. Brice and Eddie sang “Who Taught Her Everything She Knows.”

The scene began with Mrs. Brice receiving a letter from Fanny about her travels across America as a Ziegfeld star.

Eddie and Mrs. Brice lament losing a daughter (and friend) and gaining a star ... 

Here are two stills that prove the song was filmed! And below is an excerpt from the audio track of the song, as recorded for the film!

Scene 76. Trim. EXT. TRAIN, BALTIMORE

The first scene which expanded the Georgia James (Anne Francis) character was cut. As the Ziegfeld girls arrive by train in Baltimore, they disembark and get their photos taken.

Georgia emerges, looking a little worn and unkempt (hinting at her alcoholism).

As the girls are walking down the platform, Georgia says, “A buck I get a rise out of him!” — And Georgia flashes an old man pushing a produce cart, who reacts with shock.

Cut. Scene 87. INT. EMPTY THEATRE — FANNY

At this point in Funny Girl, the audience was reminded that the entire movie was occurring in flashback.  Streisand, as Fanny, was filmed in the empty New Amsterdam Theatre still sitting in the audience.

This cut scene, falling right after “You Are Woman, I Am Man,” showed Fanny remembering that night with Nick with tears welling in her eyes.

Underneath the scene, the music from the card players' theme begins playing .....

Scene 88. Trim. INT. BRICE SALLOON

The movie returned to its flashback motif and picked up the story back at Henry Street, with Mrs. Brice and her friends playing cards and singing a few lines of a song that opened the original Broadway show —“I think you're bluffing .... You think so? I think so ...”

In the movie as we know it, they simply DISSOLVE from “You Are Woman” to Mrs. Brice, at the card table, saying, “I'm calling you. What have you got?” and continuing with Mrs. Brice discussing her daughter's silly behavior.

However, the scene, as filmed, ended a little differently. After Mrs. Brice explained that Fanny was seeing the guy with“the ruffled shirt!” there were two more lines (and another Strakosh moment that was edited out):

MRS. STRAKOSH

That lovely Mr. Arnestein. I knew she'd see him again. I put the idea in their heads. I planted a little seed.

MRS. BRICE

You planted a little seed on Henry Street and a year later a tree grows in Baltimore.

Scene 122-140. “Sadie, Sadie, Married Lady”

The next big cut — or reworking — in Funny Girl occurs after “Don't Rain On My Parade,” intermission, and Fanny and Nick on the boat to Europe. Fanny gets married to Nick and wakes up in bed singing “Sadie, Sadie.”

“Sadie, Sadie” was recorded and filmed one way, then some of it was re-filmed again with a new opening lyric and vocal by Streisand. The original version had a postcard motif — Fanny would write postcards to her friends and family while on a European honeymoon with Nick; her correspondence would be sung over shots of them reading the postcard. (see photo of Ziegfeld holding a postcard).

There are revisions to the script dated 10/9/67 in which much of the postcard scenes are gone, as is Anne Francis’ short solo. Instead, the terrace scene has been added where Fanny sings “just sit at home, become a slob!” while surrounded by Eddie, Mrs. Brice, Ziegfeld and Georgia.

Trimmed. Scene 146B. INT. ZIEGFELD STAGE

After the song, "Sadie, Sadie," the film cuts to Eddie holding Fanny's feet as she does sit-ups, getting back in shape after having her baby. 

However, the remainder of this scene was shot but cut out, as the production photos show.

This lost scene is another example of how Eddie's role was truncated ... and it's another loss for Anne Francis as Georgia.

Cut. Scene 153. EXT. LONG ISLAND HOUSE & GROUNDS

In the movie, Fanny and Nick have a scene in which he reveals that he “lost his ruffled shirt” in the Oklahoma oil deal. Fanny says she “wouldn't be insulted” if they moved into an apartment New York City.

What followed was a scene in which Fanny and Nick walk across the lawn and thave a frank discussion about money and marriage.

Cut. Scene 153. “PINK VELVET JAIL”

Nick, left alone by Fanny after the garden scene, sings ...

What does a man need?
Some shirts and some neckties
An address to pick up his mail

Then some woman claims him
And after she tames him
He's locked in a Pink Velvet Jail

There's coffee and quiet
And light conversation
The world seems so distant and pale

You need her, you need her
But love's made her freer
And you're in a Pink Velvet Jail
You're locked in a Pink Velvet Jail.

Cut. Scene 172. INT. ARNSTEIN DEN — NIGHT

Cut from the film completely was a scene that featured Anne Francis (as Fanny's friend Georgia James) who bursts into Fanny's New York apartment (drunk!) and tells Fanny that she lives in a fantasy world and that people, including Nick, find it very hard to live up to her high expectations.

The scene with Georgia took place as Fanny and Mrs. Brice are playing cards (which appears in the movie).

Georgia asks Fanny for a bed “because I wanna go to bed alone for a change.”  Then she chastises Fanny: “Don't you ever look at the people you care about? Don't you ever see them?”

Georgia continues when she says, “Depressing how big you are, old friend. Makes the rest of us feel so small. So I won't thank you. And some day Nick won't either.”

Mrs. Brice hands drunken Georgia off to Emma, then sits down and continues the scene with Fanny, which is in the final film.

“You're his wife! You have to sit down with him, talk to him about it ...” Mrs. Brice says.

Even though Georgia's scene was a showcase of Anne Francis’ talents, it was most likely cut because it was redundant — Georgia tells Fanny she lives in a fantasy world, then Mrs. Brice basically says the same thing. The mother/daughter scene was probably deemed to be more poignant.

Trimmed. Scene 174. INT. ARNSTEIN LIVING ROOM

After the scene in which Branca offers Nick a partnership in a new club—and Nick discovers that Fanny put up fifty thousand dollars for his share—Nick then escorts Fanny out the door to her rehearsal. He goes to the telephone and calls Peterson to accept the junk bond deal which eventually puts him in jail.

The filmmakers considered using Omar Sharif's vocal as he goes to pick up his drink after the call. (In the final film, an orchestrated "Don't Rain on My Parade" scores the scene.)

NICK (singing)
One roll for the whole shebang,
One throw, that bell will go clang.
This time we play with my deck
Out of my way, it's my neck!
This time the setup feels right,
Baby, it's opening night!
Hey, Mrs. Arnstein, here I go!

Trimmed. Scene 184. INT. THE COURTROOM ANTEROOM

A small portion of dialogue between Nick and Fanny was cut. The dialogue clarified that Nick knew he was guilty.

FANNY
You had a chance. All you had to say was that Peterson tricked you.

NICK
I couldn't say that.

FANNY
Why not?

NICK

Because he didn't. I pleaded guilty because I am.

FANNY
You're a very classy fella. Also a big schlemiel. So, what's a little eighteen months between friends? I'll visit you, I'll bake cakes for you — with inside, room for a file! I'll ...

NICK
No, Fanny! I don't want you to wait for me! I want us to call it a day!

FANNY
A noble speech, kiddo. So now you've made it. Forget it. Because ...

NICK
I mean it, Fanny. I want you to divorce me...

Trimmed. Scene 185B. INT. EMPTY THEATRE (“Funny Girl”)

The song “Funny Girl” had a different, dramatic ending than what was used in the final film. 

The first part of the song was as it appears in the film—with Streisand singing and crying in the courthouse. 

The second part, however, was filmed but edited out. Fanny rose from her theater seat, and walked into her dressing room. Turning on the light and taking off her coat, she sang the last verse while looking at a photograph of Nick Arnstein. 

The 45-rpm single which was released to record stores to promote the movie also featured a similar arrangement, with the long orchestrated break before the final verse.

Of course, in the final film, the reprise was eliminated, Fanny walked up on the stage, and the final scene in the backstage dressing room began.

Barbra Archives has recreated the scene with original audio and stills from the excised parts.