![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
So, as you all know (because I keep posting about it), I've been listening to the forty-six hour audio book version of Barbra Streisand's Memoir. I told mother it was forty-six hours, and she reacted much as you'd expect. "Oh my god, that book must be huge - and it can't be doing well?" (Actually it's doing very well. She doesn't hold back. And in the audiobook - she includes snippets of her songs - and sings them, also bits from movies. Hence the forty-six hours.)
What Streisand says about the Entertainment Business (note the Business itself, not the creation of the art) is not good, although nothing that I didn't already know from various sources personal and otherwise. My brother's worked and interacted with it, and has close friends in it. I've had various actor friends who've worked within it. And my sister-in-law's family was closely involved within it. Plus every memoir I've listened to or read about it - says the same things. Without exception they all state how Fame nearly destroyed them, and how they tried to cope with it.
What's interesting about the Streisand memoir - is she doesn't speak ill of anyone who is a)currently alive (at least not so far), or b) hasn't spoken ill of her, or didn't gossip about her. Anthony Newly hurt her - but she doesn't explain how or go into details. And she's relatively vague about her divorce and marriage to Gould (just stating what is already known and dispelling any rumors about cheating). She does explain and speak ill of those who did attack her when they were alive and tried to destroy her career and feed the media gossip machine. I kind of respect her for that?
1. Anthony Newley and the pitfalls of holding a grudge. It took a minute or two to remember who he was. He was a popular British singer/song writer/composer and actor in the 1960s and early 70s. A triple threat - so to speak. Kind of like Burt Bacharach? Or similar musical style - just not quite as successful. Died sometime in the 1990s. You may know him for the musical scores to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (the musical version with Gene Wilder), and Doctor Dolittle.
Here - Anthony Newley and Sammy Davis Jr singing Newley's song "The Candy Man"
Apparently Streisand had a brief fling with Newley in 1971, after divorcing Gould.( Read more... )
2. Hello Dolly and the pitfalls of the White Male Boys Club
This was fascinating. Some back story? For years, it had been bandied about in various unauthorized biographies (which are basically gossipy works by so-called journalists who acquire tidbits from other people about the person whose life they are chronicling) and gossip columns that Streisand was a terror on Hello Dolly. That she was trying to direct the film, was a perfectionist and control freak, and Walter Matthau had a blow up, and hated each other. And Matthau believed she was trying to play director, and had pushed to get into the picture and pushed for someone else to star opposite, etc. And Gene Kelly had issues with her.
Here's a 1969 interview with Streisand from Good Housekeeping that pushed back against the rumors at the time, and discusses the jealousy, envy and resentment of the gossip columns which hated Streisand for not playing along with them.
( excerpt )
The truth is more complicated, of course. Per Streisand's memoir - Streisand was signed to Dolly long before either Matthau was cast or Gene Kelly was set to direct. She didn't want to do it. And tried to get out of it, but was informed by both her manager and Ernest Lehman, the producer, that it would be a serious breach of contract. She'd read the play, and seen it - and felt at 23 that she was too young for the part. It was for a much older woman (she still feels that way). But they said a young woman could be a widow. She also felt that Mathau was wrong for the romantic male lead - but she had not control. However, she got along famously with the producer - Ernie.
* Gene Kelly - Kelly was signed to direct after Barbra was signed to star. Barbra grew up with a huge crush on Gene Kelly (and had seen him in Marjorie Morningstar the year before - and had fallen for him in that film, it was dream of hers to be in a film with him). Anyhow - Kelly had issues directing women. ( Read more... )
Walter Mathau - Mathau didn't want to do the film either - but got signed on for it. Streisand first met Mathau backstage in Piper Laurie's dressing room in the early 1960s. He popped his head in and looked at Streisand. "Oh, Barbara Harris, nice to see you. Did you get a nose job? Could have done better." And left. Streisand didn't know what to make of the comment. Years later she's acting opposite him in a movie and having a terrible time of it.
( why Mathau and Kelly had issues with her - and you'll never guess why? )
3. Platonic Friendship with Marlon Brando and the Movie Business
Streisand first met Brando in the early 1960s when she was pregnant with her son Jason, then again in 1972. Streisand said she had two huge crushes on movie stars growing up - one was on Gene Kelly, the other was Marlon Brando, who she considered to be the Greatest Actor who ever lived.
( Streisand, Brando and the film business )
ETA: Streisand talks a bit more about Brando - how much like Streisand, he did not return to the stage or theater after his early runs of I Remember Mama and Streetcar Named Desire (and wanted to be let out of the role).
He like her - struggled with the press. ( Read more... )
What Streisand says about the Entertainment Business (note the Business itself, not the creation of the art) is not good, although nothing that I didn't already know from various sources personal and otherwise. My brother's worked and interacted with it, and has close friends in it. I've had various actor friends who've worked within it. And my sister-in-law's family was closely involved within it. Plus every memoir I've listened to or read about it - says the same things. Without exception they all state how Fame nearly destroyed them, and how they tried to cope with it.
What's interesting about the Streisand memoir - is she doesn't speak ill of anyone who is a)currently alive (at least not so far), or b) hasn't spoken ill of her, or didn't gossip about her. Anthony Newly hurt her - but she doesn't explain how or go into details. And she's relatively vague about her divorce and marriage to Gould (just stating what is already known and dispelling any rumors about cheating). She does explain and speak ill of those who did attack her when they were alive and tried to destroy her career and feed the media gossip machine. I kind of respect her for that?
1. Anthony Newley and the pitfalls of holding a grudge. It took a minute or two to remember who he was. He was a popular British singer/song writer/composer and actor in the 1960s and early 70s. A triple threat - so to speak. Kind of like Burt Bacharach? Or similar musical style - just not quite as successful. Died sometime in the 1990s. You may know him for the musical scores to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (the musical version with Gene Wilder), and Doctor Dolittle.
Here - Anthony Newley and Sammy Davis Jr singing Newley's song "The Candy Man"
Apparently Streisand had a brief fling with Newley in 1971, after divorcing Gould.( Read more... )
2. Hello Dolly and the pitfalls of the White Male Boys Club
This was fascinating. Some back story? For years, it had been bandied about in various unauthorized biographies (which are basically gossipy works by so-called journalists who acquire tidbits from other people about the person whose life they are chronicling) and gossip columns that Streisand was a terror on Hello Dolly. That she was trying to direct the film, was a perfectionist and control freak, and Walter Matthau had a blow up, and hated each other. And Matthau believed she was trying to play director, and had pushed to get into the picture and pushed for someone else to star opposite, etc. And Gene Kelly had issues with her.
Here's a 1969 interview with Streisand from Good Housekeeping that pushed back against the rumors at the time, and discusses the jealousy, envy and resentment of the gossip columns which hated Streisand for not playing along with them.
( excerpt )
The truth is more complicated, of course. Per Streisand's memoir - Streisand was signed to Dolly long before either Matthau was cast or Gene Kelly was set to direct. She didn't want to do it. And tried to get out of it, but was informed by both her manager and Ernest Lehman, the producer, that it would be a serious breach of contract. She'd read the play, and seen it - and felt at 23 that she was too young for the part. It was for a much older woman (she still feels that way). But they said a young woman could be a widow. She also felt that Mathau was wrong for the romantic male lead - but she had not control. However, she got along famously with the producer - Ernie.
* Gene Kelly - Kelly was signed to direct after Barbra was signed to star. Barbra grew up with a huge crush on Gene Kelly (and had seen him in Marjorie Morningstar the year before - and had fallen for him in that film, it was dream of hers to be in a film with him). Anyhow - Kelly had issues directing women. ( Read more... )
Walter Mathau - Mathau didn't want to do the film either - but got signed on for it. Streisand first met Mathau backstage in Piper Laurie's dressing room in the early 1960s. He popped his head in and looked at Streisand. "Oh, Barbara Harris, nice to see you. Did you get a nose job? Could have done better." And left. Streisand didn't know what to make of the comment. Years later she's acting opposite him in a movie and having a terrible time of it.
( why Mathau and Kelly had issues with her - and you'll never guess why? )
3. Platonic Friendship with Marlon Brando and the Movie Business
Streisand first met Brando in the early 1960s when she was pregnant with her son Jason, then again in 1972. Streisand said she had two huge crushes on movie stars growing up - one was on Gene Kelly, the other was Marlon Brando, who she considered to be the Greatest Actor who ever lived.
( Streisand, Brando and the film business )
ETA: Streisand talks a bit more about Brando - how much like Streisand, he did not return to the stage or theater after his early runs of I Remember Mama and Streetcar Named Desire (and wanted to be let out of the role).
He like her - struggled with the press. ( Read more... )