MovieChat Forums > Funny Girl (1968) Discussion > Original ending

Original ending

posted 21 years ago by briggz
11 replies | jump to latest

When the movie first opened, the ending was very dramatic. As Streisand sang "My Man" the camera backed away from all the way to the top and back of the theater and all you could see of her was a white dot on the stage -- the entire theater was filled with her voice. Pauline Kael singled out this ending as great movie-making.

A few months later I saw the movie again and the ending had been changed to a much more mundane medium shot of Streisand's head and hands. Very disappointing compared to the original.

I just watched the DVD -- it contains the revised ending.

Does anyone know why the ending was changed and if it is possible to get a copy of the original?

[–] rosinryanz 21 years ago

Wild Guess - Maybe when you saw the film in 70mm it appeared that way.

[–] Flipper 20 years ago

I saw the film in its original reserved seat run in New York City in 1968 and it had the same ending I have always seen, the medium shot. Do you have a copy of Pauline Kael's review or is it available on line?

“Is it... atomic?!” “Yes sir, very atomic!”

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] Flipper 20 years ago

Do you have it? What does she say about this alleged "white dot" shot?

“Is it... atomic?!” “Yes sir, very atomic!”

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] Flipper 20 years ago

I suspect, then, that the original poster has misremembered both the Kael review and the cinematography of the musical number and that there is no alternate version and no long tracking shot to or from the back of the house. A two-and-one-quarter-minute solo number consisting of only two shots is quite bravura enough to get Ms. K's attention, and remembering it as only one shot is an understandable error.

I do recall a long tracking shot from around the same time with a stage performer seeming like a white dot on the screen, but it was the opening number of Darling Lili.

Thanks for taking the trouble to locate the original quote.

“Is it... atomic?!” “Yes sir, very atomic!”

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] mark-1589 11 years ago

I certainly don't know one way or another. I was too young when this film came out.

However, it would surprise me greatly for William Wyler to make such a dramatic change in the last shot after the film had already opened.

[–] Dunewalker-620-44376 9 years ago

I saw the movie two weeks after it debuted and it closed with the medium shot.