Fanny Brice

This Newark- and Brooklyn-bred comedian and singer was a favorite on stage and radio from the 1910s through her death in 1951, though she never quite broke through in movies. Brice started her career singing in amateur contests and movie houses, working her way up to revues and burlesque. Her big break came when Florenz Ziegfeld signed her for his "Follies of 1910," as a singing comedienne. Brice made her name with the "Follies." Brice appeared in seven "Follies" through 1923, as well as Ziegfeld's "Midnight Frolics" from 1915-1921. Her strong, clear voice could be used in straight songs, such as "Rose of Washington Square" and her signature tune "My Man" (which she introduced in 1921). But she was best known for her comic songs, often done with a Yiddish accent: "The Sheik of Avenue B," "Second Hand Rose," "Sadie Salome." While most closely identified with the "Follies," Brice also appeared in "The Music Box Revue" (1924), "Sweet and Low," and Billy Rose's "Crazy Quilt." Her only non-musical show was "Fanny" (1926). After Ziegfeld's death, Brice appeared in two posthumous "Follies" produced by the Shuberts, in 1934 and 1936. She made two early talkies, "My Man" (1928) and "Be Yourself!" (1930) before returning to the stage. She played herself in the biopic "The Great Ziegfeld" (1936) and did a sketch in the variety film "The Ziegfeld Follies" (1946). Her only other film was as Judy Garland's maid in "Everybody Sing" (1938). Radio, however, brought Brice a worldwide fame, eclipsing even her stage career. She had done guest spots on radio shows as early as 1932, and in 1938 debuted her own program. Brice played Baby Snooks, a mischievous child always getting into scrapes and annoying her "Daddy." The show ran through 1949 on CBS Radio and was thereafter picked up by NBC, where it ran until Brice's death in 1951.