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We all know that Streisand (1) won the Best Actress Oscar for Funny Girl; (2) was the second biggest box office star of the 1970's (second to Clint Eastwood); and (3) is one of the biggest film stars of all-time. But did you know that not all of her movie career was a success story? Yes, there were flops, both critical and $$$, and that's what this page is for. In addition, given that it is no secret that Babs' movie career is "on the rocks", I've included a brief list of movies that had or could have the potential of reviving the Diva's sunken movie career. Finally, due to popular demand, I've included a complete filmography with a fair rating of each Streisand film.
| The Worst Movies |
| The Flops |
| The Most Boring Films |
| The Revival Films |
| Louis' Honest Filmography |
After playing larger-than-life characters in features such as Funny Girl and Hello Dolly, Barbra decided she wanted to be human again. And she succeeded. For the most part, this movie is about as exciting as peering out your ordinary window, watching your ordinary street, on an ordinary day...
More Up The Sandbox. This time with a blond wig. This movie is about a "sexy" housewife with two or more men fighting over her. How could Barbra resist?
When the highlight of your movie is the disco theme song, what is one to do? If you're Barbra Streisand, the answer is obvious: show your BUNS! This is the first (and only) of Her movies where the most pronounced body parts are not the fingernails.
Somehow, a book about a tormented man, who happens to have a suicidal sister and a younger brother who has an affair with the beautiful psychiatrist who treats the suicidal sister, TURNS into a movie about the younger brother and the psychiatrist. And guess who plays the beautiful, well-manicured psychiatrist?
This is the second of three films where Barbra plays the role of a hooker. Now, I wouldn't say she was exactly typecast, but she certainly didn't mind the challenge. In this particular extravaganza, she starts off as a housewife (Henrietta) who needs money for husband Pete (hence, the creative title). So, in her despair, she becomes a hooker. Henrietta's first "customer" dies (sort of) as she tries to provide this unique type of service. But he wasn't the only one who passed away, so did the audience. For a full review, click here.
Probably Barbra's last film. This is the "remake" of a foreign film which tells a somewhat tragic story of an ugly lady who undergoes plastic surgery to improve her chances of happiness. No one knew exactly how Barbra was planning to tell this story, but concern mounted when Barbra indicated her "Rose Morgan" was not going to undergo plastic surgery; instead she would become beautiful using the "power of the mind". Of course, Barbra never quite clarified whose mind she was talking about.
Of the several different cost figures reported for this one, $45 million seems the most likely. With that high a cost, it's no wonder that Barbra agreed to appear on Oprah to help promote Mirror. Initially, the strategy appeared to pay off, with an impressive $12.2 million opening week. However, in the weeks to follow, the comedy quickly lost steam, mostly due to negative word-of-mouth. It seems the audience, including some of her usually loyal fans, found the film too "self-referential", which is a fancy way of saying the movie was somewhat auto-biographical (as are a number of Streisand films). Still, many enjoyed the plot, until Rose underwent her "transformation" from ugly-duckling to blond, buxom, leggy beauty. At 55, Barbra was just not convincing as the blond bombshell who dumps Pierce Brosnan, turns heads at the local bar, and incites the jealousy of sister Mimi Rogers.
The movie went on to gross $40 million in the USA and about $24 million in the rest of the world. Still, these figures were not enough to cover the cost of the movie and its distribution.
After Yentl, Streisand had reportedly signed a $20 million 3-picture deal with Warner Brothers. This deal came as a surprise, given that Streisand had not had a major hit in 7 years (Yentl, though not a flop, was certainly no blockbuster). Nuts, a little known courtroom drama, became part of this deal. Why Nuts? Barbra, tired of always doing comedies, musicals and love stories, wanted to prove she could be a serious, dramatic actress. And she almost succeeded, except that this part required a little too great a stretch of the viewer's imagination. You see, this movie is about a hooker who somehow ends up with a dead customer (suddenly, I'm reminded of For Pete's Sake), and ends up in jail trying to prove her sanity. So far, this seems doable for Streisand. However, there was one minor detail: this particular call girl was supposed to be the best, highest-paid in her field. Somehow, Streisand (44 at the time) just didn't fit the bill.
There are no known accurate cost figures for this one; however, some claim the legal research alone cost millions. A good guess is that this film did not recoup even half of its productions costs, let alone distribution costs. As for the $20 million, 3-picture deal? It's never been heard of again.
Streisand became famous for playing characters much younger than her. Hello Dolly!, however, was the big exception. And quite "big", given its reported $20+ million price tag (a huge sum in the late 1960's). Still, movie audiences don't seem to mind younger women playing older parts. So, what went wrong with this one?
For starters, many had wanted Carol Channing (of the original cast) to play Dolly and resented Barbra, who had already become the most sought after actress in Hollywood. True, Carol was the right age for the part, but let's be realistic, the Channing voice on a great day just can't compete with the Streisand voice on its worst day (even if Streisand's worst day involves a flu, laryngitis, etc...) Many of these Channing supporters gave negative reviews of Streisand's characterization of Dolly, inisting she was miscast. To Barbra's credit, they were wrong. Looking back, Barbra was magnificent (even adorable) as Dolly. She sung the part brilliantly, sparkled in the musical numbers, and stole the show from the moment she set foot on the screen. So again I ask, what went wrong with this one?
Gene Kelly (former musical star and Dolly's director) was in over his head with this musical. Of the many mistakes he made were: (1) casting Walter Matthau as Dolly's love interest, (2) casting Michael Crawford (Phantom of the Opera) as Cornelius, (3) producing endless, unimaginative dance sequences that in some cases didn't involve the protagonists, and (4) spending too much time on sub-plots. Walter and Michael were plain awful in this picture, and like the rest of the supporting cast, lacked star quality. So, everytime Streisand left the screen, boredom quickly set in.
With all its flaws, Barbra was still able to pull in enough fans to gross over $15 million, a decent sum at the time, but not enough to cover the film's exagerated cost.
This is the real-life story of a superstar who does a favor to her ungrateful agent. At the time, Streisand was already planning to do Yentl, but felt a light-hearted movie would be a welcome break before her intense directorial debut. Conveniently, Sue Mengers (Barbra's agent) had the perfect project in mind: All Night Long. Barbra had learned to trust Sue, and accordingly, overlooked several key facts: (1) Sue's husband was the director of this picture, (2) Sue's husband had no experience directing movies, and (3) the role of the adulterous dumb blonde Cheryl Gibbons was simply not superstar material. Well, maybe Streisand didn't overlook all this, perhaps she felt her $4 million salary (at the time, the highest ever paid to an actress, and the highest paid for a secondary role -- male or female) was enough to compensate. (Honestly, for $4 million, I would have taken the part...)
Appropriately, the movie was panned by both the critics and the movie going crowds, who felt the movie lived up to its title: you did feel like it lasted All Night Long . Ironically, some members of the "anti-Barbra brigade" liked this movie (eg, Rolling Stone Magazine). Incidentally, Barbra fired Sue Mengers shortly after this fiasco.
Barbra and several other superstars had created the company First Artists in order to have greater artistic control over their movies. So, of course, they started trying to do "art" movies with grandiose messages, social importance, and whatever else. Streisand's first pick was Up the Sandbox, a book supposedly about women's issues. Prior to January 1999, I couldn't say much about this picture; in my various attempts to view it, I'd never been able to stay awake.
In January 1999, I finally purchased the Laserdisc Widescreen version of Up the Sandbox. About halfway through the movie, I once again slipped into a coma; however, with these new responsibilities to accurately report on Streisand's body of work, I forced myself out of the couch and into the kitchen for whatever supply of caffiene I had on hand. So now, after 20 years (drumroll, please), I can finally say I've seen all of this movie. And I must say, it isn't as bad as I imagined--it's actually worse. The plot, the story of a bored housewife whose only release is her vivid imagination, is not only pathetic, but poorly executed. Even Streisand loses her touch in several of the "fantasy" sequences. In one particular sequence, Margaret imagines herself to be part of a terrorist plot to blow up the Statue of Liberty. Why the director and Streisand figured Margaret would imagine herself blowing up this icon of American culture in the same housewife outfit she usually wears is beyond me. Even in her fantasy, Margaret looks like an out-of-place, everyday housewife, not like a terrorist. What kind of fantasy is this?
Even at the height of her career (this movie was sandwiched between What's Up Doc? and The Way We Were), Streisand couldn't sell this dull project to even her most fanatical audiences. Arguably, it is the lowest grossing of the Streisand films.
Like Hello Dolly!, this musical came at a time when movie going audiences had grown reluctant to spending their hard earned dollars on big-budget musicals that seemed to have no script or story to tell. However, On a Clear Day tried to tell a story (admittedly an implausible one) about reincarnation and ESP (extra-sensory perception).
This movie suffered the same fate as Hello Dolly!. Though Barbra performed well and sang brilliantly, neither she nor Director Vicente Minelli could make up for lackluster costar Yves Montand. Just listening to this man sing was more than audiences were willing to bear.
The movie attracted some film fans, but not enough to cover its high costs. Still, it remains one of Streisand's finest performances, and a tribute to Vicente Minelli's brilliant use of color.
What would a Streisand Movie Page be without Yentl? Even though it is regarded by many as Streisand's greatest film, this movie cannot escape this page. For no matter how meaningful the story, how carefully researched, how painstakingly directed, nothing can change the fact that this feature is boring. Reality check: There isn't a director on earth or in the grave (Spielberg and Cameron included) who could turn a story about a girl who wants to read the Talmud (or any other Isaac Bashevis Singer story, for that matter) into entertainment.
Streisand tried hard to make this exciting: she turned it into a musical (in which she sang every song), and made sure she was in every scene (except maybe two). And what did she get in return for all this? Nothing less than a scathing piece by Yentl's creator himself (Isaac Bashevis Singer) who brutally attacked Streisand's Yentl. Actually, the attack was more directed at Streisand.
The critics were somewhat kinder to Yentl, but the movie going crowd was mixed. Though enough of them showed up to make the film a moderate hit, several noted the following problems with Yentl:
What would it take to revive the Diva's ailing career? Perhaps the more accurate questions is, "What would it take to
resurrect the Streisand film career?" In any case, I will be polite and use the term "revive". The following lists
the films I believe could have returned (or could return) Barbra to a bankable star status.
"Barbra Gets Lucky!" Of course, the original one-liner for this movie was "Chucky Gets Lucky!" This movie
was the fourth part of the endless and timeless Child Play saga which starts when a serial killer, about to die, uses a voodoo
incantation to transfer his soul out of his soon-to-be corpse and into another body. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) at the
time of his incantation, no human bodies were nearby so he wound up trapped in a doll. In this fourth installment, the killer's
former girlfriend (played by Jennifer Tilly), still in love with him, locates the doll, and summons him back to life. And how does he repay her? By sending
her spirit into that of a bridal doll. But, she still loves him anyway. As Barbra would say, "for whatever My Man is, I am his, forever more....."
As I watched this soon-to-be cult classic, I couldn't help to think how Barbra, with her penchant for BLACK (and tight) dresses, would
have been perfect --and believable-- as Chucky's lovesick girlfriend. Not to mention that unrequited love is just the thing Barbra is
made for (remember The Way We Were?)
As Goldie Hawn so eloquently put it (in The First Wives' Club), there are three phases to a movie actress' career: Babe, District Attorney, and Driving Miss Daisy.
Should I take a stab at guessing what phase Barbra's career is in?
The stage musical, that is. Which is exactly the same as the Gloria Swanson movie except for the musical score. This is the story
of fifty year-old Norma Desmond, who in her youth was Hollywood's greatest star. At fifty, she spends her life as a recluse in her mansion located on Sunset Boulevard, with her mind
focused on making a comeback. By accident, she comes across a broke scriptwriter, whom she hires to edit her comeback script. The script is about the trials and tribulations of young, sexy, irresitible, and beautiful "Salome". And how, you ask, could a 50-year-old woman fancy
herself as a young sex symbol? Well, it actually appears to be a common ocurrence amongst aging movie actresses...just check out The Vanity Productions.
Many Streisand fans have viewed this as the perfect vehicle for her given her age, and the fact that she's already sung several of the musical's songs. It is
no secret that Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber (composer of the musical) would be more than happy to have Streisand and her voice starring in the movie version of this musical. Sir Andrew knows, better than anyone, the importance
of a great voice, after having to endure Madonna in Evita (which he also composed). Will it happen? Who knows ($$$).
This stage musical was originally produced in the 1970's. Back then, the story about a sensationalized murder trial, in which the guilty are found innocent thanks to an unscrupulous lawyer and an incompetent jury, appeared way too far-fetched. Accordingly, the musical failed. It wasn't until the 1990's, or to be more
exact, until the post-OJ Simpson era, that this musical was rediscovered. It appears the Simpson trial turned this once incredible story into a relevant and current social commentary on the failings of our justice system. Of course, the version I saw in DC added a few new touches to better reflect current events, such as changing the murderers' defense attorney from a white man to an African-American gentlemen. (Yes, Johnnie Cochran, you have made your mark.)
The story centers around Roxie Hart and her prisonmate Velma, who murdered their husbands but are claiming innocence. Of course, convincing the jury of their "innocence" is only half the battle; the other half is using the publicity to make some extra bucks (some people!) Anyway, back to Barbra. With the excellent musical score, great comedy moments, etc., this project is a great
vehicle for any actress. The owners of the rights to make the movie tried to cast Goldie Hawn as Roxie and Madonna as Velma, but instead ended up with Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Despite the fact that neither of these two can sing, the resulting movie is a musical masterpiece and another lost opportunity for Babs.
"Cruella DeVille, Cruella DeVille...If she doesn't scare ya, no evil thing will..."
Of course, I'm referring to the live version of this classic Disney tale, where Cruella is a rich, "insufferable shrew with an ego the size of
Montana"... And you wonder why I thought this would've been a great vehicle for Barbra? (BTW, hats off to Glenn Close for her brilliant performance as Miss DeVille.)
This is the movie about several reporters chasing after a witch. I'll leave the rest up to your imagination.
Am I the only one whose noticed that Streisand's hands seem to have a life of their own? Just watch them in A Star is Born if you don't believe me. Recently, I was watching this virtually unknown movie called Quicksilver Highway. I'm a big Stephen King fan and saw his name on the box so I rented it. It was sort of a compilation of several short stories, one of which was about the
rebellion of the hands. It starts when a plastic surgeon notices his inability to control his hands. Later, as he sleeps, we see his two hands talking to each other and staging the rebellion of the hands. Eventually, (I won't go into the gory details), one of the hands gets loose and starts rallying support from other hands in order to
free the "messiah" hand (ie, the surgeon's right hand). As I saw the hands running all over the screen, I couldn't help but think how perfect Streisand's long, bony hands would have been for this part.
The two legends of horror finally meet. It's Freddy Krueger from The Nightmare on Elm Street Series and Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th Series. Like the say, true evil never dies. Anyway, to get Jason to do his bidding, Freddy poses as Jason's mother. As Jason's mother appeared on the screen, I thought, this should be Babs! She is the right age, also has a son named Jason, and has a personality only a Voorhees could love. Of course, it wouldn't have hurt to add a third legend of horror to his movie.
Freddy Vs. Jason
The following table lists all of Streisand's films by title, type, hit/flop, and rating. The ratings are
scored on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is "plain awful" and 10 is "just perfect."
| MOVIE TITLE | TYPE | FLOP/HIT | RATING | GROSS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funny Girl | Musical | Hit | 8 | $52,223,306 |
| Hello, Dolly! | Musical | Flop | 7 | $15,000,000 (est) |
| On a Clear Day | Musical | Flop | 7 | $14,000,000 |
| The Owl & the Pussy Cat | Comedy | Hit | 8 | $11,000,000(est) |
| What's Up Doc | Comedy | Hit | 9 | $66,000,000 |
| Up the Sandbox | Drama | Flop | 1 | $2,000,000 (est) |
| The Way We Were | Drama | Hit | 7 | $45,000,000 |
| For Pete's Sake | Comedy | Hit | 4 | $15,000,000 (est) |
| Funny Lady | Musical | Hit | 5 | $39,000,000 |
| A Star Is Born | Musical | Hit | 5 | $80,000,000 |
| The Main Event | Comedy | Hit | 4 | $42,800,000 |
| All Night Long | Comedy | Flop | 1 | $4,454,295 |
| Yentl | Musical | Hit | 5 | $40,218,899 |
| Nuts | Drama | Flop | 4 | $30,950,002 |
| The Prince of Tides | Drama | Hit | 4 | $74,787,599 |
| The Mirror Has 2 Faces | Comedy | Flop | 5 | $41,083,864 |
| Meet the Fockers | Comedy | HIT | 8 | $279,261,160 |
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The Irreverent Guide to Barbra Streisand wishes to thank the following sources of inspiration for this web page...
On second thought, maybe not.
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