"Florenz Ziegfeld.....Now....Presents.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                   Oh, my God, girls, wait till you hear this one!  I fell off my chair, in utter disbelief.

                                    It was a quiet evening at home.  I was in the living room, reading, and David was in the bedroom, watching a screening of "Funny Girl, " on TV.  As soon as I recognized the soundtrack, I popped in and out to see a couple of the numbers, like "I'm The Greatest Star!." and "People."

                                     But the number of all numbers in this film is the Ziegfeld bridal number, which is "His Love Makes Me Beautiful."  On a small screen, you can see how faux it is; the girls in Sixties hair styles and make-up trying to impersonate 1920's Ziegfeld girls, the skimpy costumes which look like they came from a hookers' store on Sunset Strip, masquerading as Follies costumes, and then, of course, BARBRA, in all her campy glory--on the tube.

                                     This is why "Funny Girl" has to be seen on the screen.  And then those gay chorus boys, singing about them being the lucky gents getting married to the most beautiful brides in the world, when whom they wanted to marry was each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      Yet on screen, this sequence looks so real.  As does the "Don't Rain On My Parade" sequence, ending the film's first half!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         Casually, I asked my beloved, David, if he had ever seen "Funny Girl" on the screen, thinking, of course, that he had!  I could not believe it when he said, "No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                            I mean, this is Gay Cinema 101!  Not to have seen THIS on the screen?  In fifty years?

                                             I have to remedy this.  But, short of being BARBRA herself, how do I arrange for a special screening????????????????

                                             So, girls, never assume anything!

                                             Look how campy this looks on a small screen!

                                              For years, during this period of my life, when the film came out, I would sing the chorus boys refrain:  "You are so BEEEEEEEEEEEEAUTIFUL!,"
followed by BARBRA's camp response, "I AM SOOOOO BEAAAAAAAAAAUTIFUL!"

                                              And now I am doing it again, half a century later!

                                             I have GOT to make sure David sees this film properly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!