This is one of my favorite musicals, but I always wondered about the opening credits. Why did they bathe the background photos of old New York in bright, changing,fluorescent colors? The colors reminded me of the flight sequence from "2001". The fluorescence always made it difficult to both read the credits and see the history of old New York through the photos shown. What were the producers thinking?
shareShulma - yes, I always wondered about that. The credits are difficult to read. The same old, turn of the century photos, but done in black and white or sepia, would have been terrific.
The colors reminded me of the flight sequence from "2001".You've answered your own question. This was 1968 and everybody was beginning to go psychedelic.
I was disappointed that the Overture recorded on the soundtrack album was not used during the opening credits. It was orchestrated beautifully. The orchestral arrangement of "People" used during the opening sequence in the final product is actually the closing credits music on the soundtrack.
shareLike most movies that originally played roadshow engagements (and not just musicals), the overture played without visuals before the movie started. The Funny Girl overture heard in roadshow also contained "Second Hand Rose," which was trimmed out of the LP release (perhaps because the song itself wasn't included on the LP, and also perhaps because otherwise the overture is completely Jule Styne).
But I somewhat agree. The title sequence seems rushed and perfunctory, sort of an anti-climax after the overture, unlike Sweet Charity, say.
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Neon Pink! Neon Blue! It just didn't fit the period that the film took place in. The "font" that the credits were written in was nice, however.
DT - Interestingly, the "quadraphonic" version of the FG soundtrack contained "Second Hand Rose" in the pre-credits overture.
It also eliminated the intro to "Don't Rain On My Parade" - the version on this LP starts with Streisand singing "DON'T" like in the movie itself.
Very interesting, mikwalen. Did the quadrophonic version come out at the same time as the LP or later? Is the rest of the "Don't Rain on My Parade" cut like the LP, or does it reflect the interruption as it happens in the movie?
Two hours on the court and then an hour of constructive criticism.
I believe the quadraphonic came out at the same time. I happen to know this info only because in the summer of 79, I purchased a new copy of the album (my grandma bought my first copy for me in 1973 after I watched FG's TV premier on WABC). The copy that I bought in 1979 was a "regular" stereo version of the quad album - other than the missing into on "Parade", that track was the same as on the previous version of the LP.
I also noticed a sound quality difference from the LP that I had from '73 - it seemed to be "remixed". Certain instruments that I was used to hearing were not as prominent, while others that were in the background were louder. Also, Streisand's voice was almost drowned towards the end of the "Greatest Star" track, and the voices of the poker ladies were lower in volume on "If A Girl Isn't Pretty".
This whole issue of inclusion of Second Hand Rose in the overture is very puzzling indeed. I literally wore out my first copy of the LP (purchased sometime around 1970), and bought another one several years later (79/80?). My recollection of exactly what year they were purchased is hazy. I do know the second copy was substantially before the advent of mainstream CD technology.
The former didn't include SHR, the latter did. I agree with mikwalen, the later version also sounded "re-engineered"---perhaps this was part of the process of releasing it in "quad".
I've noticed some live musicals use a similar technique. Bathing the curtain in shifting colored lights during the overture. I don't know if this is a recent thing, possibly influenced by movie musical overtures as in Funny Girl and West Side Story. If it's not a new thing, maybe the opening credits and overture in this movie were trying to emulate the theatrical lights. Just a guess.
As for the garish colors, chalk it up to a poor choice influenced by the era when the film was made.
the garish colors were very much of their time but were much easier to read on the big screen.
shareThe color scheme of the opening credits is very '1960s'.
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