1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:04,080 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you missed in History Class from how 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 1: I'm Holly Fry and I'm Tracy V. Wilson. And before 4 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: we get started on talking about part two of Fanny 5 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: Brace's life, we should mention again that we are going 6 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: to Paris. We are, and that if you're hearing this 7 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: you could go with us. You could. So this episode 8 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: is coming out towards the end of March, and the 9 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:37,200 Speaker 1: final deadline for people to book the trip is April third. Yeah, 10 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: and we would love to have you with us. It's 11 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: gonna be so fun. We're staying in this really darling 12 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: hotel right near the Moulin Rouge. The neighborhood looks fantastic. 13 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: There's lots of cute little restaurants and fun places, and 14 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: we're there for long enough it is June two to 15 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:51,839 Speaker 1: the ninth, so that it starts to feel like you're 16 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: own little home away from home, which I love. Yeah, 17 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: there's gonna be a really good mix of there's a 18 00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: lot of planned activities, but there's also plenty of free time, 19 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: so you won't be glued to a group the whole time. 20 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 1: If you want to go explore on your own. You 21 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:07,199 Speaker 1: have enough time to do that. Yeah. As an introverted person, 22 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: I understand the value of some unstructured, potentially solo time. 23 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 1: Uh yeah, but it's gonna be fun. No matter how 24 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: you like to travel, we have you covered. If you 25 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 1: are a solo person traveling, great, don't be afraid to 26 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:23,759 Speaker 1: join us because there will be plenty of other solo people. 27 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: If you want to bring a friend or a loved one, 28 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,319 Speaker 1: also great. We're just gonna have a great time. We're 29 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 1: gonna learn all about the French Revolution and visit lots 30 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 1: of historically significant sites. So if this all sounds like 31 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: fun to you, and I promise it's gonna be, you 32 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: can come to our website missed in history dot com. 33 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 1: If you look at the menu bar at the top 34 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: of the page, there is a link that says Paris 35 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 1: Trip with an exclamation point to convey our deep excitement. 36 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:47,319 Speaker 1: You can click on that. It's going to take you 37 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 1: to all the information, tell you how to sign up. 38 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: If that is something that you think you should do, 39 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: I think you should do it. It's just gonna be amazing. Uh. 40 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: But moving on from that, we're talking today about Fanny 41 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: Brice are two the this uh is, like I said, 42 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: Part two of our look at the life of comedian 43 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 1: Fanny Brice, whose personal life was often a mess, even 44 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 1: though her on stage personas were all about laughter. If 45 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 1: you have not listened to the first episode, I highly 46 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: encourage you to do so, because we are basically jumping 47 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,679 Speaker 1: in with part two exactly where we stopped the last time. 48 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: So if you are not up to speed on that, 49 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: none of this is going to make any sense. When 50 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: we left off at the end of part one, Fanny 51 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 1: had decided to join Nick Ernstein on a trip to London, 52 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 1: and the two of them had a great time living 53 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 1: basically as a married couple while Fanny worked on the 54 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:42,359 Speaker 1: London stages and Nick allegedly did some business. Yeah that's 55 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: business with air quotes. When Nick and Fanny returned to 56 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:49,519 Speaker 1: New York in the fall, they moved into a new apartment, 57 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 1: and that meant that they were leaving Fanny's mother Rose 58 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: behind in the old one. Fanny and her mother had 59 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: been living together for a long time. Fanny and Nick 60 00:02:57,480 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: set up their new house on West fifty eight Street, 61 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:02,959 Speaker 1: and their apartment soon became sort of a socializing nexus 62 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 1: where everyone from her mother's poker group, which was like 63 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 1: very small, anti fun too high level politicians would all 64 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: come and share drinks and a laugh with the entertainer 65 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 1: and her charming allegedly businessman Paramore. And the two traveled 66 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: again to London and Fanny was going to start an 67 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: engagement there, but the start of World War One quickly 68 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 1: ended that plan and she and Nick returned to New York. 69 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 1: Nick had used Fanny's money to start a number of 70 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: business ventures. All of them started out with great gusto, 71 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: and then they slowly fell apart as he lost interest 72 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: in them. He'd go away on business trips with only 73 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: a vague sense of information and then show up in 74 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: whatever city Fanny was touring to try to take her 75 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 1: a dinner after the show. Yeah, he lived a little 76 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: bit of a cloak and dagger life. He would just 77 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: be like, oh, it's boring business, and not really tell 78 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 1: her any details of what he was doing. A few 79 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: years into their relationship, while Fanny was working on a 80 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: musical comedy called Hands Up, Nick's illegal means of money 81 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: may King got him into very serious trouble. He had 82 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: been working with a group of criminals known as the 83 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 1: Gondorf Raing. Those were named for the brothers at the 84 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: center of it, and the Gondorf's in this particular instance, 85 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 1: were involved in wire tapping. On June fifteen, Nick was 86 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:18,719 Speaker 1: sentenced to time in Sing Sing after a jury found 87 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:22,160 Speaker 1: him guilty. In all this, Fanny paid not only for 88 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: his bail, which was a massive twenty five thousand dollars, 89 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: but also for lawyers to mount appeals in the case 90 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: She worked, but she primarily stayed in New York rather 91 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: than going on tour during this appeals process because she 92 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: wanted to be near Nick. Once all the appeals had 93 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 1: run out and Nick was incarcerated. She had used her 94 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: influence and every way she could to try to make 95 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 1: his time in prison as easy as possible. She visited 96 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 1: him at least once a week. She always brought him 97 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 1: home cooked meals and fawned over him while he was 98 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 1: in there. Yeah, she had really like her influence as 99 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:56,719 Speaker 1: well as the influence of some of his other um 100 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: associates who had a lot of power. Basically made this 101 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 1: as close to like staying in a hotel as you 102 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 1: could be while you were incarcerated. Like he would hang 103 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 1: out with the warden and have dinner with the warden 104 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: in his apartment, and it was not a case of 105 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 1: what you would call hard time. It was also during 106 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 1: this time that Fanny started collaborating with Blanche Merrill, a songwriter, 107 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: to build on some of the character style singing that 108 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 1: she had done while she was appearing in the Zigfeld Follies. Blanche, 109 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,360 Speaker 1: who was a collaborator with her for years after this, 110 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 1: put together numbers that would become Fanny's bread and butter 111 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: over the next several years, including Becky's back in the 112 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: Ballet and the Yiddish Bride. As she ramped up these 113 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 1: new songs, she got another message from Florenz Zigfeld offering 114 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,359 Speaker 1: her a return to the follies at a rate of 115 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: two hundred dollars per week. If you will recall from 116 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: our previous episode, she had negotiated rates much higher than 117 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: that after leaving the follies. Bryce at this point was 118 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 1: easily commanding a thousand dollars a week for her work, 119 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: so she replied with a snarky tee agram that read 120 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 1: Fanny Bryce found dead in her room and the hotel stop. 121 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 1: The only clue as a telegram signed by f zig 122 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: Felt Jr. Which was clutched in her hand. There are 123 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 1: a number of instances of snarky telegrams back and forth 124 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 1: between them over the years. Sometimes that caused some confusion 125 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 1: and misunderstanding between them, because, as you know, written word 126 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: is not always the best way to convey sarkas. So 127 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 1: sometimes one of them would take something seriously when the 128 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:32,839 Speaker 1: other was joking, or sometimes one or the other would 129 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: play the fact that there was ambiguity there and then 130 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:37,479 Speaker 1: maybe say something a little bit mean and then later 131 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:39,279 Speaker 1: be like, oh, no, you must understood it was a joke. 132 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 1: So they had a pretty respectful relationship of one another, 133 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:44,680 Speaker 1: but they did play a little rough in their in 134 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: their dealings. But Fanny also did not shut zig Field 135 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 1: out completely and they negotiated to more amenable terms. She 136 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:54,360 Speaker 1: ended up rejoining the Follies at the rate of five 137 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:57,280 Speaker 1: fifty dollars a week. That is a lot less than 138 00:06:57,320 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 1: she was getting elsewhere. However, there was also a lot 139 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: prestige to being part of his show, and that was 140 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 1: to her the trade off. The second time around with 141 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: the Follies was a triumph for Fanny. The new material 142 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:12,320 Speaker 1: that she had developed with Blanche Merrill was wildly successful. 143 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:15,960 Speaker 1: Fanny was always ambitious in her work, and this continued 144 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 1: to be true. Here she decided that she wanted to 145 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: transcend her variety bill roots and make a run at 146 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: a true play. Her first play was a show titled 147 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 1: Why Worry, But she should have worried. The play was 148 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: a mess, despite several rewrites that followed, just dismal preview reviews, 149 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 1: and Fanny was not great in it. Yeah, it was 150 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 1: just one of those cases where none of the magic 151 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: came together. In October nineteen eighteen, just a month after 152 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 1: Why Worry closed, Fanny finally got married to Nick Arnstein 153 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 1: once he had finalized his divorce. At that point, they 154 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: had been together six years, and Fanny had insisted that 155 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 1: after she waited through his prison term he had been 156 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 1: pardoned in July of that year, he had to marry 157 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 1: her or the whole thing was over. It was not 158 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 1: an easy road. Nick's wife, Carrie didn't want to grant 159 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: him a divorce, but then she was caught with another man, 160 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 1: which gave Nick leeway to pursue a legal divorce, whether 161 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 1: Carrie wanted it or not. Carrie went the litigious route 162 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 1: and sued Fanny for alienation of affections, claiming that Fanny 163 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: had stolen her husband. There was a lot of back 164 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:25,840 Speaker 1: and forth and cajoling on Nick's part, including getting Carrie 165 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 1: drunk and having her signed a paper that ended the 166 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: whole lawsuit, only to have her withdraw her promise to 167 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 1: drop the whole matter. But she did eventually agree to 168 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 1: a divorce and she left Fanny's name out of it. 169 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: All of the legalities of divorces at this time are 170 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 1: crazy to me, Like there's always like they would, even 171 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:48,560 Speaker 1: couples that were splitting amicably would kind of do these 172 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: strange pantomimes where like the man would check into a 173 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:54,960 Speaker 1: hotel with another woman who he wasn't actually involved with 174 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:57,440 Speaker 1: in any way, just so that someone could see him 175 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:00,319 Speaker 1: with another woman to give grounds for divorce because as 176 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 1: that was easier than them like claiming a reconcilable differences, 177 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:06,680 Speaker 1: which I think maybe didn't exist at the time, or 178 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:09,720 Speaker 1: you know, if the wife had maybe had some infidelity, 179 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:12,080 Speaker 1: it would be such a stain on her reputation that 180 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: sometimes the husband would take the hit in that way. 181 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: It was a little Banana's reading her biographies, they always 182 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:21,720 Speaker 1: mentioned all of this fancy footwork that people do just 183 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:25,360 Speaker 1: to get the divorce done. There had throughout all of 184 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 1: this divorce, madness been a ticking clock on the whole 185 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:32,600 Speaker 1: situation because Fanny was pregnant, and she was getting more 186 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 1: pregnant and more obviously pregnant by the day. Uh. For 187 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 1: a while, she wore like a special undergarment that kind 188 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:41,520 Speaker 1: of concealed her pregnancy on stage, but eventually there was 189 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 1: no way to even do that anymore. Uh. And not 190 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:47,440 Speaker 1: long after the wedding, she and Nick welcome their first child, 191 00:09:47,559 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 1: a daughter named frances And Fanny had continued to perform 192 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:53,920 Speaker 1: well into her third trimester, and she went back to 193 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: stage work as quickly as possible after the baby was born. 194 00:09:57,400 --> 00:09:59,439 Speaker 1: But while Francis was still a baby, at a time 195 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 1: when it seemed like their lives might be settling down, 196 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 1: things turned very turbulent again. When Fanny got home from 197 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 1: performing at a late night show in the very wee 198 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 1: hours of February. Her husband was packing a suitcase and 199 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 1: asked if she had been followed. He also told her 200 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:20,079 Speaker 1: that he was innocent, and then he left with no 201 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:24,320 Speaker 1: further explanation. She had no idea where he had gone. Yeah, 202 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 1: this was one of those times where uh. Nick Arnstein, 203 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:30,680 Speaker 1: who always had that ability to remain cool as a 204 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:34,320 Speaker 1: cucumber in every situation, actually appeared visibly stressed and it 205 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: really alarmed her, and within days Fanny Bryce was being 206 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:40,839 Speaker 1: interviewed by police. It turned out that Nick was being 207 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: accused of bond robbery, working with employees of Wall Street 208 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 1: brokerage houses and their messengers to steal small increments over 209 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:51,960 Speaker 1: the course of six months, totaling to a massive sum 210 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 1: of more than five million dollars. While Nick was accused 211 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 1: of planning the whole thing, in actuality, he was probably 212 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:02,360 Speaker 1: involved with about half of those thefts. Fanny was followed 213 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:06,200 Speaker 1: by police and she was questioned repeatedly, and the hope 214 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 1: was that she would give them some information about where 215 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: Nick had gone. She really had no idea though. She 216 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: was really open with the authorities and she didn't hide anything. 217 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: But she wasn't the least bit meek either. She made 218 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 1: it clear that she found the whole thing irksome and 219 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:23,680 Speaker 1: that she would not let them push her around. She 220 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:27,880 Speaker 1: had no problems sassing police. Uh. Eventually, Nick did reach 221 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:30,839 Speaker 1: out to Fanny by sending a coded note to their 222 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:33,080 Speaker 1: friend W. C. Fields, who she was working with at 223 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:36,080 Speaker 1: the time, and he then shared it with Bryce. And 224 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 1: that note mentioned a brazier shop on Second Avenue, and 225 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 1: after reading it, Fanny knew that she needed to go 226 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: to this brazier factory to receive calls from Nick. Once 227 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:49,400 Speaker 1: they communicated, he asserted to her that he was completely innocent, 228 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 1: and Fanny completely believed him. Over the course of the 229 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 1: next several months, Fanny was just consumed with stress. She 230 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:01,400 Speaker 1: lost twenty pounds, she couldn't sleep. The police and press 231 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:06,719 Speaker 1: hounded her everywhere she went. Eventually, Arnstein's attorney convinced him 232 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 1: to come back to New York. He met Fanny and 233 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 1: his attorney on May fift ninety and drove to the 234 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:15,560 Speaker 1: Assistant District Attorney's office to turn himself in. This might 235 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:18,640 Speaker 1: be too much for some women to endure, but apparently 236 00:12:18,679 --> 00:12:21,080 Speaker 1: not Fanny, even though it was obviously taking a toll 237 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 1: on her health. We're going to talk about how devoted 238 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:26,280 Speaker 1: she stayed through this whole ordeal after we have a 239 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:37,839 Speaker 1: quick sponsor break. As things continued to unravel and Nick's 240 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 1: highly publicized trial played out, Fanny stood by him. She 241 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: and Nick had their second child, William, named after his 242 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: father's attorney, during this time, and Fanny took care of 243 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 1: all of Nick's legal fees, just as she had the 244 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:54,320 Speaker 1: first time around. Even though she was shouldering all of 245 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 1: the financial burden in the situation, Arnstein was not particularly 246 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: loyal to her during this time. While he was staying 247 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:04,280 Speaker 1: in a hotel in Washington, d C. With his attorney 248 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:07,880 Speaker 1: for months away from Fanny, it became known that the 249 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 1: two men often entertained ladies late into the night, and 250 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:14,720 Speaker 1: they served alcohol in their rooms despite prohibition. But even 251 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:17,800 Speaker 1: as tales of Nick's infidelity reached her, Fanny was still 252 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:21,200 Speaker 1: completely blinded by her love, and she wrote off all 253 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 1: of his bad behavior as just being the result of stress. 254 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 1: Nick's first trial resulted in a hung jury, but he 255 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 1: was ultimately found guilty. He was sentenced the time in 256 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:35,280 Speaker 1: Leavenworth Penitentiary. He was incarcerated for nineteen months starting in 257 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:39,480 Speaker 1: Fanny still stuck with them the whole time. Although the 258 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:42,320 Speaker 1: two had started to fight and really fight for the 259 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 1: first time in the months leading up to his prison sentence, 260 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:47,679 Speaker 1: the adultery was getting to be too much. She was 261 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 1: starting to feel like she had always just been his pawn. Yeah, 262 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:54,080 Speaker 1: she really finally started to get a perspective on things 263 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 1: and was like, wait, you've been using me for like years. 264 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:01,000 Speaker 1: And through all of the legal rankling with Nick and 265 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:04,160 Speaker 1: having their second child and all of this stress, Fanny 266 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: still worked consistently. As with her daughter. She had worked 267 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:10,040 Speaker 1: through most of that pregnancy, and she took only the 268 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:13,400 Speaker 1: bare minimum of time away after William was born. The 269 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:16,680 Speaker 1: years that Fanny was married to Ernstein were really productive 270 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 1: despite all these constant distractions. She went back to the 271 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 1: zig Field Follies for several years and appeared in a 272 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:27,120 Speaker 1: number of other shows that were produced by Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. 273 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 1: She became known as a comedic genius, and she was 274 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:33,960 Speaker 1: savvy enough to make use of her predicament in real life. 275 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 1: To try to optimize her stage time. In she started 276 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:40,920 Speaker 1: singing a song titled My Man, which was far more 277 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 1: serious than her usual stage bits. She opened with the 278 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:46,920 Speaker 1: lines it's cost me a lot, but there's one thing 279 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:49,960 Speaker 1: I've got. It's my Man. The song about a woman 280 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 1: who loves a man despite being treated completely deplorably by him, 281 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: really connected with audiences, and they assumed that she was 282 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 1: referencing Nick Arnstein. Fanny, to spite being a very popular 283 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 1: entertainer as the nineteen twenties, started was still longing to 284 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 1: be taken a little more seriously, even as she made 285 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:10,240 Speaker 1: a very nice life for herself as a comic act. 286 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: She had gotten good enough reviews for some of her 287 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:16,000 Speaker 1: work that she started thinking about a more serious acting career. 288 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 1: But though she had the talent, she felt like she 289 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:21,160 Speaker 1: didn't really have the looks to be considered for leading 290 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:24,800 Speaker 1: lady parts in dramas or even just slightly more serious 291 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 1: musical comedies, and to that end, she met with a 292 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:31,640 Speaker 1: plastic surgeon in nineteen three. There were a couple of 293 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:35,480 Speaker 1: different factors and Fanny's desire to change her appearance. One 294 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:37,480 Speaker 1: was that she was getting older. She was in her 295 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 1: early thirties and not really seen as an augenu and 296 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:43,680 Speaker 1: to her husband's cheating was really taking a toll on 297 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:47,200 Speaker 1: her self esteem. And three, she worried that her quote 298 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:50,200 Speaker 1: Jewish nose was going to keep her doing essentially sight 299 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:53,360 Speaker 1: gag humor that played off of her looks to perpetuate 300 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 1: racial stereotypes. While that kind of work had made her famous, 301 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 1: there were growing ethnic biases and racism in the United 302 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:04,680 Speaker 1: States that made Fanny worry about the longevity of her career, 303 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: and as an assign. There is a really fantastic article 304 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:10,720 Speaker 1: in the Journal of the American Medical Association about the 305 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: introduction of that term Jewish knows into scientific literature in 306 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 1: nineteen fourteen and how that has created an ongoing problem 307 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:22,560 Speaker 1: since then around ideas of ethnic identity and beauty uh. 308 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 1: And that article examines how the medical community has contributed 309 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:28,680 Speaker 1: to that problem over the years, in part because some 310 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 1: doctors would offer to fix people by stripping them of 311 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:34,960 Speaker 1: the traits that might suggest anything other than a waspy appearance. 312 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 1: It is a really good read, and I encourage anybody 313 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: who's interested in that to check it out. We will 314 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 1: link to it in the show notes. I will note 315 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:46,040 Speaker 1: that Jewish communities are not the only people affected by 316 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 1: this trend within the world of cosmetic surgery at all. No, 317 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 1: absolutely not, and that that article um is it opens, 318 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:55,520 Speaker 1: it uses that as kind of the entree to discuss 319 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: the wider issue of like, not everybody has to look 320 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 1: like a white Anglo Saxon Protestant to be pretty. But 321 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 1: we have been teaching people that even within our own ranks. 322 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:09,880 Speaker 1: Four years and years and years. Despite Nick's opposition to this, 323 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:13,159 Speaker 1: Fanny moved forward with getting a nose job man. The 324 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:16,320 Speaker 1: surgery became a news item itself, and for a while 325 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:19,040 Speaker 1: the papers were really gossiping about that instead of about 326 00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:22,560 Speaker 1: Ernstein's legal trouble. But the surgery did not change her 327 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:25,480 Speaker 1: perception in the eyes of the public or casting directors. 328 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:28,439 Speaker 1: Fanny still was not considered to be a beauty, and 329 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:31,640 Speaker 1: theater producers wanted her to be funny and not serious. 330 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:34,760 Speaker 1: This is also sometimes pointed out as like the first 331 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: time that she really defied Nick Arnstein because he very 332 00:17:39,359 --> 00:17:41,040 Speaker 1: much did not want her to have this surgery, and 333 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:43,399 Speaker 1: she was like, I don't care, I'm doing it. And 334 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: when Nick got out of prison, he immediately connected with 335 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:48,399 Speaker 1: some of the guys that he had met while he 336 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:51,760 Speaker 1: was in Leavenworth, intending to go into business together running 337 00:17:51,760 --> 00:17:55,320 Speaker 1: a casino. Fanny was mortified by this whole plan. She 338 00:17:55,359 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 1: wanted Nick to just work as her manager, a job 339 00:17:57,640 --> 00:17:59,960 Speaker 1: that she felt would keep him out of trouble. Probably 340 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:01,639 Speaker 1: we would also keep him close to her so she 341 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:04,480 Speaker 1: could keep an eye on his behavior. But he insisted 342 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:07,360 Speaker 1: on this casino in Chicago, and Fanny ended up giving 343 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:10,520 Speaker 1: him money for the venture. Nick also started cheating with 344 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 1: less and less regard for covering it up and seemed 345 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 1: resentful that Fanny was clearly the head of their family. Additionally, 346 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:22,160 Speaker 1: they were ongoing criminal charges against him for his various wrongdoings. 347 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:24,600 Speaker 1: All this was way too much stress on an already 348 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:28,199 Speaker 1: fragile relationship, and in the fall of the two of 349 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 1: them divorced after fifteen years together. In ninety six. Leading 350 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:35,400 Speaker 1: up to the divorce, Fanny started the play Fanny, which 351 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:37,119 Speaker 1: was not in fact about her life, but it was 352 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:40,159 Speaker 1: written for her. The problem was, while she was a 353 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:44,760 Speaker 1: great comedic ham, she wasn't really a good actress actress um. 354 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:48,680 Speaker 1: Even with extensive rewrites and coaching and extra rehearsals, the 355 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:52,320 Speaker 1: reviews were really abysmal, and one reviewer wrote it was 356 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:55,359 Speaker 1: written by Willard Mack and Mr Balasco, and they both 357 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:57,960 Speaker 1: ought to be ashamed of themselves and of each other. 358 00:18:58,359 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 1: In the late nineteen twenties, Bryce side to try her 359 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 1: look in film after The Jazz Singer came out of seven. 360 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:07,800 Speaker 1: It gave Fanny a unique leg up. She might not 361 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:11,560 Speaker 1: be considered Hollywood beautiful, but she could sing, and after 362 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 1: al Jolson made history singing on film, people wanted more 363 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: of that. Warner Brothers, which had produced the jazz singer 364 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:21,439 Speaker 1: put together a screenplay for a film starring Fanny Bryce 365 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:25,199 Speaker 1: titled My Man, and started touting Bryce in the press 366 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,640 Speaker 1: as the female Al Jolson. Fanny was thirty seven when 367 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:31,840 Speaker 1: My Man came out in December of and she made 368 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 1: history is the first woman to star in a sound film, 369 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:37,840 Speaker 1: But that movie didn't rocket her to stardom on the 370 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:41,480 Speaker 1: national or global scale. The very skills that had made 371 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:45,040 Speaker 1: her a hit on stage, like her exaggerated mannerisms and 372 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 1: being able to pull off heavy accents, just did not 373 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:51,360 Speaker 1: translate into film, and My Man only got a socio 374 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:55,280 Speaker 1: reception despite being part of this exciting new medium of talkies. 375 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 1: Just a couple of months after My Man opened on screen, 376 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:01,240 Speaker 1: Fanny Fanny married for a third time, this time to 377 00:20:01,359 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 1: a man named Billy Rose. Billy was a songwriter, and 378 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 1: he started writing songs and putting together musical variety shows 379 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 1: for Fanny to star in. Although they both loved music 380 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:13,879 Speaker 1: in the theater, most of the people who knew Fanny 381 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:16,199 Speaker 1: and Billy thought they weren't really a great match for 382 00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:20,640 Speaker 1: each other. But Billy thought Fanny was amazing and once 383 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 1: described her singing as thunder in the mountains. The two 384 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 1: of them had met after Fanny sang a song of 385 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:29,920 Speaker 1: Billy's called Tonight You Belonged to Me, and she loved 386 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:32,520 Speaker 1: it so much that she asked to meet the songwriter. 387 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:35,600 Speaker 1: I want to tell you that's another happy, happy marriage, 388 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:40,400 Speaker 1: but it's not. We'll get to how it all falls apart, uh, 389 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 1: and we'll talk about how Fanny's career played out in 390 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:44,919 Speaker 1: the nineteen thirties, But first we're gonna pause for a 391 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: word from one of our sponsors. During the nineteen thirties, 392 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:59,640 Speaker 1: Bryce continued to struggle in the film industry. She made 393 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:02,720 Speaker 1: several more movies after My Man, but success continued to 394 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:05,760 Speaker 1: elude her in that medium. She also continued to work 395 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 1: in the theater, but she ventured into radio, and overall, 396 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:13,080 Speaker 1: even though film was problematic, this was a pretty successful time. 397 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,240 Speaker 1: Fanny's story in the nineteen thirties also touches on a 398 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 1: previous podcast subject, which is evangelist Amy Simple McPherson. In 399 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty four, one of the bits Bryce did in 400 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:27,440 Speaker 1: her Zigfeld Follies show was a send up of McPherson 401 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:32,200 Speaker 1: singing I'm soul saving Sadie from avenue, a preaching salvation 402 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:36,240 Speaker 1: and making it pay. The follies appearances that Fanny Bryce 403 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 1: made in nineteen thirty four and ninety six were some 404 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 1: of her most popular. She seemed to have really hit 405 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:44,520 Speaker 1: her stride as a comedian. Yeah, she was at that 406 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:47,480 Speaker 1: perfect nexus where both she was really on top of 407 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:50,200 Speaker 1: her game and her name was big enough that people 408 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:52,560 Speaker 1: already wanted to see her anyway. And it was a really, 409 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:56,119 Speaker 1: really fabulous time. And one of the characters that she 410 00:21:56,240 --> 00:22:00,560 Speaker 1: created during this time, called Baby Snooks, became her most amos. 411 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 1: As Snooks, Bryce would appear on stage dressed as a 412 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:06,520 Speaker 1: tiny child, which was inherently funny because she was a 413 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 1: very tall woman, uh speaking in a little girl's voice, 414 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:12,960 Speaker 1: and audience has found this whole thing hilarious. But even 415 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:17,280 Speaker 1: without the visual, Baby Snooks was a success. Fanny took 416 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:20,120 Speaker 1: that character onto radio, and her little girl voice, which 417 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:23,800 Speaker 1: is pretty convincing, i must say, and ceaseless childish questioning, 418 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:28,159 Speaker 1: played perfectly in the audio only format. While Bryce had 419 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:30,639 Speaker 1: been very popular on the stage for a number of years, 420 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:34,080 Speaker 1: as radio expanded her audience, she felt like she was 421 00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:36,600 Speaker 1: at last getting a taste of the success that she 422 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:39,199 Speaker 1: had been chasing since she was just a kid. She 423 00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:44,960 Speaker 1: started having some health issues in as well. She developed ridiculitis, 424 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:48,400 Speaker 1: which is a spinal inflammation that wasn't serious in her case, 425 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:50,960 Speaker 1: but it did cause her a lot of discomfort. She 426 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:54,200 Speaker 1: also had some dental issues. Many of her teeth were 427 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:56,680 Speaker 1: already gone and she was having problems with the ones 428 00:22:56,720 --> 00:23:00,520 Speaker 1: she still had. On the advice that removing the remaining 429 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 1: decaying teeth might help her overall wellness, she had them 430 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:05,720 Speaker 1: all pulled and she wore dentures for the rest of 431 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:09,960 Speaker 1: her life, with special sets for stage eating and socializing. Yeah, 432 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 1: there are stories about the insanely high prices she was 433 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:16,679 Speaker 1: willing to pay for customed dentures into the thousands and 434 00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 1: thousands and thousands of dollars. And though her career was 435 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:23,399 Speaker 1: on the rise thanks to radio, her personal life was 436 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:27,160 Speaker 1: once again headed in the opposite direction. Billy Rose, her 437 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:30,560 Speaker 1: third husband, fell in love with Eleanor Holme, an Olympic 438 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:34,280 Speaker 1: swimmer turned entertainer when home worked on an aquatic review 439 00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:37,119 Speaker 1: that he had produced. She was also about half his age. 440 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:40,159 Speaker 1: Billy told the press that he wanted to divorce before 441 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:43,480 Speaker 1: he told Fanny, even though Bryce already knew things were 442 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:46,680 Speaker 1: headed that way in his statement. He said, quote, it's 443 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:50,040 Speaker 1: no fun being married to an electric light. Ms Bryce 444 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:53,040 Speaker 1: is one of the brightest and cleverest stars the stage 445 00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:56,119 Speaker 1: or screen has ever had. But our careers clash. I 446 00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:58,320 Speaker 1: have to travel a lot and I want my wife 447 00:23:58,359 --> 00:24:01,240 Speaker 1: by my side. No one has been ousted in this case. 448 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:05,760 Speaker 1: It's just an instance of four bullheaded careers clashing. MS. 449 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:09,680 Speaker 1: Bryce wants her career, Arthur Jarrett wants his. MS Holme 450 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:12,680 Speaker 1: is willing to give up hers for me. I don't 451 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:16,720 Speaker 1: know why, but she is. And that's that. Arthur Jarrett 452 00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:20,120 Speaker 1: was Eleanor Holmes's husband who had also filed for divorce, 453 00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:23,200 Speaker 1: and that is how Fanny found out she was getting divorced. 454 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:26,600 Speaker 1: When the press then reached out to Fanny for comment 455 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:29,399 Speaker 1: on the situation, she said, quote, I'm not used to 456 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:31,959 Speaker 1: that sort of thing. I guess it's what you call modern. 457 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:35,680 Speaker 1: Billy and Fanny, after almost ten years of marriage, divorced 458 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: on October. It was not amicable, as Billy Rose had suggested, 459 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:44,159 Speaker 1: and Fanny routinely spoke ill of her ex husband to 460 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:47,679 Speaker 1: friends and associates. She also gave statements to the press 461 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:50,879 Speaker 1: that she would never marry again, which was in fact true. 462 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 1: For the record. Billy's marriage to Eleanor also ended because 463 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:58,480 Speaker 1: he cheated on her. Fanny, by this point had already 464 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:00,959 Speaker 1: moved to California, and she made new start as her 465 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:04,480 Speaker 1: radio career became the focus of her work. Baby Snooks 466 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 1: became a national star, and Fanny had a regular weekly 467 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 1: radio show with the character. She found a completely new 468 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:13,119 Speaker 1: lifestyle on the West Coast, and she found that she 469 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:16,199 Speaker 1: dropped her old routine as a late rising nighthawk and 470 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:19,000 Speaker 1: started to keep what she called farmer hours. She would 471 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:21,000 Speaker 1: go to bed at ten pm and get up at 472 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:25,240 Speaker 1: eight am, which, for everyone who has ever farmed, that 473 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:29,479 Speaker 1: is not farmer hours. No, it isn't. But basically, she 474 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:32,160 Speaker 1: wasn't doing stage plays at night, so she wasn't doing 475 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:35,280 Speaker 1: that like finish your show at ten or eleven, go 476 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:37,960 Speaker 1: out for late supper, hang out with friends until four 477 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:40,399 Speaker 1: or five am, then start going to bed as the 478 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:44,200 Speaker 1: sun was coming up. But she described life in Hollywood 479 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:47,720 Speaker 1: this way, it's semi tropical, it's like a resort, it's 480 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:51,240 Speaker 1: like being on a vacation. But she also felt that 481 00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:53,640 Speaker 1: she lost the mental sharpness she had in New York 482 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:57,200 Speaker 1: as a result of this more relaxed culture and the climate. 483 00:25:57,840 --> 00:25:59,880 Speaker 1: She had been painting as a pastime for a while, 484 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:02,120 Speaker 1: but she got a lot more serious about it while 485 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:05,080 Speaker 1: she was living in l A. Fanny's health had never 486 00:26:05,119 --> 00:26:08,520 Speaker 1: really been altogether robust after she started to become ill 487 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 1: a nineteen thirty six, and in July she had a 488 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:15,440 Speaker 1: heart attack. After several months in recovery, she was right 489 00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:18,000 Speaker 1: back at the mic, performing Baby Snooks each week for 490 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 1: an audience that was really eager to hear it. Then 491 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:25,000 Speaker 1: she developed sharp and recurring headaches. Yeah, they did some 492 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:28,240 Speaker 1: fancy footwork to like make her absence from the show 493 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:31,359 Speaker 1: because the show still ran about like this search for 494 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:35,120 Speaker 1: baby snooks. Uh. She spent the time after her heart 495 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:38,280 Speaker 1: attacks still working, but also filling her leisure time with 496 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:41,760 Speaker 1: activities like painting, as we mentioned, and also interior decorating. 497 00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:44,200 Speaker 1: She got in the habit of like redoing her friends 498 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:47,200 Speaker 1: houses at no charge, just because she liked picking out 499 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:50,399 Speaker 1: furniture and putting together rooms. Her work week at this 500 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 1: point was really quite short and pretty luxurious. The Baby 501 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:56,560 Speaker 1: Snooks show ran on Fridays, and the first read through 502 00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:59,200 Speaker 1: of each week's script was on Wednesday, so they would 503 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:02,440 Speaker 1: read through on Wednesday rehearse, rehearse Thursday, do the show Friday. 504 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:06,000 Speaker 1: That's your work week. While Fanny often gave lukewarm reads 505 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:08,919 Speaker 1: and rehearsals, which concerns some people, by the time the 506 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:11,240 Speaker 1: show went live at five pm on Friday, she was 507 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:14,439 Speaker 1: on and she always delivered. In an interview that she 508 00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:18,960 Speaker 1: gave in six Fanny reflected on how the entertainment industry 509 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:22,280 Speaker 1: had changed over the course of her forty year career. Quote, 510 00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:25,920 Speaker 1: the performer is different today. Years ago, we had a school. 511 00:27:26,119 --> 00:27:29,320 Speaker 1: The school was vaudeville and burlesque. You knocked around, so 512 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:32,240 Speaker 1: it seasoned. You made a mention of you, so it 513 00:27:32,359 --> 00:27:36,160 Speaker 1: gave you an interesting background before you clicked. Today they 514 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:39,160 Speaker 1: go right into pictures from Nowhere's somebody sees a girl 515 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:41,879 Speaker 1: flipping Hamburgers and a drive in joint, so right away 516 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:44,639 Speaker 1: she gets a screen test and the photographs, and she 517 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:47,399 Speaker 1: photographs good. So they developed her and give her a 518 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:49,920 Speaker 1: face and clothes. But they can't give you a real 519 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:52,720 Speaker 1: personality or give you a natural technique of acting to 520 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:55,400 Speaker 1: hold an audience or your own school. If they had 521 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:57,640 Speaker 1: put me in front of a camera thirty five years ago, 522 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:00,439 Speaker 1: when I was starting out, I had such a kisser, 523 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:03,280 Speaker 1: the camera would have stood up and walked away. In 524 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:08,760 Speaker 1: discussed in Bryce and her show sponsor, General Foods, were 525 00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:13,000 Speaker 1: embroiled in an argument over her contract. As television began 526 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:17,000 Speaker 1: its infiltration of the home entertainment market, radio performers were 527 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:20,560 Speaker 1: often renegotiated at much lower rates than they had commanded 528 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:24,240 Speaker 1: before TV, but Fanny was unwilling to take a pay 529 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:26,560 Speaker 1: cut just to keep her show, and she did not 530 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 1: want to try to launch a TV career. She knew 531 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:32,520 Speaker 1: that her character of Baby Snooks only worked as an 532 00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:35,520 Speaker 1: audio gag at that point an adult woman, and she 533 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:38,200 Speaker 1: had aged in the decades since she had been doing it. 534 00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:40,840 Speaker 1: Trying to do those jokes and a kid's costume on 535 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:43,960 Speaker 1: TV would just not have played. She left radio for 536 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 1: the ninety nine season and decided to compile her memoirs. 537 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:51,200 Speaker 1: But in ninety nine she was back on the radio 538 00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:54,480 Speaker 1: with a two season contract for more Baby Snooks. She 539 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:57,400 Speaker 1: planned that it would be her final career move than 540 00:28:57,440 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 1: once that two years were up, she was going to retire. 541 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:01,600 Speaker 1: She basically was like, I guess I'll do it. I'll 542 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:03,320 Speaker 1: just bank this money and have a little bit more 543 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:07,080 Speaker 1: cushion for retirement. As all of this was going on 544 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:10,520 Speaker 1: her ex husband, Nick Arnstein, so that's her second husband 545 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:13,760 Speaker 1: reached out to her. His wife that he had remarried 546 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:17,000 Speaker 1: after they had separated, had died and he wanted to 547 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:20,240 Speaker 1: get back together with Fanny, but she was no longer 548 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:23,480 Speaker 1: under his spell, and despite many advances, she pretty quickly 549 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:26,520 Speaker 1: shut him down. Two years after Baby Snook's return and 550 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:29,719 Speaker 1: Weekly Radio, with six shows left to finish the season, 551 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:35,040 Speaker 1: Fanny Bryce had a stroke on She never regained consciousness 552 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:38,000 Speaker 1: and died on Me twenty nine. Her funeral was attended 553 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:42,160 Speaker 1: by hundred people. And while Fanny did not finish that 554 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:45,120 Speaker 1: autobiography because she went back to work and didn't have time, 555 00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:47,600 Speaker 1: she had roughed it out, and near the ending of 556 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:49,840 Speaker 1: her original rough draft is as good a quote to 557 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:52,240 Speaker 1: sum up her life as I think anybody could ask for, 558 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:55,120 Speaker 1: she wrote, I made most things happen for me, and 559 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:57,560 Speaker 1: if they were good, I worked to get them. If 560 00:29:57,560 --> 00:29:59,840 Speaker 1: they were bad, I worked just as hard for that. 561 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:03,160 Speaker 1: But I am not sorry. I will tell anybody that, 562 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:05,640 Speaker 1: and it is the truth. I lived the way I 563 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 1: wanted to live and never did what people said I 564 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:11,520 Speaker 1: should do or advised me to do. In nineteen sixty three. 565 00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:15,080 Speaker 1: The Broadway musical Funny Girl was written about Fanny's life 566 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:18,560 Speaker 1: and focusing on her relationship with Nick Arnstein. It debuted 567 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:21,840 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty four, with Barbara Streisand appearing as Fannie. 568 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:24,480 Speaker 1: In nineteen sixty eight, it was adapted into a film, 569 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:27,920 Speaker 1: also starring Barbara Streisand, and while it plays really fast 570 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:30,200 Speaker 1: and loose with the facts and with the design of 571 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:33,520 Speaker 1: its historical costumes, it is still a fun show. Have 572 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:37,040 Speaker 1: you seen Funny Girl? I love that movie, And you know, 573 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:39,120 Speaker 1: I don't like musical, so it's really like it's a 574 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:41,920 Speaker 1: good movie. Yeah. Um. And it's one of those things 575 00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:44,920 Speaker 1: where like Barbara Streisand is so charming in it and 576 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:48,800 Speaker 1: looks incredibly luminous and just lovely, and she's spectacular to 577 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:51,760 Speaker 1: begin with. But like, I uh, she and oh Mar 578 00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:56,040 Speaker 1: Sharif are fantastic together. It is really really kind to 579 00:30:56,160 --> 00:31:00,920 Speaker 1: Nick Arnstein. Um. It basically kind kind of sets up 580 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:06,120 Speaker 1: his character as like this man who is kind of 581 00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:09,000 Speaker 1: beleaguered by living in the shadow of his famous wife, 582 00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:11,360 Speaker 1: and he turns to crime because he wants to make 583 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:14,720 Speaker 1: his own money and not depend on her all the time. Yeah, 584 00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:18,000 Speaker 1: it's a little it's it's real nice too. It's still 585 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:20,320 Speaker 1: a very fun film. But if you watch it, particularly 586 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:23,440 Speaker 1: after you know the real story, there are a lot 587 00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:25,400 Speaker 1: of head scratching moments and they're like I said, it 588 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:30,400 Speaker 1: plays very fast and loose with with the facts. There 589 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:34,840 Speaker 1: are some things that have seeds in reality in the 590 00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:37,960 Speaker 1: real story that are kind of like shifted around to 591 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:42,360 Speaker 1: make things work. Like instead of her being born uh 592 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:44,840 Speaker 1: with the last name of Borash, that is one of 593 00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:47,920 Speaker 1: her neighbors, they never really explained that she wasn't born Bryce. 594 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:49,680 Speaker 1: She took that from a neighbor that she was. She 595 00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:51,960 Speaker 1: was fond of things like that come up and the Again, 596 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:55,719 Speaker 1: the costumes are not historically accurate, but the first costume 597 00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:58,840 Speaker 1: she walks on screen in is absolutely spectacular. It's his 598 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:03,520 Speaker 1: beautiful leopard print coat and I want it. I will 599 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:08,360 Speaker 1: stop waxing raptotic about Funny Girl, which is very funny. 600 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:11,479 Speaker 1: By the way, I have a lovely bit of listener 601 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:14,480 Speaker 1: mail from our listener Heather. She sent us a beautiful 602 00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:17,640 Speaker 1: card and a bunch of postcards from her new digs. 603 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:19,920 Speaker 1: She writes, Holly and Tracy, thank you again for your 604 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:22,520 Speaker 1: work on stuff you missed in history class. This year, 605 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:25,120 Speaker 1: I was finally able to move back home to Idaho 606 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:28,280 Speaker 1: after twenty plus years. In a bit of an adventurous twist, 607 00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:31,360 Speaker 1: my husband and I settled in Idaho City. This area 608 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:34,920 Speaker 1: is full of history, good, bad, and hilarious. I ran 609 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:37,720 Speaker 1: into a problem deciding which postcard descend, so I went 610 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:40,240 Speaker 1: with all of them. Please enjoy this little glimpse of 611 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:42,800 Speaker 1: my home. If you're ever in Idaho, I'll take you 612 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:44,960 Speaker 1: to Trudi's and treat you to the second best piece 613 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:48,120 Speaker 1: of huckleberry cheesecake in the world. My stepmom Helga makes 614 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:51,880 Speaker 1: the best. Can't lose um. I am always up for 615 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:55,280 Speaker 1: cheesecake of any flavor. Um. But yes, So Heather sent 616 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:59,240 Speaker 1: us all of these fantastic postcards UH from Idaho, and 617 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:04,360 Speaker 1: some of them are really fantastic UM historical photographs from 618 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:09,200 Speaker 1: mining tones which are great. There's a lenticular um mountain, 619 00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:12,000 Speaker 1: the Lion one that I'm kind of super into. It's 620 00:33:12,040 --> 00:33:14,840 Speaker 1: just really sweet and I appreciate that she she took 621 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:17,240 Speaker 1: time to put together a little parcel of postcards for us. 622 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:19,880 Speaker 1: So thank you so much, Heather. I I always say it, 623 00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:22,600 Speaker 1: but it bears repeating. I love hearing from our listeners 624 00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 1: and when they send us treats like that, it warms 625 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:28,440 Speaker 1: my dark little heart. You would like to write to us, 626 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:30,840 Speaker 1: you can do so at History Podcast at how stuff 627 00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:33,120 Speaker 1: works dot com. You can also find us everywhere on 628 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:35,920 Speaker 1: social media as Missed in History and Missed in History 629 00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:38,600 Speaker 1: dot com is our website where every episode of the 630 00:33:38,600 --> 00:33:41,200 Speaker 1: show exists, as well as some show notes on the 631 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 1: ones that Tracy and I have been working on for 632 00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:45,960 Speaker 1: the last several years. Uh. You can also subscribe to 633 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:47,920 Speaker 1: this show. That sounds like a great idea to me. 634 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:49,960 Speaker 1: If you haven't done it already, you can do that 635 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:53,280 Speaker 1: on the I Heart Radio app, the Apple Podcast app, 636 00:33:53,360 --> 00:34:01,120 Speaker 1: or pretty much anywhere you get podcasts. For more on 637 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:03,920 Speaker 1: this and thousands of other topics, visit how staff works 638 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:10,280 Speaker 1: dot com.