"DADDY!"

I'm highlighting something pretty unusual this week.

We're tapping into the wonderful world of radio broadcasting.

Meet Snooks Higgins.A pint-sized menace.She lives in California with her father, Lancelot "Daddy" Higgins, her mother, Vera "Mommy" Higgins, and later on her little brother, Robespierre Higgins.Snooks isn't exactly a mean child-just a pestial one.She doesn't have many friends, scares away her tutors, and babysitters are also out of the question.So, most of her time is spent with Daddy Higgins, much to his despair.Overall an affectionate father, Daddy Higgins has a short temper, especially when it comes to his daughter and her mischievious antics, small mind,and incessant questions.Not to mention that Snooks has a problem with repeating things without knowing what they mean or fully understanding them, so she often gets Daddy in trouble.Mommy Higgins is usually busy,and only appears occasionally.Later on,Snooks' little brother Robespierre is added to the mix.Snooks doesn't take too kindly to her baby brother, refusing to include him in her evening prayers,force-feeding him soap,and tying him to the faucet in the bath tub and leaving him there.

They're probably the most unconventional family you'll ever meet,but now you can come into their home and meet Baby Snooks for yourself.

The concept for Baby Snooks has been around since the early 1900's.It started gaining more popularity in 1912, when a young Fanny Brice started doing the part of Baby Snooks in her vaudeville acts.The word spread, and Baby Snooks was welcomed as a guest on other regular radio programs, and also helped advertise things like Maxwell House Coffee.
Finally, in 1944, CBS became the home of The Baby Snooks Show, which aired every Friday at 8:00 pm.Fanny Brice, who was already in her 50's when the show officially aired, played the impossibly loveable Snooks,creating an incredible character with her voiceover skills.Hanley Stafford played Daddy Higgins.Fanny took her portrayal of Baby Snooks very seriously.Her backgroud as a comedienne came into play in front of the broadcasting audience,where she would always dress in child's clothing, with a big bow in her hair, and would act out the scene for the audience while it was being recorded.CBS remained the home of Baby Snooks until 1949 when the show moved to NBC.
In 1950, NBC brought The Baby Snooks Show to television.It only lasted for one episode,though.As Fanny Brice said herself, the character of Snooks just "didn't work properly when seen."From then on, The Baby Snooks Show was broadcasted every Tuesday night at 8:30 until 1951.On May 29, 1951, the show was brought to an ubrupt close with the death of it's star, Fanny Brice.There was no possible way anybody could have replaced her as Baby Snooks.

The Baby Snooks Show became one of the most beloved radio programs of all time.

And now, you can enjoy it too.There are quite a few episodes (some in multiple parts) that can still be accessed.These are rare gems, and I encourage everyone to listen to them.They will definitely get you laughing.So, I've picked out two episodes that I've really enjoyed.The second one is in multiple parts,but here they are:

The Baby Snooks Show: "Magic" Aired April 18, 1940http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ9psYtPJpc

The Baby Snooks Show: "Halloween" Aired October 31, 1941
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doBtRg5wRcA
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWcSxKBFDrM&feature=related
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJEldv_brBc&feature=related

"Hello,gorgeous."-Fanny Brice

And NOW,Think Classic, 1968 Columbia Pictures and William Wyler proudly present to you:

The GREAT Barbra Streisand

In one of the greatest movies of all time....

Funny Girl
1968
Starring Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif and Walter Pidgeon

The film is set in the days just before WWI, with Barbra Streisand acting out true events of the life of actress and comedienne Fanny Brice (1891-1951).

It opens with the famous Fanny Brice, sitting alone in the theater, having just recieved news that this is the day her husband will be coming home.From where, it doesn't specify.Fanny then has nostalgic flashbacks to the early days of her career, when she first met her husband, Nick Arnstein (Omar Sharif), and the early days of their marriage.
At the onset of the flashbacks, the younger Fanny lives in New York City, NY.She's desparate to be an actress-to be on the stage,and be taken seriously,but no one ever gives her the chance to display her talents.Almost by accident, she gets a part in a burlesque performance at Mr. Keeney's revue,which is where she first meets the handsome,charismatic Nicky Arnstein.She doesn't stay long at the revue, though, because it isn't long until the legendary Florenz Ziegfeld (Walter Pidgeon) comes calling.Ziegfeld offers her a part in his show, which she naturally accepts.
Despite a disastrous opening performance, Fanny eventually comes to headline the Ziegfeld Follies.Nick is very supportive of Fanny and, even more remarkable in Fanny's mind, he seems as genuinely interested in her as she is in him.He comes in and out of her life several times, never staying long because he never has definite plans.This leads to some discord between the couple,which they eventually smooth over.After a more steady courtship, Fanny unconventionally proposes to Nick.Arnstein,who gambles for a living,says he will marry her as long as he earns enough in a single card game.Fanny is worried that he won't come through,but in the end he wins a fortune and the two get married.The early days of the Arnstein's marriage are happy and apparently untroubled,but they don't last long.They begin to fight more and more as Fanny's career escalates and Nick's good name gets sullied due to a bad streak of luck whereby he loses his fortune.Nick,wanting to be the man of the family,eventually becomes desparate enough to get involved in a phoney bond deal in order to rake in some extra cash.He gets caught and is arrested.He pleads guilty at his trial,and is sentenced to two years in prison,saying that if he's "lucky," he'll be out in eighteen months.While meeting with his wife just before being escorted to prison, Nick tells her that he wants her to divorce him.Fanny is shocked, and isn't ready to let go.The two of them make a deal,at her insistence, that if he still feels that way after he's let out of prison,then she'll divorce him.
We then return to Fanny,still sitting alone in the theater after reminiscing.She finally goes to her dressing room to prepare for her show that night.Minutes before she's due to go on stage, Nick shows up.His feelings haven't changed,just as Fanny suspected they wouldn't.They say goodbye and go their separate ways.Fanny is heartbroken,but the show must go on.She steps out onto the stage and the film ends with her performance of the song "My Man."

"Oh my man, I love him so.He'll never know.All my life is just despair,but I don't care.
When he takes me in his arms the world is bright, alright.
What's the difference if I say I'll go away, when I know I'll come back on my knees someday?
For whatever my man is, I am his forever more."
The film is brilliant.One of my favorites, it's full of humor and jokes, catchy songs, happiness, love and heartbreak.
It was Barbra Streisand's first film role,for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress.
The film features 16 songs.The songs "I'd Rather Be Blue," "Secondhand Rose" and "My Man" were all frequently performed by the real Fanny Brice during her career.And the film itself was produced by Fanny Brice's son-in-law, Ray Stark.

To view the official trailer,follow the link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5H3Z-ITtCs