Billy Rose Fame. Rose was a leading character in the 1975 musical film "Funny Lady," a sequel to "Funny Girl", which continues the story of Fanny Brice, again played by Barbra Streisand. Despite physical dissimilarities, actor James Caan was cast as Rose. The 1962 film "Billy Rose's Jumbo", starring Doris Day, depicted the original Broadway show staged by Rose. Although he was not involved in the making of the film, a contractual stipulation made it mandatory that his name appear in the title. Posthumous Credits Billy Rose Billy Rose (born William Samuel Rosenberg, September 6, 1899 – February 10, 1966) was an
People (Barbra Streisand song) for the musical score of "Funny Girl". It is based on the life and career of Broadway and film star and comedian Fanny Brice and her stormy relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nicky Arnstein. Composer Jule Styne and lyricist Bob Merrill were hired to write the musical score and met each other for the first time in 1962 in Palm Beach, Florida. They wrote their songs by day and tested them by night on the Palm Beach socialites at cocktail parties. As they worked to develop the character of Fanny Brice, they needed to write a special love song depicting