Courtesy of Library of Congress

Fanny Brice 1891-1951

Fanny Brice was born Fania Borach on New York City's Lower East Side. Fanny rose to fame in 1909 with her role as a Yiddish-speaking Jewish girl in Irving Berlin's musical The College Girls. Brice starred in the Ziegfeld Follies in the 1920s and 1930s, but she found her most comfortable and lasting place on the radio as Baby Snooks, a character that came to exemplify her acting career. A bratty toddler who commented on adult life, Baby Snooks continued to be a big hit until Brice's sudden death in 1951. Thirteen years after her death, she was portrayed by Barbra Streisand in the Broadway musical Funny Girl, which was made into a film in 1968.