Barbra & Shirley

Shirley MacLaine had her eightieth birthday today, Barbra Streisand her seventy-second. I can remember Shirley when she starred in a Jerry Lewis/Dean Martin flick called Artists and Models. That was when Jerry and Dean were still partners, before they had their big falling out. That was in 1955. That makes it fifty-nine years ago. Where in the world did all those years go? I remember telling my English classes that Barbra would become so huge a star that no one would be able to afford her. I said that in 1965, right after seeing the CBS special called My Name Is Barbra, forty-nine years ago. Where in the world did those forty-nine years go? Shirley went on to star in 64 films as well as countless tv shows, winning best actress Golden Globes for The Apartment and Irma la Douce, a best actress Oscar in 1983 for Terms of Endearment. Barbra went on to fulfill my prediction with roles on Broadway, tv specials, movies, Oscars for best actress in Funny Girl and best original song “Evergreen,” which she co-wrote with Paul Williams. She is one of only a few who have won an Oscar, Tony, Grammy, and Emmy. She’s recorded sixty-four albums, most of which have been best-sellers. She’s the only female artist who directed, wrote, produced, and starred in a movie, the 1983 Yentl. Wow! And she’s now seventy-two. And Shirley is eighty. Wow! And I’m older than either of them. That rates a very unemphatic wow.