The black-and-white film musical comedy “Be Yourself” is best viewed as an example of what Fanny Brice was like singing, mugging and entertaining. The 1930 film which clocks in at just over an hour is currently available to stream for free on TubiTV.

By 1930, Fanny Brice (b. 29 October 1891) was on her third marriage to Billy Rose (m. 1929-1938). She had already divorced Nicky Arnstein (m. 1919-1927), having previously been married to Frank White (m. 1910-1913). Her daughter Frances (1919-1992) and son (William Brice (1921-2008) were with her.

The year 1930 was the year that Harry Beaumont’s “The Broadway Melody” won the Academy Award for Best Picture at the second Academy Awards (3 April 1930) and by 5 November 1930, “All Quiet on the Western Front” won an Academy Award for Best Picture at the third Academy Awards ceremony. Warner Bros. released their first cartoon series, “Looney Tunes.” The radio drama, “The Shadow” aired for the first time on 31 July 1930.

Playing Fannie Field, Brice is an established entertainer at a night club. A fighter, Jerry Moore (Robert Armstrong) wanders in. He’s just canned his manager and needs a new one. He feels his manager has been cheating him, saying, “It’s a racket.” Fannie, worried about his drinking, tells him, “So’s tennis, but ya gotta be sober to play it.”

Jerry tells her, “Well, liquor never hurt my old man. He’s been drinking all his life and he’s 80 years old.”

Fannie retorts, “Wait. It’ll get him.”

Another customer, who is a better known fighter, McCloskey (G. Pat Collins) takes umbrage to some of the things Jerry’s saying but his friend tells him, “A great fighter like you don’t start brawls in a cafe.”

Fannie decides to become Jerry manager because she has a big heart. So big that she put her brother, Harry (Harry Green),  through law school. Harry is always quoting law references that makes sense to no one. While Jerry claims that you can’t break into the boxing higher levels even with a crowbar, Fannie has her ways.

Yet just as Harry is finding some success, a good-time-girl, Lillian (Gertrude Astor) insinuates herself into Harry’s life, telling him he needs a new nose. So Harry takes a two-week vacation and gets a swell place to live. Fannie, who has grown fond of Harry, is miffed. When Harry is matched with Mac, Fannie shows Mac who his true friends are.

Director Thornton Freehand (10 February 1898-22 May 1987) would launch the dance partnership of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the 1933 film, “Flying Down to Rio” and would also direct the film version of the Broadway revue “George White’s Scandals.” The long-running Broadway review were modeled after the “Ziegfeld Follies.”

Robert Strong (1890-1973) is probably best remembered for his role in the 1933 version of “King Kong.” His character, Carl Denham, delivered the film’s final line: “It wasn’t the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast.”

“Be Yourself” isn’t a great film, but it does allow viewers to see what Fannie Brice was like and how she sounded as an entertainer as well as see some of the fashions of the 1930s.  The film was released 8 February 1930.