On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
by Claire J Rottenberg
In 1970, my favorite Barbra Steisand movie musical,
"On a Clear Day You Can See Forever," was released.
Like her two previous films, "Funny Girl" and "Hello,
Dolly!," "On a Clear Day" was based on a Broadway
musical. However, unlike the other two musicals,
neither the film nor the Broadway musical of "On a
Clear Day" was successful.
"On
a Clear Day"
opened on Broadway in October, 1965 and it ran for
280 performances. It starred Barbara Harris and
John Cullum. The score was composed by Burton Lane
with lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, who also wrote the
book for the play. The score for "On a Clear Day"
was nominated for a Tony award. The play had a
limited revival in 2000 as part of the Encores!
concert series.
The story of "On a Clear Day" requires viewers to
stretch their imagination and accept the concepts of
ESP and reincarnation. The plot revolves around Daisy
Gamble, a young woman who goes to a psychiatrist to
break her smoking addiction. The doctor hypnotizes
Daisy and discovers one of her past lives. Daisy
falls in love with the doctor while he falls in love
with the woman she once was.
The score from "On a Clear Day" has some beautiful
songs, including the title song, "Melinda," "What Did
I Have That I Don't Have?," and "Come Back To Me."
One song, "What Did I Have That I Don't Have," became
a popular hit.
The movie version of "On
a Clear Day You Can See
Forever"
was released in 1970, starring Barbra Streisand as
Daisy Gamble and Yves Montand as Dr. Marc Chabot.
It co-starred a young Jack Nicholson and Bob
Newhart. The screenplay was written by Alan Jay
Lerner and the film was directed by Vincente
Minnelli. A few small changes were made from the
original Broadway version and several songs were
cut from the movie version. Two new songs were
added for Barbra Streisand's character.
Although "On a Clear Day" was not well received by
critics, I love the film. I find the storyline
intriguing and I love the songs. They have beautiful
melodies and great lyrics and most stick in my head
long after viewing the film. The film effectively
combines humor with drama, something that is not
easily achieved. The performances of all of the cast
members are excellent, and both Barbra Streisand and
Yves Montand are perfect in their roles.
If you haven't seen "On a Clear Day You Can See
Forever," rent or buy it and suspend reality for a
few hours while you enjoy a delightful musical.