What do Lucille Ball, Gilda Radner, Moms Mabley,
Joan Rivers, Tracey Ullman, Wendy Liebman, Rene Hicks,
Phyllis Diller, Wanda Sykes-Hall, Paula Poundstone,
Carol Burnett, Victoria Jackson, Martha Raye, Elvira
Kurt, Lilly Tomlin, Joy Behar and Totie Fields have in
common?
They appear in Cynthia Salzman Mondell and
Allen Mondell's new film, FUNNY WOMEN. The Women's
Museum, An Institute for the Future - which opened in Dallas, Texas on September 29, 2000 - commissioned the film. The Mondell's
focus was to make people realize the brilliance of
women comics.
"The beauty of women's comedy is
that a comic can say anything out of love, anger or
rage and be heard because it is told as a joke," Cynthia Salzman Mondell stated. "We fell in love
with the comediennes, marveling at their wit, brilliance
and the guts it took to be stand-up comediennes."
The viewer will see Phyllis Diller and Joan Rivers
before they became glamorous. Carol Burnett pulls
no punches when her husband tries to take back her
new clothes after a shopping spree. Moms Mabley describes
her husband in one word: "He's ugly." This
brings down the house.
"We wanted women to be
heard," said Allen Mondell. "The viewer
will leave with a laugh and song as Totie Fields ends
the film in a rendition of how she feels about herself." |
FUNNY WOMEN can be viewed on the second floor
of the Women's Museum in its own brightly colored
theatre - a theatre dedicated to these marvelous FUNNY
WOMEN! |
ABOUT THE CREW
Dallas-based Phil Allen edited FUNNY WOMEN.
Allen, owns his own production company, is also
Past President of the Dallas Producer's Association.
The Mondells have made over 30 award-winning documentary
films that have been viewed by audiences worldwide,
including DREAMS OF EQUALITY, produced for
the Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca
Falls, New York, and the six films on the life, death
and legacy of President John F. Kennedy for THE
SIXTH FLOOR MUSEUM in Dallas, Texas. |
