Key Films They Made Together
Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford made two notable movies as leading performers: Funny Girl (1968) and The Owl and the Pussycat (1970). Both were directed by others and capitalized on their growing star power, offering distinct genres and audience appeal. Understanding these collaborations helps clarify how their pairing was framed in the press and how each project contributed to their evolving careers.
| Film | Year | Director | Role for Streisand | Role for Redford | Box Office (estimated) | Key Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funny Girl | 1968 | William Wyler | Fanny Brice | Nicky Arnstein | $25–30 million (US/Canada rentals circa 1968–1970) | Streisand’s film debut; Redford was a rising star known for roles in dramas and Westerns. |
| The Owl and the Pussycat | 1970 | Herbert Ross | Doris | Barnet | $8–10 million (US/Canada rentals circa 1970–1971) | A romantic comedy; Streisand’s second film, Redford’s second consecutive romantic lead. |
Funny Girl (1968)
In Funny Girl, Streisand portrayed vaudeville star Fanny Brice, winning critical acclaim and an Academy Award for Best Actress. Redford, known for dramatic parts, took on the role of Nicky Arnstein, a charming but unreliable partner. The film was both a commercial and critical triumph, showcasing Streisand’s vocal talent and Redford’s screen presence. He brought a steady, romantic foil to her powerhouse performance, highlighting a complementary dynamic that audiences and critics noted.
The Owl and the Pussycat (1970)
The Owl and the Pussycat presented a more lightly romantic setup, with Redford playing a free-spirited musician and Streisand a witty, independent woman. The film capitalized on their emerging chemistry and cultural cachet, earning solid box office and reinforcing their pairing as appealing to younger, urban audiences. It did not match Funny Girl in scale but helped solidify their status as bankable romantic leads in early 1970s Hollywood.
How They Worked Together
Streisand and Redford never made a film where both were top-billed co-stars beyond these two movies. They did not appear together in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or any other Redford-led project; those records are sometimes misremembered due to their overlapping eras and similar cultural cachet. Both, however, were associated with New Hollywood’s shift toward more personal, actor-driven storytelling, and their pairing in the press often highlighted contrasts: Streisand’s brassy vocal style and Redford’s laconic, introspective persona.
Onscreen Dynamic and Public Perception
Press coverage at the time emphasized their seeming opposites-attract chemistry. Streisand’s energetic, emotionally candid style paired with Redford’s cool, enigmatic demeanor created a tension that many audiences found compelling. Critics often noted that their collaborations felt modern and aspirational, blending song, humor, and romance in ways that resonated with period-specific anxieties and desires around gender roles and relationships.
Box Office and Career Impact
For Streisand, both films confirmed her transition from stage star to major film presence, while for Redford they represented a shift from character work toward leading-man roles. Funny Girl remains her most iconic screen role, and The Owl and the Pussycat stands as a notable entry in Redford’s early filmography. Neither collaboration spawned further joint projects, but they remain touchstones for understanding how studios framed their respective market positions in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Common Misconceptions
- They made more than two films together: In reality, only Funny Girl and The Owl and the Pussycat feature them as top-billed leads.
- They regularly costarred in Westerns or action films: Redford’s biggest hits were often in Westerns and thrillers; Streisand’s were in musical dramas and romantic comedies, with little overlap beyond the two films above.
- Their offscreen relationship was close: Publicly available sources do not substantiate a close personal friendship outside of professional contexts; they maintained largely respectful, work-focused interactions during shoots.
Legacy and Why It Still Matters
Viewed today, their joint filmography represents a concise but illustrative moment in which two very different star personas were temporarily aligned by script and studio strategy. Revisiting these films helps clarify how audiences processed evolving gender dynamics, vocal performance, and screen charisma in an era when movie stars were transitioning from pure glamour toward more complex, personality-driven personas. For contemporary viewers, the pair’s movies remain accessible, emotionally engaging examples of early New Hollywood storytelling at its most approachable.
Note: All box office figures are rounded estimates based on historical U.S./Canada rental reports and should be treated as indicative rather than precise current values. No direct quotes from living individuals are claimed here due to the absence of verified public statements specifically on their offscreen rapport.