Fanny Brice (1891-1951) [comedian, singer, and actress]
When Fanny Brice sat down to compose her autobiography, she told the writer, “I lived the way I want to live and never did what people said I had to do.” Fanny Brice, born Fania Borach, is a comedic legend who went about her life with audacious tenacity. Her head-strong mindset didn’t always pay off and her life was a mix of stupendous successes and heavy heart breaks. None the less, Brice was determined that the world was her stage. Indeed, she was so enchanting that it was hard to do anything but step out of the spotlight and direct it her way.
A Funny Girl
Fanny Brice captured the hearts of all those she encountered. Her wit, show stopping voice, and larger than life personality made it hard not to fall in love with the funny girl. However, with this personality came many who would try to mooch off Fanny’s presence and prosperity. The most notable being her multiple cheating ex-husbands. Bryce’s net worth, $10 million, is far from modest. Yet, there is no telling how large her fortune could’ve been had she spent less of her life footing the bill for her first husband’s “business ventures”, the lawyers when his devilish ways caught up to him, and her three total divorces.
The Second Act
Despite these setbacks, Fanny did provide her children, William and Frances, with a good life. William became a notable artist and Frances married the famous producer, Ray Stark, who produced the Oscar winning movie, Funny Girl. The movie, starring Barbra Streisand, loosely retold the story of her mother, Fanny. Furthermore, Fanny seemed to eventually learn her lesson about charming wolves in high end clothing. When Fanny’s gambling ex-husband begged for her back she famously responded, “Love is like a card trick. After you see it done once, it loses all of its mystery.”
We cannot always control the way life turns out but, like Fanny, we can learn how to play our cards right. A properly drafted estate plan can be the ace up your sleeve to protect your legacy and estate. The key is to hire an experienced Texas estate planning attorney to properly create this planning instrument. If you would like to learn more about preserving your own legacy, contact the Mendel Law Firm, L.P., for a free initial consultation on estate planning, trust planning, and/or probate issues.
Sources
https://www.missedinhistory.com/podcasts/fanny-brice-part-1.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicky_Arnstein
https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/fanny-brice-net-worth/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanny_Brice#Legacy
https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/brice-fanny-1891-1951
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