Streisand / Radio

Binny Lum was an Australian radio and television personality who worked in radio from 1934 to 1984 in Melbourne and Victoria, Australia.

When she died in 2012, her radio recordings were donated to the National Film & Sound Archive in Australia.

Lum recorded her interview with Streisand in New York in 1964, shortly after Funny Girl opened at the Winter Garden Theatre. Lum wrote in her memoirs: 

After a brief wait we were ushered up a flight of wooden steps and shown into Barbra’s dressing room. It was pretty basic, but let’s face it, the Winter Garden is an old theatre. I guess Barbra looked fairly basic too, in slacks and a sloppy joe top, but her personality was a different thing. She had a disarming, down-to-earth naturalness which the Americans might call “kooky”. We both commented on our respective accents. She spoke of a trip to London, which she’d loved, mentioned that her present apartment was one where Yip Harburg, the lyricist, had lived and so on – a delightful, inconsequential chat which was just what I wanted; it typified this young star. She told me she was most interested in Australia even admitting she’d love a kangaroo skin coat. She’s probably changed her mind since, but wearing animal skins was not a big issue then. We made our way to the next appointment feeling that lovely glow which comes of achievement and meeting someone special.

The original Australian airdate of this unedited interview is not known. NFSA identifies Melbourne radio station 3AK as the radio station.