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In the scene where Robin Williams' character becomes Mrs. Doubtfire, he first goes through three different styles.

They all seem to be impersonations, but I can't figure out which one is the first one. The middle one is from "Fiddler on the Roof" and the last is obviously Barbara Streisand.

What is the first, or is it even a reference?

Here's a picture of the character in question: The unknown impression

Also, the script from the scene:

I hope you are using Jungle Red.

That is the color I love.

(Matches your lips)

God bless you.

I'm feeling fabulous because I met this beautiful Cuban.

Every night is like the Bay of Pigs.

I can't lie to you. It's beautiful with him.

I don't know. This would scare the children. Maybe this is too much for them.

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  • My first impression was “who’s this lady, and where did Robin Williams go?” but I was pretty young at the time.
    – Ryan Veeder
    Commented Feb 20, 2018 at 3:22
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    I have always wondered this same thing! I know that the nail polish color of "jungle red" is a fictional color in The Women both the original and the remake. I don't recall any women in that movie that had that hair style or accent, though I have only seen both the original and remake once and the remake was made in 2008...long after Mrs. Doubtfire. That might be a starting point. Good Luck :)
    – steelersquirrel
    Commented Feb 20, 2018 at 18:29
  • @steelersquirrel that was actually my first instinct also. While one of the main characters in “The Women” has black hair, it’s curly and she definitely doesn’t have an accent.
    – Nathaniel D. Hoffman
    Commented Feb 20, 2018 at 18:34

1 Answer 1

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A possibility is Chita Rivera. Like Streisand, she's a legend in musical theatre, and the Fiddler reference makes that a possible link between the three impersonations.

Chita Rivera herself does not have an accent, but her breakout role was as a Puerto Rican immigrant in West Side Story. Here's what she looked like when she won the Tony in 1993 for Kiss Of The Spider Woman:

It could have been Rita Morena, who was in the movie version of West Side Story, but she also had a fake accent for that part and I can't find an image of her ever wearing her hair like that.

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  • I’m not sure but visually it’s a convincing argument, and the connections you’ve made certainly make sense so I’ll mark this as the answer. Thank you so much, it’s nice to have this question finally cleared up a bit!
    – Nathaniel D. Hoffman
    Commented May 29, 2018 at 22:16
  • @NathanielD.Hoffman I'm still searching because I'm worried about the lack of accent. Also, I wonder if the long red nails matter. Chita Rivera was also in the original cast of Chicago as the woman commonly portrayed with short black hair. Rita Moreno also doesn't have an accent. Carmen Miranda has an accent but never wore her hair that way as far as I can tell.
    – Todd Wilcox
    Commented May 29, 2018 at 22:29
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    A few commenters mentioned the nails under the original post. It could be that the impression is a completely made up character based on a few different people. Then again maybe not. Keep looking if you think you’ll be able to find anything!
    – Nathaniel D. Hoffman
    Commented May 29, 2018 at 22:31

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