Customer Reviews

Hello Dolly

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Mrs. Dolly Levi is inarguably the most endearing film character I have ever encountered. She is beautiful, fashionable, clever, and humorous. One cannot help but wish that Dolly actually existed. Indoubtedly, I cannot imagine anyone other than Barbra Streisand playing the part of Dolly. Her stunning voice and captivating performance make "Hello, Dolly!" a truly wonderful movie.
Besides Streisand's amazing performance, this movie includes some wonderful songs and exciting dancing scenes. However, the dancing scenes do become a bit tedious and long.
What is "Hello, Dolly!" all about? It is the story of a widow who arranges an unimaginable amount of events and places. She assists a couple's elopement, two friends' trip to New York City, and a bored man's romance.
This film features other loveable characters, too, such as a head waiter in a posh restaurant, an orchestra conductor at the same restaurant, and a hatmaker who desires to be "evil."
I would highly recommend this romantic comedy to anyone. Although the dance and song scenes are too long, watch the complete movie. Streisand's performance is extremely wonderful and endearing.

Great movie, excellent quality DVD, prompt service! I would definitely use this vendor again. Who can't use a little Dolly Levi in their lives?!

It's 1890, and Dolly Levi (Barbra Streisand) is matchmaking for Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau), a well-to-do Yonkers businessman. Horace wants a wife, but Dolly has her eye on Horace for herself. His two naive shopclerks (Michael Crawford and Danny Locki) are along for the ride as they pay their first visit to New York City and vow to fall in love.

Forget the silly plot and the odd casting; Striesand is way too young for her part and Matthau is too old for his. But the movie is all about the lavish musical production numbers: Streisand, Crawford, and Lockin sing and dance their way across an idyllic New York City, joined by hundreds of cityfolk. The songs are sweet and lovely and the choreography is energetic and dazzling. Some standout numbers are "Put on Your Sunday Clothes" and "Look! I'm Dancing," and my favorite, "It Only Takes a Moment."

Gene Kelly's film definitely rates 5 stars for the grand musical numbers; just overlook Babs and Walter and the plot.

The tension that erupted between Tommy Tune and Michael Crawford whenever they were onscreen together in this fine film was delightfully electric. Their intramural competition propagated palpable intensity not really visible or audible (they had no exchange of dialogue) -- it was more a matter of pride between two spunky bachelors, a jousting of the male wills: Tune's learned dance talent meets Crawford's raw dance energy. Both portraying young men pursuing women in the movie, their performances conveyed much more deep and lusty a purpose between them, a cocksure attitude of stretched wide smiles and leggy high-hop dancing, a genuine duel of actors in their prime. Don't miss this one because, despite their competition, both Crawford and Tune emerged victorious and grand.

By Streisand's own admission, she was too young in 1967 to have made a movie about an middle-aged woman making a personal "comeback"... and we all know how wonderfully different and marvelous the film would have been with Carol Channing... however, this does not take away from the fact that this is an incredible, lush, entertaining and musically rich film. The transfer to DVD is superb and crystal clear in picture and sound. The widescreen is anamorphic and color corrected. The only drawback is Walter Matteau's typical characterization which often detracts from the scenes he appears in, and his song "It takes a woman" is only saved by the beautiful setting and the male singers and dancers that accompany him. His voice really should have been dubbed by someone who could sing. Not to worry, Marianne McAndrew (who is stunningly beautiful) is a treasure in this film.... and her songs are wonderful (not sure if that is really hear voice, but its terrific). The sets are incredible and who wouldn't give anything to dine and dance at the Harmonia Gardens? The set designs, art direction, cinematography and costumes are exquisite.

Despite the controversy about casting the too-young but very bankable Barbra Streisand over the star of the original Broadway production, Carol Channing, this is a marvelous, old-fashioned musical comedy. Costumes, sets, everything is gorgeous. The performances are delightful, from Michael Crawford's geeky Cornelius, to Marianne McAndrew's sweet yet sly Irene Malloy to E.J. Peeker's cute Minnie Fay. Although there is a distinct lack of sexual chemistry between Streisand and leading man Walter Matthau, he is appropriately blustery and chauvinistic and she gives the role her own iconic presence. And, of course, nobody sings like her. The role may have had more of a bite with an older woman (who could ever really believe that young, vibrant Barbra Streisand would have to worry about "the parade passing her by"?)but Streisand takes it and runs with it, acting the role like an improbable cross between Scarlett O'Hara and Mae West.

I can't describe exactly why 'Hello, Dolly' doesn't work properly as a Musical, all I can tell you is that somewhere in the middle it falls badly flat, and doesn't really regain its momentum at all.

Starring the magnificent voice of Ms. Barbra Streisand (as well as the rest of her, a fine comedic actress), 'Dolly' tells the story of widow Dolly Levi, a notorious busybody and general matchmaker who attempts to snare a client, Yonkers Grouch Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau) for herself. She is aided in her quest by lady milliner Irene Molloy and Horace's apprentice Cornelius Hackle (a VERY young, totally tuneless Michael Crawford), and a host of minor-yet-memorable characters.

Directed by Gene Kelly (yes, THAT Gene Kelly), 'Dolly' starts very well, with some gloriously-shot numbers like 'Just Leave Everything To Me' and 'Put On Your Sunday Clothes'. Streisand's voice sounds beautiful, and she does these excellent, witty songs great favours by imbuing them with her tried-and-trusted Yiddish schtick. Choreography is excellent throughout, not too complicated so as to become boring, but detailed enough to suggest opulence. Streisand and Matthau have decent chemistry, too (although the same cannot be said of Crawford and Marianne MacAndrew (Irene), and give believable, endearing performances. The Harmonia Gardens scene is spectacular, with a cameo from Satchmo himself and more gay waiters than you can shake a Barbra at.

So far, so good.

But when 'Dolly' fails, it fails hard and often. Firstly, the movie's colour palette seems to be restricted to dull shades of orange, purple and olive drab. There's not enough visual contrast in here to keep the attention focused on Spectacle, and in a musical of this nature, that's a big problem.

Secondly, the titular role of Dolly isn't actually that big a part, and the slightly irritating and very unbelievable relationships between Irene and Cornelius and their associates have too much screen time. With such epic players as Streisand and Matthau to work with, why would we need to see so much of the others? Particularly when the others just aren't as interesting?

And finally (as is endemic of nearly all stage-to-screen musicals), 'Dolly' is about three numbers too long. During Barbra's reprise of 'Before The Parade Passes By' we feel our attention waning, and even the spectacular 'Hello Dolly' routine can't bring our focus back to the level it used to be. The latter half of the movie is pretty much one big OTT number segueing into another, and the human-interest angle is somewhat lost in a mire of musical histrionics and dull colours.

One for the fans, I can only recommend it for rental, or instead, catch the Broadway version. It's far more entertaining.

Dolly Levi (Barbra Streisand) makes her living as a matchmaker and she is highly successful at it, except when she tries to matchmake for herself. Dolly hasn't been interested in men since her beloved husband died, until she met the irrascible Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau). Determined to catch him for herself, she creates a madcap scheme to find the perfect woman for Horace's two employees while keeping Horace all to herself. Dolly sends Horace's two employees, Cornelius Hackl (a VERY young Michael Crawford) and Barnaby Tucker (Danny Lockin) into the city where she sets them up with Irene Molloy (Marianne McAndrew) and Minnie Fay (E.J. Peaker), the owner and employee of a lady's hat shop, respectively. Of course, Dolly fails to mention that Horace is courting Irene and, before you know it, Horace dumps Irene, Cornelius and Barnaby are learning how to dance so they can take the ladies to the ritziest restaurant in town, and Dolly's trap is simply waiting to be sprung....

I simply adore this musical. It is true that it does not have much of a plot, but who watches a musical for the plot?! The music is wonderful and all of the singers were perfectly cast. Barbra Streisand is riveting as the eccentric and determined matchmaker; Walter Matthau is hilarious as the curmudgeonly old employer who is determined not to change a bit, but wants to get married anyway; Michael Crawford and Danny Lockin are charming as young men from a small town set loose in the city for the first time and Marianne McAndrew and E.J. Peaker are their perfect counterparts; and Louis Armstrong very nearly steals the whole show in his cameo in the restaurant. The dancing sequences are also stunning - there are intimate, one on one dance sets and huge, all cast numbers that are simply fabulous. I know that this musical was not very popular when it came out, but if you enjoy musicals, you would be a fool to miss this classic!

Bravo, although Barbra was very young when she filmed this musical, her interpretation of Dolly was immaculate. Now, would be the perfect time for her do the remake. Let's hear it for the girl!

I have the movie and have owned 5 CDs (wore out 4) of this timeless classic. I believe that there never has been and never will be another Barbra Streisand. This CD is a must for Streisand fans. I talked the local Blockbuster into getting the DVD of the movie and they stay sold out.