Hello Dolly! (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
27 yr. old Barbra Streisand 'seemed' like an inappropriate choice for middle-aged, match-making widow Dolly Levi in 'Hello Dolly' (a musical directed by the great Gene Kelly), but her visceral energy dominates the movie surrounding her. The story takes place in 1890 and is set in motion when Yonkers, NY feed store clerk Cornelius Hackl (a young Michael Crawford, pre-Phantom of the Opera) celebrates his recent promotion by taking his goofy pal Barnaby (Danny Lockin) to NYC for a good 'ole time. But Cornelius & Barnaby can't seem to avoid crossing paths with their cranky boss Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau), who'd give them hell if he saw them in a fancy-shmancy restaurant with 2 girls instead of tending the store.
Horace decides to hire said match-maker, Dolly (Streisand), & finds that he is the object of her affections; though she pretends to have only a professional interest in him, going through the motions of finding him a new wife when she'd like to be the wife, herself. Horace also hires her to take his niece, Ermengarde, to NYC to encourage her to forget about marrying her artist beau, Ambrose (6'7" Tommy Tune). Instead, Dolly makes matches for his 2 clerks, advising them on how to get promotions from Horace, and helps Ermengarde get permission to marry Ambrose. Finally, after a series of maneuvers, Dolly makes a match for herself.
The musical set pieces include the joyful "Put on Your Sunday Clothes"; the spirited "Dancing"; "It Only Takes a Moment" - a lovely duet btwn. Cornelius & his girl, Irene (played by lovely Marianne McAndrew); there's the wonderful "Before the Parade Passes By", in which hundreds of costumed marchers & extras lark about before a huge replica of a NYC thoroughfare; and the movie's crowning moment strikes when Streisand is joined by Louis Armstrong to sing part of the title song: a great cinematic moment when a great old man of from the jazz era & a brassy 1960's pop artist play off each other with true joy & abandon.
'Hello Dolly' is one of the last of the big, old-fashioned musicals, with lavish production values, & a plethora of memorable tunes. The slight story is bolstered by FANTASTIC singing/dancing - executed by the talented cast & moderated by 2 masters of the musical genre: Gene Kelly, the director, & Michael Kidd, the choreographer. The elaborate sets, ornate costumes, & boisterous musical numbers make this film a huge treat. But the highlight of this film has to be Streisand, herself. Her Dolly is a force of nature, finding the quiet, but raw emotion of the lyrics to some lovely slow songs, as well as belting out classic tunes with amazing power; I'm thinking back to the astonishing sendoff of "Before the Parade Passes By" (with one, long sustained note that is sure to impress all audiences).
Character-wise, with all the confidence that Dolly has in transforming the lives of all those around her, she still hesitates when it comes to herself. She still mourns her late husband Ephraim, but then ... she also wants more out of life "Before the Parade Passes By." When Horace fiiiiiinally proposes, she waits for a sign of Ephraim's approval. And what she gets is a sign that Horace's cantankerous, gruff exterior really conceals a warm heart. Streisand really conveys the strength & vulnerability of this character. She's magical. You know, no one can accuse 'Hello Dolly!' of being high art. But it is a work of wonderful entertainment - a product of an era when people looked up at a screen & saw wow-worthy 'movies' instead of chin-tapping 'cinema'.
Horace decides to hire said match-maker, Dolly (Streisand), & finds that he is the object of her affections; though she pretends to have only a professional interest in him, going through the motions of finding him a new wife when she'd like to be the wife, herself. Horace also hires her to take his niece, Ermengarde, to NYC to encourage her to forget about marrying her artist beau, Ambrose (6'7" Tommy Tune). Instead, Dolly makes matches for his 2 clerks, advising them on how to get promotions from Horace, and helps Ermengarde get permission to marry Ambrose. Finally, after a series of maneuvers, Dolly makes a match for herself.
The musical set pieces include the joyful "Put on Your Sunday Clothes"; the spirited "Dancing"; "It Only Takes a Moment" - a lovely duet btwn. Cornelius & his girl, Irene (played by lovely Marianne McAndrew); there's the wonderful "Before the Parade Passes By", in which hundreds of costumed marchers & extras lark about before a huge replica of a NYC thoroughfare; and the movie's crowning moment strikes when Streisand is joined by Louis Armstrong to sing part of the title song: a great cinematic moment when a great old man of from the jazz era & a brassy 1960's pop artist play off each other with true joy & abandon.
'Hello Dolly' is one of the last of the big, old-fashioned musicals, with lavish production values, & a plethora of memorable tunes. The slight story is bolstered by FANTASTIC singing/dancing - executed by the talented cast & moderated by 2 masters of the musical genre: Gene Kelly, the director, & Michael Kidd, the choreographer. The elaborate sets, ornate costumes, & boisterous musical numbers make this film a huge treat. But the highlight of this film has to be Streisand, herself. Her Dolly is a force of nature, finding the quiet, but raw emotion of the lyrics to some lovely slow songs, as well as belting out classic tunes with amazing power; I'm thinking back to the astonishing sendoff of "Before the Parade Passes By" (with one, long sustained note that is sure to impress all audiences).
Character-wise, with all the confidence that Dolly has in transforming the lives of all those around her, she still hesitates when it comes to herself. She still mourns her late husband Ephraim, but then ... she also wants more out of life "Before the Parade Passes By." When Horace fiiiiiinally proposes, she waits for a sign of Ephraim's approval. And what she gets is a sign that Horace's cantankerous, gruff exterior really conceals a warm heart. Streisand really conveys the strength & vulnerability of this character. She's magical. You know, no one can accuse 'Hello Dolly!' of being high art. But it is a work of wonderful entertainment - a product of an era when people looked up at a screen & saw wow-worthy 'movies' instead of chin-tapping 'cinema'.