| | | It's So Good to Have Barbra Back Where She Belongs!
One of Barbra Streisand's most beloved performances is that of the indomitable Dolly Levi in this hugely popular musical that received a Best Picture Academy Award nomination in 1969.It's turn-of-the-century Yonkers, New York, where an ambitious young widow with a penchant for matchmaking (Streisand), has an idea for the perfect match -- tight-fisted, local merchant Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau) and -- herself! As she tries to win his heart, we're treated to one of the most musically entertaining, hilariously underhanded plots in film history. Directed by Gene Kelly, this Oscar winner for Best Sound, Music, Score and Art Direction/Set Decoration is among the world's most cherished films.
"This is the movie that established Barbra as truly incomparable." Audrey Rock-Richardson, Tooele Transcript-Bulletin
"...a delightful, colorful, energetic film...one of the most visually arresting movies I have ever seen." Keith Allen, MovieRapture
"Splashy treatment of smash Broadway play with Jerry Herman's popular score." Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide
"...a timeless classic...one of the best movie musicals..." Lisa Zlotnick, DVD Fanatic
"Splashy Kelly production...[Streisand is] stunning." Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Editor's Note
In early-20th-century Yonkers, a wealthy local merchant, Horace Vandergelder (played by Walter Matthau), hires matchmaker Dolly Levi (Barbra Streisand) to find a mate for him--but instead she decides to win him over for herself. His life is further complicated by his young niece, Ermengarde, who is determined to wed an artist Horace finds entirely unsuitable, and by his two hapless employees, who against Horace's wishes leave work to venture into New York so each can kiss a girl. Miserly, curmudgeonly, irascible Horace finds that matters have gotten completely out of his control--and the only person who seems to know exactly what is going on is the widowed Dolly Levi. The film is based on a succession of source material, beginning with the 1835 British play A DAY WELL SPENT by John Oxenford, Thornton Wilder's 1938 play THE MERCHANT OF YONKERS, and Wilder's successful 1954 adaptation of his own play, renamed THE MATCHMAKER, rewritten for Ruth Gordon and then made into a film by the same name in 1958 starring Shirley Booth. In 1964, Carol Channing starred in the story's next incarnation on Broadway: Michael Stewart's play HELLO, DOLLY! on which this film's screenplay is directly based.
Plot Summary
Barbra Streisand directed by Gene Kelly with a popular Jerry Herman score--this film is one of the last big, splashy Hollywood musicals. Playing widow Dolly Levi, a matchmaker, Streisand finally finds herself a match. Kelly's last-directed screen musical features a legendary performance by a 27-year-old Barbra Streisand as Dolly Levi, and a delightful cameo by Louis Armstrong as the orchestra leader who leads his band in welcoming Dolly back to the world in the title number. Michael Kidd's leggy, athletic choreography gives the film much of its energy and buoyancy.
| Features | Audio: English Dolby Digital Stereo | | Audio: French, Spanish Dolby Digital Mono | | Dubbed: French, Spanish | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English, Spanish |
| Technical Info
|
Release Information
| | Studio: Fox Home Entertainment |
| Release Date: 4/7/2009 |
| Running Time: 146 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1969 | | Catalog ID: 2257772 | | UPC: 00024543577720 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English, French Dubbed, Spanish Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: English, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Golden Globe (1970) | | | Barbra Streisand, Nominee, Best Motion Picture Actress - Musical/Comedy | |
Oscar (1970) | | | Ernest Lehman, Nominee, Best Picture | |
Golden Globe (1970) | | | Gene Kelly, Nominee, Best Director - Motion Picture | |
Oscar (1970) | | | Harry Stradling, Sr., Nominee, Best Cinematography | |
Golden Globe (1970) | | | Hello, Dolly!, Nominee, Best Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy | |
Oscar (1970) | | | Irene Sharaff, Nominee, Best Costume Design |  | Jack Solomon, Murray Spivack, Winner, Best Sound | | John DeCuir, et. al., Winner, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration | | Lennie Hayton, Lionel Newman, Winner, Best Music, Score of a Musical Picture (Original or Adaptation) | |
Golden Globe (1970) | | | Marianne McAndrew, Nominee, Best Supporting Actress | | | Marianne McAndrew, Nominee, Most Promising Newcomer - Female | |
Oscar (1970) | | | William Reynolds, Nominee, Best Film Editing |
|
| | Professional Reviews | DVD Town 5 of 10
Once upon a time playwright Thornton Wilder wrote a sweet, innocent little romantic-comedy farce set in the 1880s called "The Merchant of Yonkers" (1938), which he later revised and retitled "The Matchmaker" (1954)...In 1963 the play's title was changed to "Hello, Dolly!" and along with the addition of lavish sets, costumes, music, and lyrics, it became the longest-running Broadway musical up until that time. It was a smash hit...Then, in 1969 Hollywood got hold of the musical, added even more performers, bigger sets, fancier costumes, and in what had to be one of the biggest casting blunders in the history of cinema (on a scale with putting Lucille Ball in "Mame" a few years later) signed a young Barbra Streisand to play the leading role...If one looks hard enough and listens long enough, one can still discern a few faint echoes of the sweet, innocent little romantic-comedy farce Wilder originally wrote, but such remnants are far and few between. Mainly, in "Hello, Dolly!" one gets to witness a huge, bloated, overly extravagant, big-screen spectacular and ponder the reasons why a young, attractive, and highly marriageable Dolly Levi would be chasing a middle-aged Walter Matthau as Vandergelder, unless she was only after his money. The mind boggles as the whole point of Wilder's tale is lost...Despite its being nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and winning for Sound, Music, and Art Direction, I have the feeling that "Hello, Dolly!" is one of those films from the late sixties that helped nail down the coffin lid on musicals. It's so extravagantly overproduced, most of the tunes so eminently forgettable, and the acting so overstated, it's a wonder the movie musical as a genre survived through "Cabaret" a few years later and was ever revived by "Moulin Rouge" and "Chicago." If you're a Streisand fan, the film is a must. - John J. Puccio
DVD Verdict 9 of 10
Jerry Herman's Hello Dolly! has been a staple on the musical theatre circuit for almost 40 years...With Hollywood desperate to keep this revenue generating genre alive, it was only a matter of time before Dolly would step in front of the camera. But who would play the starring role? Ms. Channing was out. The studios were notorious for passing over actors who originated roles on the Broadway stage--Mary Martin's role in The Sound of Music went to Julie Andrews, Julie's roles in My Fair Lady and Camelot went to Audrey Hepburn and Vanessa Redgrave respectively, and Angela Lansbury's role in Mame went to Lucille Ball. This time, a rising Broadway and recording star stepped into the spotlight and took command--both figuratively and literally. It seems Barbra's attention to detail created a number of rifts, most notably between herself and co-star Matthau, who did not approve of her backseat directing. However, despite the turmoil, Streisand--in collaboration with such power players as screenwriter/producer Ernest Lehman (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), Broadway choreographer Michael Kidd (Guys and Dolls), and the immortal actor/director Gene Kelly (Singin' in the Rain)--would produce a final product bigger and bolder than anything Hollywood had ever brought from the stage...Streisand does not and cannot carry the picture on her own. A strong supporting ensemble turns in marvelous performances by the world's most loveable curmudgeon, the late great Walter Matthau and a young, comedic Michael Crawford (Broadway's Phantom of the Opera), who at the time was England's version of Dick Van Dyke...Hello Dolly helped define the phrase "feel good film." With luscious musical numbers, hundreds upon hundreds of extras, and a story that is both engaging and a trifle thought provoking (for those seeking their own path in life), you can't go wrong. - Michael Stailey
|
| |
|
|
|
