Hello Dolly! is a timeless classic and for Fox Home
Video to come out with a New Edition of this title makes for an exciting
resurrection. I grew up watching movie musicals so I have a soft spot in my
heart for them. While this DVD serves up one of the best movie musicals albeit
a Barbra Streisand flick, the special features lack anything spectacular to
nosh on.
Who can forget that scene in the restaurant (more like an exquisite ballroom)
where Louis Armstrong sings Hello Dolly! There are a slew of dancing
waiters in red coattails and red socks with plastic food pasted to silver trays
as they flip and twirl about the room. I’m reflecting back a bit all of
a sudden – let me grab my head from the clouds and tell you about the
movie for those of you who haven’t seen it.
Hello Dolly! centers around a young widowed matchmaker, Dolly Levi (Barbra
Streisand), who dips into everybody’s business uniting lovers whilst coming
up with the best match in the world for the local merchant Horace Vandergelder
(Walter Mathau) – herself! Along the way Dolly centers herself in the
midst of two youngsters longing to elope, Ermengarde Vandergelder (in relation
to Horcace played by actress Joyce Ames) and Ambrose Kemper (Tommy Tune). Vendergelder
also has two employees, Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker (Michael Crawford
and Danny Lockin respectfully) who find themselves lying about their wages to
two hat shop ladies as they court them with the expertise and aid of Dolly.
This movie is a complete whirlwind of music and celebration as Dolly dabbles
from dates to dancing.
Even back then it seems as if Barbra knew she was a hot commodity.
Her performance in this film, while top notch no doubt, exudes distinct and
overt buoyancy that it’s a wonder her head fits into those elaborate headdresses.
All joking aside, there is no woman today (besides Linda Eder) to come remotely
close to vocally outclassing Babs’ chops in this film and for that we
must give her props.
Walter Mathau gives the most endearing performance as the hard-edged
Vandergelder whose emotional walls are bolted down by the charging Dolly. Michael
Crawford as Cornelius Hackl appears to have some sort of facial tick that continually
throws me off and makes me giggle when I see this film. He’s a great dancer
and performer but I am just not with him on his character choice for Hackl.
For those of you who’ve seen this film, I am sure that you understand
what I’m talking about.
The special features for this DVD are minimal yet I’ll forgive it because
I just adore the film. The first feature is a Hello Dolly! 1969 Featurette
that has virtually no narration and all we hear is background noise as the production
crew sets up shots for the film. We see the main actors as they mill about in
their costumes donning sunglasses and retouching their makeup. The set up is
for the musical number “When the Parade Passes By,” which they blare
over a large intercom system as they roll the camera. Only at the very end of
the feature do we get a bit of narration announcing the top players of the film
– the director, the choreographer and the main actors. This feature ends
with a montage of clips with “Dolly You’ll Never Go Away Again”
resounding dramatically in the background.
The last feature is so darling yet incredibly humorous all the same. It’s
basically a theatrical trailer for the film that pats itself on the back with
captions in big yellow bubble letters announcing quotes such as “The Entertainment
Event The Whole World Has Been Waiting For!” and “Every Future Entertainment
That Wants to Call Itself Great Will Have to Measure up to Dolly!” Now
this goes a bit too far for my taste but I’m sure that back in 1969 it
was definitely a blockbuster not to be missed. I’m just not sold on the
idea of super-selling a product by claiming that the whole world has been waiting
for Babs to walk down the street singing at the top of her lungs with dancers
flinging themselves at her feet. It’s enjoyable for me but for the entire
world? I’m not so sure.
My final thoughts: Anyone who is a musical buff like me, Hello Dolly! is
a must-have DVD. For those of you who aren’t – take a gander at
the box – you never know, this film may strike your fancy.
This
page is maintained by Lisa Zlotnick. For questions,
comments, sponsorship opportunities, publicity, or other inquiries, please
send an e-mail to: contact@dvdfanatic.com
