Film

Dolly Levi (Barbar Streisand) is a self-professed woman of many talents, from arranging parties to giving dance lessons, but her real moneymaker is “social introductions:” she’s a matchmaker. It seems everyone in 1890’s New York City and its surrounding suburbs, like Yonkers, knows and adores Dolly, and at one time or another, has employed her services. One of the few people who doesn’t seem to like Dolly is Yonkers businessman Horace Vandergelder (Walter Mathau, who must have been born…54 years old), a crotchety but successful Yonkers businessman. He’s hired Dolly to get his niece a replacement for the artist she insists on marrying, and it’s to be done immediately. Unbeknownst to Horace, though, is that Dolly’s got some plans of her own: she’s got designs on Vandergelder himself (for some reason that ISN’T his wealth). Unfortunately, she finds out that he’s on his way into the city, to propose to a hat maker she knows, which means Dolly’s got to come up with a number of intertwining plans, and quick. She’ll scheme her way into getting Vandergelder’s two bland store clerks to go to hat shop before Vandegelder gets there, telling them that the two women there are VERY available. In the meantime, she’s got to find a way to match HERSELF up with Vandergelder, without him knowing what she’s up to. Look, this isn’t Memento, people…it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the story will basically end with “happily ever after,” no matter how little sense the musical path to get there actually makes.

Let’s be clear about one thing: I have nothing principally against musicals. I like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins… what I don’t like is a musical that can’t go three minutes without indulging itself in some lavish (and fruity!) production number. A musical whose sole narrative engine is bursting into song after two minutes of normal talking just doesn’t work very well for me, especially when those songs seem like they’re twelve minutes long. Hello Dolly is a whopping 148 minutes of film, and I would be shocked if there’s a spate of six minutes without someone pirouetting or doing a ‘flourish.’ In the entirety of the film, there are at least ten songs, none of which is shorter than seven minutes (and really, if it isn’t by Zeppelin, no song needs to be that long). If song is going to be used this often, go the whole nine yards and just sing the whole movie…believe it or not, it looks a lot less strange, and a lot easier to keep up with. And whose idea was it to cast WALTER MATHAU in a role that demands singing?

My assessment of Hello Dolly isn’t entirely derogatory, though. I must give real credit to song-and-dance luminary turned director Gene Kelly for really capturing the film’s Broadway origins and translating them to the big screen. Instead of compacting the play’s spirit, Kelly really takes advantage of the big screen and expands it, using incredible crane shots and long zooms to capture a scope that couldn’t be found on the stage. The choreography is no less than spectacular, as many of the numbers involve dozens and dozens of participants, and each is a real pro. Sequences like the parade or Harmonia Gardens must have been so difficult to film, because if one guy stubs their toe or misses a beat, EVERYONE has to start over. I’ll even give credit to the young Barbra Stresiand, who showcases the immense array of talents that has made her a (sub)cultural icon. The most notable, of course, is her incredible voice, built to belt out showtunes, but she also shows a sense of comedic timing and a sincerity that can only come naturally.

I vacillated between a 3 and a 3.5 on the film for quite some time, because almost in spite of itself, I did find parts of the film entertaining (yes, even some of the song-and-dance parts). The bottom line on Hello Dolly, however, comes down to two simple problems, related to each other. First, this film is 148 minutes long (minus a three minute intermission), and most of those minutes are spent in extended dance numbers. The related problem is the slapdash way the film ends: in 148 minutes, couldn’t more time have been found to show WHY these people were falling in love? The “B” story, Cornelius and Irene, turns out to be better developed than the whole Dolly / Horace relationship. The story spends 140 minutes showing how much of a boor Horace is, and eight minutes of Dolly hoping he’ll ask her to marry him, without showing what it is about Horace she loves. As it ends, it seems like one gets married because he wants her to clean up after him, and the other because she wants to spend his money. An ending that feels “rushed” in a two and a half hour movie is almost inexcusable, and I taxed Dolly heavily for it.

If lavish musicals with incredible costumes and sets are your thing, then it’s good bet that you’ll find Hello Dolly much easier to take than I did. It’s not an entirely unpleasant experience, but unless you already know that you enjoy the stage version of the play, you might want to rent this one first. Bonus half-point awarded for the appearance of jazz legend Louis Armstrong, though.

Video

There’s really only one way to do justice to the newly remastered print of Fox’s Hello Dolly, and that’s with a hearty “wow.” That’s not to say that it can stand up to DVD-aged reference fare like a Toy Story or either of the new Star Wars transfers; it looks like it’s from the mid sixties, but that’s because of film stock and processes available at the time. Beyond that minor hurdle, Dolly is lookin’ swell (couldn’t resist). The richly colored production pops off the screen with incredible hues and texture, really bringing the anamorphic 2.20:1 widescreen to life. Clarity and fine detail are outstanding, particularly in the busier sequences like the Harmonia Gardens or the big parade. There are very, very few instances of the print showing its age, with only a couple of artifacts cropping up infrequently. They’ve even done away with the reel markers. No doubt about it, Fox continues to solidify their reputation as one of the top technical DVD studios, on releases both old and new. Hello Dolly belongs in their highlight reel.

Sadly, menus are not animated, and do not feature sound.

Audio

As a musical, Dolly’s audio transfer plays an obviously large role, and once again, Fox doesn’t disappoint. Rather than leave it in what was likely a mono track, or simply double it to a 2.0, Fox has expanded the soundtrack into a Dolby 4.0 surround mix. Again, this isn’t a track that can compete with audio virtuosos like Gladiator or Saving Private Ryan, but put in perspective, it’s not bad at all. It isn’t the most dynamic presentation (which costs this disc almost all of its points), but the format certainly suits the film. The main activity takes place in the forward two channels, with only minor stereophonic effects spreading the soundstage around…until the singing starts. Once someone busts into song, the stage expands to all four speakers, using every channel to really make the music sound “big.” Once again, clarity is excellent, with only the slightest evidence of analogue technology, in the form of an infrequent, almost imperceptible hiss under some of the looped-in musical numbers. Monaural tracks in both Spanish and French are also included, as are subtitles in Spanish and English.

Special Features

Besides the film’s three-plus minute theatrical trailer, available in both Spanish and English and heavy on the self-congratulation (“EVERY FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT THAT THINKS IT’S GREAT CAN NEVER BE AS GREAT AS THIS MOVIE!” is an actual card), there’s a piece that’s labeled 1969 Featurette. This isn’t a featurette the way they’ve come to be defined; there are no talking heads, no interview footage, no interaction with the camera at all. Instead, this is about eight and a half minutes of “making of” footage, highlighting the creation of the incredibly complex 14th Street parade sequence. Without any direction or narration, the piece is generally pretty boring.

Final Thoughts

The word on the street is that the musical is on its way back to mainstream cinema, and apparently, Fox was listening. Their marketing execs must know that not only will the home video release of Best Picture Chicago spark interest in the salad days of musical movies, but that Ms. Streisand has a considerable built-in audience out there, clamoring for all things Babs. That audience won’t be disappointed with the excellent transfers on one of her big-screen highlights. Those who aren’t into musicals in a big way, however, will likely find the movie a bit overbearing to qualify as a purchase, regardless of the good price.

Special Features List

• Theatrical trailer
• 1969 Featurette