Lavish
and overproduced is a very good way to describe the 1969 screen version of
the Broadway hit HELLO, DOLLY! ($15). However an even better way of
describing this film is as a visually brilliant achievement in musical
cinema. There is no denying that HELLO, DOLLY! has its detractors-
those who complain about everything from Barbra Streisand being too young
for the lead role, to Walter Matthau’s tone deafness, to the movie being
too long and needlessly bloated. Now, I have seen this particular movie at
least a dozen times, and have to admit that its flaws become less
noticeable every time I watch it.
In
fact, I’ve gotten to the point where I have become mesmerized by Gene
Kelly’s direction HELLO, DOLLY!, which is an absolute triumph of
camera work, huge set pieces and artistic composition. And because of
Kelly’s visual brilliance, it becomes easier and easier for one to
marvel in the beauty and athleticism of Michael Kidd’s glorious
choreography. On top of that, is the film’s astonishing production
design and costumes, which bring the 1880s to life, not only trough
intricate sets, but also on superb outdoor locations. With all that said,
its easy to see the artistic merits of HELLO, DOLLY! and why I feel
that this movie would have probably faired much better with audiences and
critics alike, had it not been released at a time when musicals had fallen
out of step with popular tastes.
HELLO,
DOLLY! is a musical adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s The
Matchmaker, which tells the story of New York marriage broker and
all around entrepreneur, Dolly Levi (Barbra Streisand), who makes a trip
to Yonkers to see to the affairs of one Horace Vandergelder (Walter
Matthau). Vandergelder, a prominent Yonkers businessman, has hired Dolly
to find him a suitable wife and to keep his niece Ermengarde (Joyce Ames)
from marrying an artist named Ambrose Kemper (Tommy Tune). Although Dolly
has already made a "social introduction" between Vandergelder
and Miss Irene Molloy (Marianne McAndrew) of NYC, the matchmaker has
determined that Horace should marry someone entirely different. So, in the
course of a single day, Dolly sets in motion a plan to steer things
towards a more suitable conclusion for everyone including herself,
Ermengarde, Irene Molloy and Vandergelder’s put upon chief clerk
Cornelius Hackl (Michael Crawford), who at the ripe old age of
twenty-eight and three quarters, has yet to kiss a girl. The cast of HELLO,
DOLLY! also features Danny Lockin, E.J. Peaker, Judy Knaiz, David
Hurst, Fritz Feld, Richard Collier, J. Pat O'Malley and Louis Armstrong.
20th
Century Fox Home Entertainment has made HELLO, DOLLY! available on
DVD in an utterly superb 2.20:1 wide screen presentation that has been
enhanced for 16:9 displays. HELLO, DOLLY! has never looked this
good in the home venue, and for that reason, the folks at Fox truly
deserve the resounding praise of movie buffs everywhere for bringing Harry
Stradling’s glorious cinematography back up to its full luster. The
image on the DVD is truly spectacular; appearing crisp and so beautifully
defined that one can truly appreciate the intricate details of the film’s
incredible production design and period costumes. Additionally, the fact
that HELLO, DOLLY! was a 70mm production, the picture also
demonstrates a wonderful sense of dimensionality.
Colors
appear so rich and vibrant that one would swear they were attending an
opening day screening of a new movie, as opposed to watching one that is
nearly thirty-five years old. Reds are truly glorious and threaten to pop
off the screen, as do many of the other highly saturated hues. Despite
their intensity, the colors always have rock solid stability. Blacks are
velvety, whites are crisp and shadow detail is excellent for a vintage
film. The film element utilized for the transfer displays very few signs
of age and only the most minor of blemishes. Digital compression artifacts
are always completely camouflaged.
Despite
the claims of the DVD’s packaging HELLO, DOLLY! comes with a
Dolby Digital 4.0 channel soundtrack and not stereo surround. The sound is
big, brassy and a wonderful example of circa 1969 stereo recording at its
best. Sure, it isn’t in the same league as today’s finest digital
soundtracks, but for its age, it sounds absolutely marvelous. The musical
numbers come across solidly and Streisand’s voice packs a punch on the
track. Matthau’s vocals on his one musical number have a good deal of
comic charm, and fortunately, don’t grate on anyone’s eardrums. All of
the other vocals sound delightful and the orchestrations have good clarity
and range for their age. Dialogue is always crisp and completely
understandable. French and Spanish monaural tracks are also provided, as
are English and Spanish subtitles. The basic interactive menus provide
access to the standard scene selection and set up features, as well as a
1969 behind-the-scenes featurette, theatrical trailer and bonus trailers.
As
a fan of HELLO, DOLLY!, perhaps I don’t see the film’s flaws as
keenly as its detractors. For that reason, I am more readably able to
marvel at the film’s visual brilliance and its incredibly lavish
production values and marvelous choreography. Fox has done a phenomenal
job with the film’s presentation on DVD, thus making the disc a must
have for fans and movie musical buffs.
Lavish
and overproduced is a very good way to describe the 1969 screen version of
the Broadway hit HELLO, DOLLY! ($15). However an even better way of
describing this film is as a visually brilliant achievement in musical
cinema. There is no denying that HELLO, DOLLY! has its detractors-
those who complain about everything from Barbra Streisand being too young
for the lead role, to Walter Matthau’s tone deafness, to the movie being
too long and needlessly bloated. Now, I have seen this particular movie at
least a dozen times, and have to admit that its flaws become less
noticeable every time I watch it.
In
fact, I’ve gotten to the point where I have become mesmerized by Gene
Kelly’s direction HELLO, DOLLY!, which is an absolute triumph of
camera work, huge set pieces and artistic composition. And because of
Kelly’s visual brilliance, it becomes easier and easier for one to
marvel in the beauty and athleticism of Michael Kidd’s glorious
choreography. On top of that, is the film’s astonishing production
design and costumes, which bring the 1880s to life, not only trough
intricate sets, but also on superb outdoor locations. With all that said,
its easy to see the artistic merits of HELLO, DOLLY! and why I feel
that this movie would have probably faired much better with audiences and
critics alike, had it not been released at a time when musicals had fallen
out of step with popular tastes.
HELLO,
DOLLY! is a musical adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s The
Matchmaker, which tells the story of New York marriage broker and
all around entrepreneur, Dolly Levi (Barbra Streisand), who makes a trip
to Yonkers to see to the affairs of one Horace Vandergelder (Walter
Matthau). Vandergelder, a prominent Yonkers businessman, has hired Dolly
to find him a suitable wife and to keep his niece Ermengarde (Joyce Ames)
from marrying an artist named Ambrose Kemper (Tommy Tune). Although Dolly
has already made a "social introduction" between Vandergelder
and Miss Irene Molloy (Marianne McAndrew) of NYC, the matchmaker has
determined that Horace should marry someone entirely different. So, in the
course of a single day, Dolly sets in motion a plan to steer things
towards a more suitable conclusion for everyone including herself,
Ermengarde, Irene Molloy and Vandergelder’s put upon chief clerk
Cornelius Hackl (Michael Crawford), who at the ripe old age of
twenty-eight and three quarters, has yet to kiss a girl. The cast of HELLO,
DOLLY! also features Danny Lockin, E.J. Peaker, Judy Knaiz, David
Hurst, Fritz Feld, Richard Collier, J. Pat O'Malley and Louis Armstrong.
20th
Century Fox Home Entertainment has made HELLO, DOLLY! available on
DVD in an utterly superb 2.20:1 wide screen presentation that has been
enhanced for 16:9 displays. HELLO, DOLLY! has never looked this
good in the home venue, and for that reason, the folks at Fox truly
deserve the resounding praise of movie buffs everywhere for bringing Harry
Stradling’s glorious cinematography back up to its full luster. The
image on the DVD is truly spectacular; appearing crisp and so beautifully
defined that one can truly appreciate the intricate details of the film’s
incredible production design and period costumes. Additionally, the fact
that HELLO, DOLLY! was a 70mm production, the picture also
demonstrates a wonderful sense of dimensionality.
Colors
appear so rich and vibrant that one would swear they were attending an
opening day screening of a new movie, as opposed to watching one that is
nearly thirty-five years old. Reds are truly glorious and threaten to pop
off the screen, as do many of the other highly saturated hues. Despite
their intensity, the colors always have rock solid stability. Blacks are
velvety, whites are crisp and shadow detail is excellent for a vintage
film. The film element utilized for the transfer displays very few signs
of age and only the most minor of blemishes. Digital compression artifacts
are always completely camouflaged.
Despite
the claims of the DVD’s packaging HELLO, DOLLY! comes with a
Dolby Digital 4.0 channel soundtrack and not stereo surround. The sound is
big, brassy and a wonderful example of circa 1969 stereo recording at its
best. Sure, it isn’t in the same league as today’s finest digital
soundtracks, but for its age, it sounds absolutely marvelous. The musical
numbers come across solidly and Streisand’s voice packs a punch on the
track. Matthau’s vocals on his one musical number have a good deal of
comic charm, and fortunately, don’t grate on anyone’s eardrums. All of
the other vocals sound delightful and the orchestrations have good clarity
and range for their age. Dialogue is always crisp and completely
understandable. French and Spanish monaural tracks are also provided, as
are English and Spanish subtitles. The basic interactive menus provide
access to the standard scene selection and set up features, as well as a
1969 behind-the-scenes featurette, theatrical trailer and bonus trailers.
As
a fan of HELLO, DOLLY!, perhaps I don’t see the film’s flaws as
keenly as its detractors. For that reason, I am more readably able to
marvel at the film’s visual brilliance and its incredibly lavish
production values and marvelous choreography. Fox has done a phenomenal
job with the film’s presentation on DVD, thus making the disc a must
have for fans and movie musical buffs.
