← Back to Reviews
in
Gene Kelly directed the 1969 film version of Hello Dolly!, the musical version of the Thornton Wilder play "The Matchmaker" featuring music by Jerry Herman (Mame, La Cage Aux Folles).
This big but empty film version is the story of a widowed matchmaker named Dolly Gallagher Levi, who has arranged a potential mate for a wealthy Yonkers businessman but then decides that she wants him for herself.
Barbra Streisand is miscast as Dolly Levi. Barbra, who was 26 at the time, takes on a role meant for an actress in her 50's. I don't blame Streisand entirely; some blame must rest with director Kelly, as Streisand's characterization is all over the place...it's part Mae West, part Yente the Matchmaker and part Barbra. Walter Matthau's casting as Yonkers businessman Horace Vandegelder looks good on paper, but he and Streisand have absolutely no on screen chemistry at all. It's been well-documented over the years that Streisand and Matthau did not get along at all during the making of this film and this tension does show on screen.
There have been minor changes to Herman's score, including one song actually written for Herman's other famous musical, Mame, called "Love is only Love" that brings the film to a screeching halt.
The film doesn't really come alive until the Waiter's Ballet, imaginatively choreographed by Michael Kidd and Barbra's dynamite rendition of "So Long, Dearie" but these two highlights happen about two hours into the film and it's a long wait getting to them.
A classic Broadway musical makes a limp transition to the big screen, thanks primarily to overblown and unfocused direction from MGM icon Gene Kelly.
Gene Kelly directed the 1969 film version of Hello Dolly!, the musical version of the Thornton Wilder play "The Matchmaker" featuring music by Jerry Herman (Mame, La Cage Aux Folles).
This big but empty film version is the story of a widowed matchmaker named Dolly Gallagher Levi, who has arranged a potential mate for a wealthy Yonkers businessman but then decides that she wants him for herself.
Barbra Streisand is miscast as Dolly Levi. Barbra, who was 26 at the time, takes on a role meant for an actress in her 50's. I don't blame Streisand entirely; some blame must rest with director Kelly, as Streisand's characterization is all over the place...it's part Mae West, part Yente the Matchmaker and part Barbra. Walter Matthau's casting as Yonkers businessman Horace Vandegelder looks good on paper, but he and Streisand have absolutely no on screen chemistry at all. It's been well-documented over the years that Streisand and Matthau did not get along at all during the making of this film and this tension does show on screen.
There have been minor changes to Herman's score, including one song actually written for Herman's other famous musical, Mame, called "Love is only Love" that brings the film to a screeching halt.
The film doesn't really come alive until the Waiter's Ballet, imaginatively choreographed by Michael Kidd and Barbra's dynamite rendition of "So Long, Dearie" but these two highlights happen about two hours into the film and it's a long wait getting to them.
A classic Broadway musical makes a limp transition to the big screen, thanks primarily to overblown and unfocused direction from MGM icon Gene Kelly.