Monday, July 23, 2012

HELLY DOLLY AND THE DEATH OF THE MOVIE MUSICAL

The age of the movie musical died when rock n roll took hold of the young people in the late 1950s. Hollywood was the last one to admit its death, and studios kept on making big budgeted and overblown musicals. For the most part, Hollywood in the 1960s and 1970s got their ideas for musicals from broadway. Broadway still produced the musicals of high quality that used to be the speciality for the movie musicals. When the musical "Hello Dolly" debuted on broadway in 1964, it was only a matter of time before this blockbuster show was given the Hollywood treatment. Unfortunately, the Hello Dolly that was made on film was not the Hello Dolly on broadway. It was expensive, unsuccessful, and cost 20th Century Fox a lot of money that they did not have.

The film grew out of a massive attempt by 20th Century Fox to duplicate its earlier, unprecedented success with The Sound of Music by producing three expensive, large-scale musicals over a period of three years, Doctor Dolittle and Star! being the others. Unfortunately, film attendance as a whole was down and all three films' box-office performance reflected this. All were released amid massive pre-release publicity and all lost equally massive amounts of money for the studio (though "Dolly" was in the box office top 5 for the year of its release). The result was that several top studio executives lost their jobs, and the studio itself went into such dire financial straits that it only produced one picture for the entire calendar year of 1970. In truth, Fox would never recoup its losses until a highly successful theatrical reissue of "The Sound of Music" in early 1973.

The key problem that many people express with “Hello, Dolly!” was the unlikely casting of Barbra Streisand in the eponymous role of the 1890s matchmaker Dolly Levi. The role, of course, was conceived for a late-middle-aged woman – Carol Channing famously originated the part on Broadway, while Mary Martin starred in the West End premiere. A skein of old-time movie queens played the role in the post-Channing Broadway run and in various touring companies, including Ginger Rogers, Martha Raye, Betty Grable, and Dorothy Lamour. Offbeat casting included Pearl Bailey in an all-black Broadway version plus comic actresses Phyllis Diller, Dora Bryan and Molly Picon in other stage versions.


Streisand, however, was 27 when Ernest Lehman signed her for the film version. Lehman would later state he initially considered Channing for the film, but he was concerned about her spotty track record as a film performer. After viewing Channing’s performance in the 1967 film “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” he felt that the star’s stage-bound vivacity could not translate into a motion picture. Ironically, Streisand had even less film experience than Channing – her one film at that point was the adaptation of her Broadway hit “Funny Girl,” but that was still in post-production when she was signed to play Dolly Levi.

For her part, Streisand was surprised at the offer – oddly, she thought the role would be best suited for Elizabeth Taylor, even though the two-time Oscar-winner was years removed from late middle age and possessed no musical abilities (a fact that was cruelly confirmed a decade later with the film of “A Little Night Music”).


Streisand reportedly did not get along with her co-star Walter Matthau, who was cast as the curmudgeonly “half-a-millionaire” Horace Vandergelder that Dolly recklessly pursues. Whatever friction took place off-screen may have helped fuel their respective performances. A critical eye can dissect their joint scenes and witness how they try to upstage each other – a Matthau grimace is met with a Streisand eye roll, met in turn by a Matthau scowl, and so forth. Not surprisingly, the film shows slight signs of lethargy whenever either star is not present. During filming, Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau fought bitterly. He disliked her so intensely that he refused to be around her except when required to do so by the script. He is famously quoted as telling Barbra that she "had no more talent than a butterfly's fart".

“Hello, Dolly!” came at the tail end of an era where studios spared no expense in putting on an extravaganza. In this pre-CGI era, the recreation of 1890s New York was achieved by actually recreating the city’s downtown skyline. The song “Before the Parade Passes By,” takes the metaphoric link between fading opportunities and an expiring march, and visualizes it with a magnificent display of colorful floats and period-clad marchers and spectators. The film was shot in the wide screen 65mm Todd-AO format, and much of its original visual pizzazz is lost when viewed in today’s letterboxed DVD screen. The director, Gene Kelly was a tremendous dancer and choreographer as everyone knows, but his directing style is seemingly overblown and a little bit too elaborate for 1969 audiences.


What we also forget is that while today’s film scholars would peg “Bonnie and Clyde” or “Easy Rider” as symbolizing their era, the audiences of four decades ago actually sought out the traditional productions – the so-called groundbreaking efforts could be counted on fingers, and the top grossing U.S. film of 1969 was not “Easy Rider,” but was Disney’s non-cutting edge romp “The Love Bug.”

Indeed, detractors love to insist out that “Hello, Dolly!” was not a commercial success at the time of its release. Indeed, it only earned back $18 million of its $24 million budget (quite a princely sum for 1969). What is not mentioned, however, is that when the film was in wide release during 1970, it was among the year’s top ten grossing films; it later recouped its costs through international theatrical, television and home video sales.


There were some good moments in "Hello, Dolly!" though. Louis Armstrong, who had the biggest hit of the title song, joined Streisand for the performance of the title song. He was only on the screen for a few minutes, and he did it all in one take, but it was the best part of the film. Streisand's voice is very vibrant and appealing, which makes up for a twentysomething actress playing the older matchmaker Dolly Levi. The film did not hurt Streisand's career, but it did hurt 20th Century Fox, the directing career of Gene Kelly, and movie musicals as a whole. With "Hello, Dolly" a big upcoming young star and an overblown lavish budget did not spell box office success...

14 comments:

  1. I saw this upon its initial release and enjoyed it. You're right that Armstrong was its strongest scene. I remember liking the costumes and Yonkers sets but it stretched the imagination that Streisand as a vivacious Levi would fall for what seemed to me at the time an old fart like Matthau's character. He was 22 years her senior but it seemed even more.

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  2. I must say hello dolly is one of my feel good movies,u know when ur having a crappy day it cheers me up no end i love it

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  3. It's all opinion based on the nature of financial success, or in this case, the less than hoped for success. The film version of Hello Dolly is fabulously entertaining. I was a child when I first saw it in the theater (original release). Everyone clapped, smiled and left happy. So Streisand was a "young Levi." Storylines are often reworked. In that time frame of American history, it very well could have been that the young Dolly say aged 14, was given in an arranged marriage to the elderly Levi who would mold her as his young bride. Works still to this day for me. I adore Streisand - "like buttah!" And why Matthau had disdain for her is unfortunate, however, they brought some fire and at times, a rather hopeful triumph of actually "coupling" that is evident in their final scenes together. It is true that "profit" is a foundational core of a any business. I'm just saddened to think that this film, as grandly and beautifully as it has been preserved for all generations, has been marked as failing on many levels for the studio, Kelly and the concept of the movie musicals. Other than Chicago (which is more than a decade old and truly is fantastic), Hello Dolly for many of us is the last great American Movie Musical.

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    1. I couldn't agree more, will go down in history as one of our last great musicals. Barbra was oustanding and knocks it out of the park with her powerful presence. Mathau is a self absorbed egoist, so indicative of his time, and I believe poorly cast. Gene's direction was and is a masterpiece and the sets were truly monumental in scale and artisanship.

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  4. I LOVE this movie and oddly enough, although I completely agree that Streisand was too young for the role, somehow just KNOWING that she is older now makes her more believable. PLUS, her amazing voice makes the film. This is one film that has aged very well, which may explain why original losses have been recouped through video and DVD sales, not to mention online pay sources.

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  5. Loved it entirely.. I have it on Video, and watch it when I feel like a cheer up.. So what if it didn't reach box office expectations?... that says far more about the trends of the people at the time, than the makers of this masterpiece... We are not all Beatles fans !!

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  6. When I first saw the film version of HELLO, DOLLY! I was disappointed in it. I wanted Carol Channing, but got Barbra Streisand instead. The funny thing was the film only came a live when Streisand was on the screen. Seen today the movie is fantastic! One of the best screen musicals ever made and I love Barbra in the role of Dolly. We will never see the likes of such a great film production as HELLO, DOLLY!

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  7. Musicals Dead? Have you seen All That Jazz? Brilliant. I came out of the movie humming the tunes. Al Jolson was right, You Aint Heard Nothin Yet. Like westerns, not as many, but most, Dances With Wolves, Tombstone, great.

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  8. Streisand's beautiful voice alone is enough to carry a movie. During the 70's I saw an interview with Fred Astaire after his watching the scene "So Long Dearie" from Hello Dolly. He said, "Streisand? She's ok if you like talent".

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  9. Love this movie. It's fun, it's chalk full of great musical numbers. It's fantasy. Of course Babs is too young but who cares, her voice is phenomenal. Michael Crawford comes across as gay but who cares! It's wonderful. Loved Mathau especially!

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  10. I am German and watched this movie recently during a long flight. I was absolutely thrilled by Barbra Streisand and it did not come to my mind for a moment that she was so young - she played the mature woman in a very convincing way. I loved her voice, admired her dancing and laughed so hard about her quick dialogues (and monologues!) - I think she was just brilliant.

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  11. I watch Hello Dolly when I was 15 with my 65 year old grandpa and have regularly watch it on my DVD and Laser Disc. Never failed to cheer me up. I am 65 going to 66.

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  12. I dislike Streisand's current rabid left-winger persona, but I disagree with the notion she was "too young" for Dolly. The character virtually runs the show, manipulating and controlling every character's moves, including the much older and presumably wiser Vandergelder, and it takes a star of immense confidence and presence to pull off such a role. Look at her coming down the stairs in the gold dress during "Dolly" number- only a few stars had the cachet to pull off such a scene at that time. She exudes star-quality, off-beat beauty and confidence throughout the movie. This is even more well-established and talented actor like Matthua was riding and insulting her constantly. It probably helped her main co-stars were unknowns (and contrary to intuition, the same age as Barbra!) I can't think of another star who could have pulled off the sex appeal and star turn as BS, Julie Andrews had the voice but never, to me at least, any sex appeal. She always came off as schoolmarmish, like Mary Poppins. Barb could play coquettish and get away with it. Channing would have been a disaster. Even then she was a caricature of herself. Taylor? Can't sing and she thought too much of herself by that point to act like she was in love with anyone. Despite reported problems on-set, you get the idea Dolly really loves Horace. I think she's perfect for the part and can't imagine who else could have played it. And it's amazing how beautiful she is, the stunning costumes, hair and make-up, the last gasp of Hollywood's golden musical era. Too bad the public no longer cared, but the beauty of digital is that new generations can discover and love these great works.

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  13. I always loved this movie. My mother showed it to me as a child and I just loved it and Barbara Streisand. I thought she was perfect. Its so sad that Actor/Director Gene Kelly wasn't appreciate like she should have for it and 20th Century lost money at the time. I loved his directing and when I see it today I am stunned by all the dance numbers. This soundtrack and the movie always make me so happy. Put on your Sunday Clothes, Hello Dolly and It Take A moment, are fantastic. I love all of the songs. What Barbara Streisand does with her singing on the songs is just incredible. My heart opens, I get ecstatic. just such a beautiful voice like soft velvet and so talented. Matthau is always great as well. He's such a curmudgeon and you see him soften at the end. and despite whatever friction was on set, it all worked and their scene together are so funny.. Just saw it for the 50th anniversary on the theater. I teared up a few times I think because the grandness and beauty of the songs and musical choreography. I loved the background dancers singing in chorus during the songs and those dance numbers were just gorgeous. Also the leads who dance are just incredible.

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