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Hello, Dolly!(film)

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Hello, Dolly!
Theatrical release poster, designed byRichard Amsel
Directed byGene Kelly
Screenplay byErnest Lehman
Based onHello, Dolly!
byMichael Stewart
The Matchmaker
byThornton Wilder
Einen Jux will er sich machen
byJohann Nestroy
A Day Well Spent
byJohn Oxenford
Produced byErnest Lehman
StarringBarbra Streisand
Walter Matthau
Michael Crawford
Louis Armstrong
CinematographyHarry Stradling
Edited byWilliam Reynolds
Music byJerry Herman(music and lyrics)
Score adaptation:
Lennie Hayton
Lionel Newman
Production
company
Chenault Productions
Distributed by20th Century-Fox
Release date
  • December 16, 1969(1969-12-16)
(NYC)[1]
Running time
148 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$25 million
Box office$26 million(theatrical rental)

Hello, Dolly!is a 1969 Americanmusicalromantic comedyfilm based on the 1964Broadway production of the same name,which was based onThornton Wilder's playThe Matchmaker.Directed byGene Kellyand written and produced byErnest Lehman,the film starsBarbra Streisand,Walter Matthau,Michael Crawford,Danny Lockin,Tommy Tune,Fritz Feld,Marianne McAndrew,E. J. PeakerandLouis Armstrong(whose recording of thetitle tunehad become a number-one single in May 1964).[2]The film follows the story ofDolly Levi,a strong-willed matchmaker who travels toYonkers, New Yorkin order to find a match for the miserly "well-known unmarried half-a-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder. In doing so, she convinces his niece, his niece's intended and Horace's two clerks to travel to New York.

Released on December 16, 1969, by20th Century-Fox,the film won threeAcademy AwardsforBest Art Direction,Best Score of a Musical PictureandBest Soundand was nominated for a further four Academy Awards, includingBest Picture.Although the film eventually broke even, it was not a commercial success.[3][4]The songs "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" and "It Only Takes A Moment" were later used in the 2008 animated filmWALL-E.[5]

Plot

[edit]

In 1890, well-known widowed matchmaker Dolly Levi plans on traveling toNew York City.She seeks a wife for Horace Vandergelder, the well-known unmarried "half-a-millionaire", while actually intending to marry him herself. Meanwhile, young artist Ambrose Kemper wants to marry Horace's niece, Ermengarde. Horace opposes this, feeling Ambrose cannot provide financial security. Horace, who owns Vandergelder's Hay and Feed, plans to travel to New York to march in the 14th Street Parade and to propose to milliner Irene Molloy, whom he met through Dolly. After arriving in Yonkers, Dolly sends Horace ahead to the city. Before leaving, he tells his clerks, Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker, to mind the store.

Cornelius, however, decides that he and Barnaby need to get out of Yonkers. Dolly overhears, and decides to set them up with Irene and her shop assistant, Minnie Fay. Dolly also helps Ambrose and Ermengarde, entering them in a dance contest at the fancy Harmonia Gardens restaurant, which she and her late husband frequented. The entire company takes the train to New York.

In New York, Irene and Minnie open their hat shop for the afternoon. Irene does not love Horace, but the marriage can provide her with financial security and an escape from her boring job. Hoping to escape her loveless marriage, Irene plans to look for real love before the summer is over. Cornelius and Barnaby arrive at the shop and pretend to be rich. Irene takes to Cornelius. When Horace and Dolly arrive, Cornelius and Barnaby hide. Minnie screams when she finds Cornelius hiding in an armoire. Horace is about to open the armoire himself, but Dolly "searches" it and pronounces it empty. After hearing Cornelius sneeze, Horace storms out upon realizing that there are men hiding in the shop, unaware that they are his clerks. Dolly arranges for Cornelius and Barnaby, who are still pretending to be rich, to take the ladies out to dinner at Harmonia Gardens to make up for their humiliation. Dolly tries to teach the clerks to dance, which leads to the whole town dancing in a park.

The clerks and the ladies go to watch the Fourteenth Street Association Parade together. Alone, Dolly asks her first husband Ephram's permission to marry Horace, requesting a sign. She resolves to move on with life. After meeting an old friend, Gussie Granger, on a float in the parade, Dolly catches up with the annoyed Horace, who is marching in the parade. She says that the heiress Ernestina Simple would be perfect for Horace and asks him to meet her at Harmonia Gardens that evening.

Since the clerks have no money to hire a carriage, they tell the girls that walking to the restaurant is more stylish. At the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant, Rudolph, the head waiter, whips his crew into shape for Dolly's return. Horace arrives to meet his date, who is really Gussie. She is not rich or elegant as Dolly implied, and leaves after being bored by Horace, just as she and Dolly planned.

Cornelius, Barnaby and their dates arrive, unaware that Horace is also there. Dolly makes later shows up and is greeted by the staff. She sits in the now-empty seat at Horace's table and proceeds to say that no matter what he says, she will not marry him. Fearful of being caught, Cornelius confesses to the ladies that he and Barnaby are poor. Irene, who knew they were pretending all along, offers to pay for the meal. Irene then realizes that she left her handbag with all her money in it at home. The four try to sneak out during the polka contest, but Horace recognizes them and also spots Ermengarde and Ambrose. In the ensuing confrontation, Horace fires the clerks, who are forced to flee as a riot breaks out. Cornelius professes his love for Irene. Horace declares that he would not marry Dolly if she were the last woman in the world.

The next morning, at the hay and feed store, Cornelius and Irene, Barnaby and Minnie, and Ambrose and Ermengarde each come to collect the money Horace owes them. Chastened, Horace admits that he needs Dolly, who is unsure about the marriage until Ephram sends her a sign. Cornelius becomes Horace's business partner at the store, and Barnaby fills Cornelius' old position. Horace tells Dolly that life would be dull without her, and she promises that she will "never go away again".

Cast

[edit]
L-R:Michael Crawford,Marianne McAndrew,Barbra Streisand,E. J. PeakerandDanny Lockin

Musical numbers

[edit]
Walter MatthauandBarbra Streisand,"So Long, Dearie"
  1. "Call On Dolly"
  2. "Just Leave Everything To Me"
  3. "Main Titles (Overture)"
  4. "It Takes a Woman"
  5. "It Takes a Woman (Reprise)"
  6. "Put on Your Sunday Clothes"
  7. "Ribbons Down My Back"
  8. "Dancing"
  9. "Before the Parade Passes By"
  10. "Intermission"
  11. "Elegance"
  12. "Love is Only Love"
  13. "Hello, Dolly!"
  14. "It Only Takes a Moment"
  15. "So Long, Dearie"
  16. "Finale"
  17. "End Credits"

Thesoundtrackwas released on the vinyl LP format and 8-track tape format in December 1969. It was released on compact disc in November 1994. Both the LP and compact disc omit selections 1, 3, 10, and 17.

Production

[edit]

Filming

[edit]
Location shot inGarrison, New York

The town ofGarrison, New York,specifically theGarrison Landing Historic Districtaround the train station, was the filming site for scenes inYonkers.[6]In the opening credits, the passenger train is traveling along the Hudson River on rails belonging toPenn Central.Provided by theStrasburg Rail Road,the train is pulled byPennsylvania Railroad 1223(now located in theRailroad Museum of Pennsylvania) retrofitted to resemble a New York Central & Hudson River locomotive. The locomotive, used in "Put on Your Sunday Clothes", was restored specifically for the film. ThePoughkeepsie (Metro-North station)trackside platform was used at the beginning when Dolly was on her way toYonkers.

The name of Judy Knaiz's character, Ernestina Semple, was changed from the stage version's Ernestina Money.

The church scene was filmed on the grounds of theUnited States Military AcademyatWest Point, New York,but the church's facade was constructed only for the film. New York City scenes were filmed on the20th Century-Foxlot in California.[7]Some of the exteriors still exist. The film was photographed in65 mmTodd-AObyHarry Stradling.

The film was beset by tension on the set, with Streisand clashing with costar Matthau and director Kelly.Michael Kidd,the choreographer, had conflicts with costume designerIrene Sharaffand Kelly, to the point that he and Kelly were no longer on speaking terms.[8]Tensions came to a head in a heated argument between Streisand and Matthau on June 6, 1968, on a hot day in Garrison the day after theassassination of Robert F. Kennedy.[3]

Louis Armstrong,who had a hit recording with thetitle song,as the orchestra leader.

Music

[edit]

Most of the original Broadway production's score was preserved for the film; however, "Just Leave Everything to Me" and "Love Is Only Love" were not in the stage show. Jerry Herman wrote "Just Leave Everything to Me" especially for Streisand; it effectively replaced "I Put My Hand In" from the Broadway production. However, an instrumental version of parts of "I Put My Hand In" can be heard in the film during the dance competition at the Harmonia Gardens.[9]Herman had previously written "Love is Only Love" for the stage version ofMame,but it was cut before its Broadway premiere. It occurred in the story as Mame tried to explain falling in love to her young nephew, Patrick. A briefprologueof "Mrs. Horace Vandergelder" was added to the song to integrate it into this film.[10]

Working under the musical direction ofLionel NewmanandLennie Hayton,the very large team of orchestrators included film stalwartsHerbert W. SpencerandAlexander Courage;the original Broadway production arranger,Philip J. Lang,making a rare film outing; and established television and pop arrangersJoe Lipman,Don Costa,andFrank Comstock.All the actors did their own singing, except forMarianne McAndrew(Irene Molloy) whose singing was dubbed by Melissa Stafford for Irene's vocal solos andGilda Maikenfor when Irene sings with other characters.[11]

Release

[edit]

U.S. premieres

[edit]

The film premiered inNew Yorkat Rivoli Theater on December 16, 1969. Production hadwrappedmore than a year earlier, but release was significantly delayed for contractual reasons.[12]A clause in the 1965 film sale contract specified that the film could not be released until 20 June 1971 or when the show closed onBroadway,whichever came first.[13]In 1969, the show was still running. Eager to release the film to recoup its cost,Foxnegotiated and paid an "early release" escape payment to release "Dolly" which cost Fox an estimated $1–2 million.[12]The following day, the film started 45roadshowengagements around the United States and Canada before opening worldwide on December 18, starting in Belgium, the Netherlands, New Zealand and South Africa.[14]

Box office

[edit]

The film opened strongly, finishing in third place at the US box office behindOn Her Majesty's Secret ServiceandEasy Riderin its opening week[15]and initially grossed more thanThe Sound of Music,but lost momentum and became a disappointment at the box office.[3]It grossed $33.2 million at the box office in the United States,[16]earning atheatrical rental(the distributor's share of the box office after deducting the exhibitor's cut)[17][18]of $15.2 million,[19][20]ranking it in the top five highest-grossing films of the 1969–1970 season.[20][21][4]In total, it earned $26 million in theatrical rentals for Fox,[16]against its $25.335 million production budget.[19]Despite performing well at the box office, the losses worsened disastrously. Over the last few decades, however, it has gone substantially into profit due to enormously successful home video sales, starting in 1978 when it went "gold" for vhs/beta sales at a then suggested retail of $69.95 USD.[4]

The soundtrack album's sales also did not live up to expectations, peaking at number 49 on theBillboardchart.[3]

Critical reception

[edit]

The film received favorable reviews upon release,[3]but some critics felt it was not a success as a musical, with Kelly and Kidd making little use of thewidescreenformat of the film. CriticTom Santopietrodescribed their approach as "shoveling more and more bodies on-screen with no apparent purpose."[22]Vincent Canbyin hisNew York Timesreview said that the producer and director "merely inflated the faults to elephantine proportions."[23]

In more recent years,Hello, Dolly!'s critical reputation has cooled considerably; as of June 2022, it holds a 45% "Rotten" rating on review aggregatorRotten Tomatoesbased on 31 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. The consensus states: "Though Barbra Streisand charms, she's miscast as the titular middle-aged widow in Gene Kelly's sluggish and over-produced final directorial effort."[24]Eric Henderson ofSlant Magazinesaid of the film: "More infamous for bringing Fox financially to its knees than for being the last major musical directed by Gene Kelly,Hello, Dolly!is one big-assed bull in a china shop. The film cost nearly as much to produce asCleopatraand made far less at the box office, thus earning the film its reputation as one of Hollywood’s foremost turkeys. "[25]

Accolades

[edit]
Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
Academy Awards Best Picture Ernest Lehman Nominated [26]
[27]
Best Art Direction Art Direction:John DeCuir,Jack Martin Smith,andHerman A. Blumenthal;
Set Decoration:Walter M. Scott,George James Hopkins,andRaphaël Bretton 		Won
Best Cinematography Harry Stradling[a] Nominated
Best Costume Design Irene Sharaff Nominated
Best Film Editing William H. Reynolds Nominated
Best Score of a Musical Picture – Original or Adaptation Lennie HaytonandLionel Newman Won
Best Sound Jack SolomonandMurray Spivack Won
American Cinema Editors Awards Best Edited Feature Film William H. Reynolds Won[b] [28][29]
British Academy Film Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role Walter Matthau[c] Nominated [30]
Best Actress in a Leading Role Barbra Streisand[d] Nominated
Best Art Direction John DeCuir Nominated
Best Cinematography Harry Stradling Nominated
Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures Gene Kelly Nominated [31]
Golden Globe Awards Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Nominated [32]
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Barbra Streisand Nominated
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Marianne McAndrew Nominated
Best Director – Motion Picture Gene Kelly Nominated
Most Promising Newcomer – Female Marianne McAndrew Nominated

Others

[edit]

The film is recognized byAmerican Film Institutein these lists:

Home media

[edit]

Hello, Dolly!was one of the first theatrical films to be released on the then-newVHSandBetamaxhome video formats in the fall of 1978. It was released onDVDin 2003 andBlu-rayin 2013. It began streaming onDisney+on May 22, 2020.

In other media

[edit]
  • Songs and footage from the scenes "Put on Your Sunday Clothes" and "It Only Takes a Moment", as well as still images from the film in general, were prominently featured in the 2008Disney-PixarfilmWALL-E.In the movie, WALL-E watches the footage from an oldBetamaxtape, and learns about the concept of love from the film.[35][36]
  • The songs "Elegance" and "Put on Your Sunday Clothes" are heard through any day at the Main Street section of theMagic KingdominWalt Disney World,with the addition of "Before the Parade Passes By" atDisneylandinAnaheim.
  • The song "Just Leave Everything to Me" is heard in the season 2 opening ofThe Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^Posthumous nomination.
  2. ^Tied withWarren LowforTrue Grit.
  3. ^Also forThe Secret Life of an American Wife.
  4. ^Also forFunny Girl.

References

[edit]
  1. ^Hello, Dolly!at theAFI Catalog of Feature Films
  2. ^Bronson, Fred.The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits(2003), Billboard Books,ISBN0-8230-7677-6
  3. ^abcdeNickens, Christopher; Swenson, Karen (2000).The Films of Barbra Streisand.Citadel Press. pp. 54–64.ISBN9780806519548.RetrievedJanuary 19,2017.
  4. ^abcLoBianco, Lorraine."Hello, Dolly! (1969) – Articles".TCM database.Turner Classic Movies.RetrievedApril 7,2013.
  5. ^lenker, maureen (June 27, 2018)."WALL-E turns 10: Andrew Stanton explains the film's Hello, Dolly connection".RetrievedJune 21,2024.{{cite news}}:Unknown parameter|middle=ignored (help)
  6. ^"Hello, Dolly!".IMDb.IMDb.com, Inc. December 16, 1969.RetrievedNovember 27,2013.
  7. ^Vincent, Roger; Molina, Genaro (May 17, 2024)."On a Hollywood studio lot, a new New York comes to life".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedMay 18,2024.
  8. ^Kennedy, Matthew (2014).Roadshow!: The Fall of Film Musicals in the 1960s.Oxford University Press. pp. 135–140.ISBN978-0199925674.
  9. ^Kurtti, Jeff (1996).The Great Hollywood Musical Trivia Book.New York: Applause Books. pp.143–166.ISBN1-55783-222-6.
  10. ^Konder, George C.Hello, Dolly!:Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Album (CD Re-issue). Liner notes dated September 1994. Philips Records, 810 368-2
  11. ^"List of Dubbers".Archived fromthe originalon December 18, 2017.RetrievedApril 16,2010.
  12. ^abKurtti, p. 160
  13. ^Dunne, John Gregory. "The $20 Million Movie of 'Hello, Dolly!' is Stuck on the Shelf While the Producers Argue." LIFE, 14 February 1969, 60.
  14. ^"At Long Last... (advertisement)".Variety.October 15, 1969. pp. 12–13.
  15. ^"50 Top-Grossing Films".Variety.December 31, 1969. p. 9.
  16. ^ab"Box Office Information forHello, Dolly!".The Numbers.Nash Information Services. Archived fromthe originalon October 18, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 26,2012.
  17. ^Cones, John W. (1997).The feature film distribution deal: a critical analysis of the single most important film industry agreement.Southern Illinois University Press.p.41.ISBN978-0-8093-2082-0.
  18. ^"Box Office Tracking By Time – Key Terminology: Gross".Box office Mojo.RetrievedSeptember 21,2013.
  19. ^abSolomon, Aubrey (2002),Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History,Scarecrow Filmmakers Series, vol. 20, Lanham, Maryland:Rowman & Littlefield,pp.216(background for figures),231(theatrical rental) &256(budget),ISBN9780810842441
  20. ^abWilliams, Linda Ruth; Hammond, Michael (2006).Contemporary American Cinema.McGraw-Hill.p.176.ISBN9780335218318.
  21. ^Krämer, Peter (2005).The new Hollywood: from Bonnie and Clyde to Star Wars.Wallflower Press. p.44.ISBN9781904764588.
  22. ^Santopietro, Tom (2007).The Importance of Being Barbra: The Brilliant, Tumultuous Career of Barbra Streisand.St. Martin's Griffin. p. 67.ISBN978-0312375614.
  23. ^Canby, Vincent (December 18, 1969)."'Hello, Dolly!' (1969): On Screen, Barbra Streisand Displays a Detached Cool ".The New York Times.RetrievedMarch 9,2010.
  24. ^Hello, Dolly(1969).Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 27th April 2017.
  25. ^Hello, Dolly!Film Review,Slant.Retrieved 27th April 2017.
  26. ^"The 42nd Academy Awards (1970) Nominees and Winners".Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.RetrievedAugust 26,2011.
  27. ^"Hello, Dolly!".Movies & TV Dept.The New York Times.RetrievedDecember 27,2008.[dead link]
  28. ^Smith, Fredrick Y., ed. (1971).ACE Second Decade Anniversary Book.American Cinema Editors.pp. 65–67.
  29. ^"Film Editors Given Eddies".The Los Angeles Times.March 17, 1970. p. 75.RetrievedMarch 20,2024.
  30. ^"BAFTA Awards: Film in 1970".British Academy Film Awards.RetrievedNovember 23,2013.
  31. ^"22nd Annual DGA Awards".Directors Guild of America Awards.RetrievedJune 11,2024.
  32. ^"Hello, Dolly!".Golden Globe Awards.RetrievedJune 11,2024.
  33. ^"AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs Nominees"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on April 17, 2015.RetrievedAugust 13,2016.
  34. ^"AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals Nominees"(PDF).RetrievedAugust 13,2016.
  35. ^King, Susan (July 4, 2008)."Wall-E meets 'Dolly'".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedJanuary 17,2018.
  36. ^Willman, Chris (July 14, 2008)."'WALL-E': How he found 'Hello, Dolly!'".Entertainment Weekly.RetrievedJanuary 17,2018.
[edit]
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