Hello, Dolly! (film)

Infobox Film
name = Hello, Dolly!


image_size = 200px
caption = Original film poster by Richard Amsel
director = Gene Kelly
producer = Ernest Lehman
writer = Ernest Lehman
narrator =
starring = Barbra Streisand
Walter Matthau
Michael Crawford
music = Jerry Herman
cinematography = Harry Stradling Sr.
editing = William Reynolds
distributor = 20th Century Fox
released = 1969
runtime = 145 min.
country = U.S.A.
language = English
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0064418

"Hello, Dolly!" is a 1969 American musical film, based on the Broadway production of the same name. The film follows the story of Dolly Levi (Barbra Streisand), a strong-willed matchmaker who travels to Yonkers, New York in an attempt to find a match for the miserly "well-known unmarried half-a-millionaire", Horace Vandergelder. In doing so, she convinces his niece, her intended, and Horace's two clerks to travel to New York City.

Gene Kelly directed producer Ernest Lehman's screenplay. The cast included Barbra Streisand, Walter Matthau, Michael Crawford, Danny Lockin, Tommy Tune, Fritz Feld, and Louis Armstrong, whose recording of the title tune was a #1 hit in the mid-1960s. It was photographed in 65 mm Todd-AO by Harry Stradling Sr.

ynopsis

In 1890, all of New York City is excited because widowed, brassy Dolly Gallagher Levi (Barbra Streisand) is in town ("Call On Dolly"). Dolly makes a living through matchmaking and numerous sidelines ("Just Leave Everything To Me"). She is currently seeking a wife for grumpy Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau), the well-known half-a-millionaire, but it becomes clear that Dolly intends to marry Horace herself. Dolly travels to Yonkers, New York to visit Horace.

Ambrose Kemper (Tommy Tune), a young artist, wants to marry Horace's weepy niece Ermengarde (Joyce Ames), but Horace opposes this because Ambrose's vocation does not guarantee a steady living. Horace, owner of Vandergelder's Hay and Feed, explains to his two clerks, Cornelius Hackl (Michael Crawford) and Barnaby Tucker (Danny Lockin), that he is going to get married because "It Takes a Woman" to cheerfully do all the household chores. He plans to travel to New York City to propose to Irene Molloy (Marianne McAndrew), who owns a hat shop there. Dolly arrives in Yonkers and sends Horace ahead to New York. He tells Cornelius and Barnaby to mind the store.

Cornelius decides that he and Barnaby need to get out of Yonkers. Dolly knows two ladies in New York they should call on: Irene Molloy and her shop assistant, Minnie Fay (E.J. Peaker). She enters Ermengarde and Ambrose in the polka competition at the fancy Harmonia Gardens Restaurant in New York City so Ambrose can demonstrate his ability to be a bread winner to Uncle Horace. Cornelius, Barnaby, Ambrose, Ermengarde and Dolly take the train to New York. ("Put on Your Sunday Clothes")

Irene and Minnie open their hat shop for the afternoon. Irene does not love Horace Vandergelder and declares that she will wear an elaborate hat to impress a gentleman ("Ribbons Down My Back"). Cornelius and Barnaby arrive at the shop and pretend to be rich. Horace and Dolly arrive at the shop, and 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. Cornelius sneezes, and Horace storms out, realizing there are men hiding in the shop, but not knowing they are his clerks.

Dolly arranges for Cornelius and Barnaby, who are still pretending to be rich, to take the ladies out to dinner to the Harmonia Gardens to make up for their humiliation. She teaches Cornelius and Barnaby how to dance since they always have dancing at such establishments ("Dancing"). 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 ("Before the Parade Passes By"). After meeting an old friend, Gussie Granger (Judy Knaiz), on a float in the parade, Dolly catches up with the annoyed Vandergelder as he is marching in the parade. She tells him the heiress Ernestina Simple would be perfect for him and asks him to meet her at the Harmonia Gardens that evening.

Cornelius is determined to get a kiss before the night is over. As the clerks have no money for a carriage, they tell the girls that walking to the restaurant shows that they've got "Elegance". In a quiet flat, Dolly prepares for the evening ("Love Is Only Love"). At the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant, Rudolph (David Hurst), the head waiter, whips his crew into shape for Dolly Levi's return. Horace arrives with his date, who is really Dolly's friend Gussie. She is not rich or elegant as Dolly implied; bored by Horace, she soon leaves, just as she and Dolly planned.

Cornelius, Barnaby and their dates arrive, unaware that Horace is also dining at the restaurant. Dolly makes her triumphant return to the Harmonia Gardens and is greeted in style by the staff. ("Hello, Dolly!") She sits in the now-empty seat at Horace's table and proceeds to tell him that no matter what he says, she will not marry him. Cornelius confesses to the ladies that they have no money, and Irene, who knew they were pretending all along, offers to pay for their dinner. She then realizes that she left her handbag with all her money in it at home. Cornelius, Irene, Barnaby, and Minnie try to sneak out during the the polka contest, but Horace recognizes them and also spots Eremengarde and Ambrose. In the ensuing free-for-allhuh, Vandergelder fires Cornelius and Barnaby (although they claim to have already quit) and everyone is kicked out of the restaurant.

Cornelius professes his love for Irene ("It Only Takes A Moment"). Horace declares that he wouldn't marry Dolly if she were the last woman in the world. Dolly angrily bids him farewell; while he's bored and lonely, she'll be living the high life. ("So Long, Dearie")

The next morning, back at the hay and feed store, Cornelius and Irene, Barnaby and Minnie, and Ambrose and Ermengarde each come to collect the money Vandergelder owes them. Chastened, he finally admits that he needs Dolly in his life, but she is unsure about the marriage until Ephram sends her a sign. Vandergelder spontaneously repeats a saying of Ephram's: "Money is like manure. It's not worth a thing unless it's spread about, encouraging young things to grow." Cornelius becomes Horace's buisiness partner at the store, and Barnaby fills in Cornelius' old position. Horace tells Dolly life would be dull without her, and she promises that she'll "never go away again" ("Hello, Dolly!").

Musical Numbers

*"Call On Dolly"
*"Just Leave Everything To Me" *
*"Main Titles (Overture)"
*"It Takes a Woman"
*"It Takes a Woman (Reprise)"
*"Put on Your Sunday Clothes"
*"Ribbons Down My Back"
*"Dancing"
*"Before the Parade Passes By"
*"Intermission"
*"Elegance"
*"Love Is Only Love" *
*"Hello, Dolly!"
*"It Only Takes a Moment"
*"So Long, Dearie"
*"Finale"
*"End Credits"

* Written specially for the film with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman

Principal Cast

*Barbra Streisand — Dolly Levi
*Walter Matthau — Horace Vandergelder
*Michael Crawford — Cornelius Hackl
*Marianne McAndrew — Irene Molloy
*Danny Lockin — Barnaby Tucker
*E.J. Peaker — Minnie Fay
*Joyce Ames — Ermengarde Vandergelder
*Tommy Tune — Ambrose Kemper
*Judy Knaiz — Gussie Granger/Ernestina Simple
*David Hurst — Rudolph Reisenweber
*Fritz Feld — Fritz, German waiter
*Richard Collier — Joe, Vandergelder's barber
*J. Pat O'Malley — Policeman in Park
*Louis Armstrong — Louis, Orchestra Leader

Awards and Nominations

"Hello, Dolly!" won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction, Best Music, Score of a Musical Picture (Original or Adaptation), and Best Sound. It also was nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, and Best Picture. (Neither of the new songs Herman wrote for the movie, "Just Leave Everything to Me" and "Love is Only Love", which had been written for the stage version of "Mame" but cut before it opened, was cited.)

The film received BAFTA nominations for Streisand and Matthau, art direction, and cinematography. It also received five Golden Globe nominations, as Best Picture (Musical or Comedy), and for Streisand, Kelly, and two for McAndrew, as Best Supporting Actress and Most Promising Newcomer.

Trivia

*Barbra Streisand's golden dress used in the "Hello, Dolly!" sequence weighed 40 pounds and cost $8,000. fact|date=August 2008
*Louis Armstrong did all of his shots in one take and was only on the set for half a day.
*The Harmonia Garden sequence took a month to film.
*Ann-Margret screen-tested for Irene Molloy.

Cultural Influence

*In the 2008 film "WALL-E", the title character's most valued treasure is a battered VHS copy of "Hello, Dolly!". He mimics its choreography and it teaches him emotion and the significance of holding hands. When he meets another robot, EVE, WALL-E uses the video to bond with her, also teaching her its significance. He also uses a recording of "Put on Your Sunday Clothes" to accidentally influence other robots and humans. The performances of "Put on Your Sunday Clothes" and "It Only Takes a Moment" are played repeatedly throughout the film, becoming a key motif.

Critical Reception

"Hello, Dolly!" was one of the top-grossing films of the year. When it was released on video in 1980, it earned $1,000,000 in sales, almost as much as "The Sound of Music". [Konder, George C. "Hello, Dolly!": Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Album (CD Re-issue). Liner notes. Philips Records, 1994]

References

External links

*imdb title | id=0064418 | title=Hello, Dolly!
* [http://movies2.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html?_r=1&title1=&title2=Hello%2C%20Dolly%21%20%28Movie%29&reviewer=VINCENT%20CANBY&v_id=22113&pdate=19691218&partner=Rotten%20Tomatoes&oref=slogin New York Times review]
* [http://www.dvdtown.com/review/Hello_Dolly!/10964/1687/ 2003 review of the DVD release]
* [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1009483-hello_dolly/ Collection of reviews at rottentomatoes.com]
* [http://www.barbra-archives.com/Films/streisand_hellodolly.html Barbra Archives DOLLY Pages: Posters & Behind the Scenes, Locations, DOLLY Sights and Sounds]