Hello, Dolly! is Barbra’s most underrated film. When initially released in 1969, Barbra’s performance was greeted with mixed reviews. Many compared her to Carol Channing (who did the Broadway musical version) and felt that Carol was better for the part. They further criticized Barbra for being Mae West in one scene then someone else in the next and so on. Well, more than 30 years later, I couldn’t possibly disagree more with these critics for several reasons:

• The score of Hello, Dolly! is one of the most amazing scores ever written, featuring incredible showstoppers such as Put on Your Sunday Clothes, Before the Parade Passes By, So Long Dearie, and of course, Hello, Dolly! Carol Channing simply did not have the voice to carry these numbers.
• I always wondered: Was Carol Channing really a man? I’ll never know. (The point being that Barbra adds a certain degree of femininity to the character of Dolly that Carol could only hint at.)
• In the late 1960s, Barbra could still sing. What's more, she is in perfect voice for this movie. To the point that every number she sings in this movie turns into a showstopper.
• Barbra was a little fat at this time, which was perfect for the role of the older Dolly Levi.
• Barbra obviously worked hard for each scene (being only her second movie, she still cared about her acting). From her expression, to her dialogue, to her body language, everything is carefully choreographed.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for co-stars Walter Matthau and Michael Crawford. Both are flat-out dreadful as Horace Vandergelder and Cornelius Hackl, respectively. While Walter looks like Horace, he can’t sing a note. Michael, surprisingly, is almost as bad. He appears to struggle with the songs, and simply sounds and looks terrible.

It seems Gene Kelly, the director, decided to tell this simple story in the most complicated manner he could. The most complicated parts being the dance sequences (which is fitting, given Gene was a former dancer). Some of these sequences are spectacular; others are simply too long and distracting. Barbra, not being a dancer, is missing from some of these sequences. She is also missing from several musical numbers featuring other cast members. These scenes, especially those with Walter and Michael, also drag. To make a long story short, it so happens that when Barbra leaves the scene the movie begins to crumble. When she returns, the movie just sort of comes together again.

To Gene's credit, the movie is spectacularly filmed with a larger-than-life quality that grows from the opening sequence all the way to Barbra's rendition of Hello, Dolly! It seems every detail in every scene (though there are a few errors) was carefully planned (and color-coordinated!)

This DVD offers a widescreen presentation, as well as a trailer (in English and Spansih) and an unusual featurette. Unusual because it makes no sense (it appears someone just edited a number of scenes and behind-the-scenes materials together.) As for the movie, it is visually quite stunning in the DVD format with its brilliant and vibrant colors. The sound is ok, but not spectacular. From this DVD (on sale starting 8/19/03) we have the following photos:

• The Energizing Put On Your Sunday Clothes
• Running to the Parade
• The Parade
• Dolly Sways
• Dolly Twirls
• Dolly Smiles
• The Smashing End of Hello Dolly! Number
• So Long Dearie!

Overall, Hello, Dolly! is one of the most amazing musicals ever made. Only three mistakes mar this fabulous, colorful and over-the-top period piece: Michael Crawford, Walter Matthau, and some of the overly long dance sequences. If you can fast-forward through these problems, you will find Dolly has great dancing, great music, great cinematography, a great leading lady, and above all, what every musical needs: a super voice.

Hello, Dolly! on a scale of 1-10: 7.

Did you know that...
Barbra earned her first $1 million paycheck as an actress
for the role of Dolly Levi?