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Barbra Streisand, Walter Matthau, Michael Crawford, Louis Armstrong, Marianne McAndrew ... see more see more... , E.J. Peaker , Danny Lockin , Joyce Ames , Tommy Tune , Judy Knaiz , David Hurst , Richard Collier , J. Pat O'Malley , Fritz Feld , Harry Monty , Ralph Roberts , Jim Hutchinson

Twenty-seven-year-old Barbra Streisand seemed an inappropriate choice for middle-aged, match-making widow Dolly Levi, but her energy carries her right through the role and dominates the lackluster mov... read more read more...ie around her. The plot, drawn from Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker (itself based on a 19th-century British farce), is set in motion when Yonkers feed store clerk Cornelius Hackl (Michael Crawford) celebrates his promotion by taking his pal Barnaby Tucker (Danny Lockin) to New York City for a "corking good time." But Cornelius and Barnaby can't avoid crossing paths with their boss Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau), who'd give them Holy Ned if he saw them in a fancy restaurant with two fancy girls instead of tending the store. Mr. Vandergelder himself is the object of Dolly's affections, though she pretends to have only a professional interest in the widowed merchant, going through the motions of finding him a new wife when in fact she'd like to be the lucky bride herself. The film's musical set pieces include a show-stopping rendition of the title number, with Louis Armstrong more or less playing himself. The biggest number is "Before the Parade Passes By," in which thousands of costumed marchers and atmosphere extras cavort before a huge replica of a New York City thoroughfare in the 1890s (actually the main entrance of the 20th Century-Fox studio, with period facades adorning the office buildings). An artifact of an era in which Broadway musicals were a significant part of popular culture, Hello Dolly seemed bizarrely irrelevant in the social turmoil of the late 1960s, and it became one of the late-1960s big-budget failures that led Hollywood studios toward a different kind of filmmaking in the 1970s. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Flixster Users

74% liked it

20,387 ratings

Critics

53% liked it

17 critics

G, 2 hr. 26 min.

Directed by: Gene Kelly

Release Date: December 16, 1969

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DVD Release Date: August 19, 2003

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Stats: 906 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (906)

  • FrizzDrop
    August 4, 2010
    FrizzDrop
    Wonderful musical, and Barbra is the perfect fit. Matthau is just as brilliant and silly as ever.
  • smith44
    April 7, 2010
    smith44
    I don't think I have ever seen a film with more, glitter, sparkles, twinkles, frills and gilded over-the-top spectacle as in Hello Dolly. Simply the most extravagent Hollywood musical I have ever had the pleasure to feast my eyes on. And that is exactly what it is a feast for the... read more eyes, from the epically spectacular songs to the huge sets and countless extras, Dolly is impressive. It is also so very sweet so much so that it is almost bitter, everything is so pretty and colourful. But Streisand steals the show with her amazing voice that never takes a breath. This film, made in 69, is really where old hollywood ends but it goes out with a bang!
  • jjnxn
    January 9, 2010
    jjnxn
    Barbra is decades too young, it would be perfect for her now, but its still fun in its gaudy overstuffed way.
  • flixsterman
    June 21, 2009
    flixsterman
    My mom had a habit of dropping us kids off at the theater on Saturday afternoons so she could get in a little "me-time" while the three of us watched a movie. On this particular Saturday, we were the only three people in the theater. That could be because small-town, USA simply... read more was uncultured and unsophisticated, or it could be that this movie sucked big giant ostrich eggs. You decide.
  • MissMorganLeee
    June 16, 2009
    MissMorganLeee
    I had NOO Idea that Barbra Streisand could sing like that! wow...She was great in the role of Dolly just the way she is all of the time!
    Micheal Crawford was very good as well. He AND his chicken legs! haha. I've been listening to him as the Phantom ever sense I was 5 and now SE... read moreEING him and how he ACTS just makes me laugh and realize he must have great range! I love how he kinda stops and sucks in his lower lip, its just soo cute! ''
    Apart from Gene Kelly being a great actor he is also a very good director. Watching all these dance numbers i just think "ahhh i would be dying on the floor after the first 3 minutes" Exelent dance numbers.
  • mingsysar
    October 30, 2008
    mingsysar
    Barbra Streisand vehicle. Probably got a whole new set of fans after Wall-E, can't see why it was included though. Wall-E had a good reason to watch it, we haven't. Michael Crawford is in it though...
  • paj85
    April 4, 2012
    paj85
    "Hello, Dolly!" is high class. This 1890's period piece is delightful as Barabara Streisand lights up the screen with her incredible costumes and adorable disposition. I can definitely understand the criticism about Streisand (at age 29) being cast to play a widow who has coped... read more with her husband's death for many years BUT... she is so incredible in this role vocally and charasmatically that she is a perfect fit. Despite mixed critical reviews, the film won 3 of its 7 Oscar nominations, though I cannot understand how it did not win for Best Costume Design. The rest of the actors were well cast, particularly a young Michael Crawford as Cornelius, Walter Matthau as the grumpy Horace Vandergelder, a charming Marianne McAndrew as Irene Molloy, and E.J. Peaker as the obnoxiously lovable Minnie Fay. The casting is complete when Louis Armstrong appears with one of the greatest cameos in cinema history. If there was an award for Best Choreography, this film definitely would have won. The dinner sequence is just plain impressive - rarely have I seen choreography that clean or creative. And then when Cornelius and Barnaby start dancing along with the waiters? Hilarious. "Hello, Dolly!" is a solid film filled with happy-go-lucky music and memorable characters that will make you smile with every line - how could anybody resist? And if that's not enough, this is the film that Disney-Pixar deemed appropriate to bring back humanity in their film, "WALL-E"! You definitely can't argue with Disney and Pixar, so add it to your list!
  • jnthnhll
    August 23, 2011
    jnthnhll
    I saw this in my drama class in 8th grade. I think it was decent. Had some musical parts, but its nothing special to me
  • mochizukisan
    December 17, 2009
    mochizukisan
    Why on earth didn't they cast Carol Channing as Dolly? Barbra Steisand has wonderful pipes and a great presence, but is miscast in this adaptation of the Broadway show. Still, anyone who's seen (and loved) "Wall-E" should probably watch this to get where some of that lovely film'... read mores heart comes from.
  • Catieliz
    June 25, 2009
    Catieliz
    One of the best altime musicals
    a favorit classic of mine I love watching it every so often is ti funny and moving.

View All Hello, Dolly! Reviews

Critic Reviews

Nell Minow
December 24, 2010
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media

A magical, old-fashioned musical. Full Review

Phil Hall
December 15, 2009
Phil Hall, IdentityTheory

It is a work of great entertainment, a product of an era when people looked up at a screen and saw movies instead of cinema. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
March 24, 2009
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Inexplicably nominated for Oscars, Gene Kelly's last musical is a big, bloated, stagy film--despite the presence, charm and voice of Barbra Streisand. Full Review

Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
February 19, 2007
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies

It doesn't escape the overproduction trap, not by a long shot. Full Review

Steve Crum
October 30, 2004
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan

Splashy Kelly production with a too-young Streisand...but she's stunning.

Eric Henderson
August 27, 2003
Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine

More infamous for bringing Fox financially to its knees than for being the last major musical directed by Gene Kelly, Dolly! is one big-assed bull in a china shop. Full Review

John J. Puccio
August 5, 2003
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis

Hello, Dolly! is one of those films from the late sixties that helped nail down the coffin lid on musicals. Full Review

Ken Hanke
April 24, 2003
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Bloated and overblown, but a lot better than its reputation.

Audrey Rock-Richardson
December 20, 2002
Audrey Rock-Richardson, Tooele Transcript-Bulletin (Utah)

This is the movie that established Barbra as truly incomparable.

March 26, 2009
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

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Hello, Dolly! Trivia

  • Name the jewish singer, actress, and film producer who starred in these movies: "Hello Dolly" "The Mirror Has Two Faces"  Answer »
  • What was the name of the actor that acted Dolly in Hello Dolly/  Answer »
  • The following actress was NOT considered for the role of Dolly Levi in "Hello Dolly":  Answer »
  • "Hello Dolly" was directed by this very famous actor/singer/dancer/director:  Answer »
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