HELLO DOLLY

US, 1969, 146 minutes, Colour.
Barbra Streisand, Walter Matthau, Michael Crawford, Marianne Mc Andrew, Danny Lockin, E.J.Peaker.
Directed by Gene Kelly.

Hello Dolly is the well-known musical version of Thorton Wilder’s musical comedy, The Matchmaker. The Matchmaker was filmed in 1958 with Shirley Booth, Paul Ford, Anthony Perkins and Shirley Mac Laine. The-stage version was very popular in New York and broke all records. The film version of Hello Dolly was directed by Gene Kelly and with a large budget.

The impact of the film comes from Barbara Streisand. She may be too young, dramatically, for the role. But she gives it strength and verve. Her rendition of the songs makes quite some impact. The strength of the film is also in Walter Matthau’s comic performance as Horace Vandergelder. Louis Armstrong also turns up to sing Hello Dolly. It is light entertainment of quite a spectacular variety.

1. How enjoyable a musical was this? Why? What were its main successful ingredients? It was a ‘big’ musical. How important was this bigness for its impact? Was it evident that the film was based on a stage musical? Comment on the use of colour, costumes, location, the proportions of song and dance?

2. What are the conventions of a musical? How well were they used here? How did the film ask audiences to accept its conventions of character, situatiion, humour , songs and dances?

3. What was the impact of the personality of Barbra Streisand? Was she appropriate for the role of Dolly Levi? Too young? How strong was the impact? Did she match well with Walter Matthau? What did his personality contribute to his role?

4. How strong was the storyline of the film? The fact that it took place on one day? Yonkers and New York? The interest of the story and the identification of the audience? The themes of love and management of marriages? Romance and young men's adventures?

5. The film opened with New York in the 1890's. How well was the period re-created? Comment on the details. How did Yonkers contrast with New York? The atmosphere and the location photogrophy for Yonkers? The atmosphere of the people in New York, the shop, Harmonia Gardens, people in Yonkers, the ordinary people and Horace's shop? Snobbery etc.?

6. What was the main impact of Dolly Levi? The opening song, Barbra Streisand's appearance and presentation, her strengths, her humour, her Jewish style, the New York background, her role as a Matchmaker, her relationship to her late husband, her going after Horace, her helping of all the characters as a Fairy Godmother, Ermingilde as a queen at the end of the film? How well did the songs illustrate her character - especially ‘The Parade Passing By’?

7. How interesting a character was Horace Vandergelder? Walter Matthau’s personality, the humour, his opinion of fools, his stinginess, his looking for a wife, his relationship with Irene Molloy, with Dolly Levi, his ruling of Cornelius and Barnaby, his niece and Ambrose? How did the songs illustrate his character - especially ‘It Takes A Woman’? How did the comedy add to the value of the film?

8. How interesting were the characters of Cornelius and Barnaby? How credible? Their work in the store, their wanting adventure, their typical shyness, their relationship to Irene and Minnie, the meal and their behaviour, the finding of true love? How enjoyably was this communicated? The personality of the actors? Their songs? Their participation in the dances?

9. Could the same be said of Irene and Minnie? Their personalities? New York background, the shop, Irene's forwardness, her wanting adventure, their falling in love with Cornelius and Barnaby, the enjoyment of the dinner, the return to Yonkers? What future did they all have together in Yonkers? (Was this important?)

10. Did the small story of Ambrose and Ermingild add to the film? The personaltties of the actor and actress? The songs and dances?

11. How did the film portray romance and love? As sentimental? As humorous? As real? As ideal?

12. Comment on the use of the songs in the films the 'Dolly’ theme, the introductory song about Dolly, 'It Takes A Woman', the songs about dancing and elegance, it taking ‘Only A Moment’, the 'Sunday Best' song, the 'Parade’ song, Horace and Dolly towards the end.

13. Comment on the value of the dancing in the film. It was a dance-musical. The Yonkers ‘Sunday' song, New York in the park, the Parade, the Harmonia Gardens dancing, the finale. Would the film have been different without the dancing?

14. What was the main appeal of the film? To what audiences did it intend to make its impact?