Hello Dolly! (1969)

In 1890's New York, a widow (Barbra Streisand) makes a living by matchmaking among other things. While she sets up a Yonkers businessman (Walter Matthau) with a young milliner (Marianne McAndrew), she really has her cap set on him herself. When HELLO DOLLY! opened in 1969, it was declared, gasp ..... old fashioned! This was the year of EASY RIDER and MIDNIGHT COWBOY. Well, nothing dates faster than topicality and DOLLY looks better with each passing year. Based on the smash Jerry Herman Broadway musical, there were also charges of bloat and a miscast Streisand. Streisand may have been 30 years too early to do the part justice but she is Streisand and takes on the role like a thoroughbred. In a way, it's the musical equivalent of the epic. Like the chariot race in BEN-HUR, the When The Parade Passes By number is an astonishing "cast of thousands" down to the mark choreographed piece of movie marvel. No, it's not among the greatest musicals ever made but far from the disaster it has been portrayed. Michael Kidd's energetic choreography, Irene Sharaff's costumes, John DeCuir's Oscar winning art direction and Herman A. Blumenthal and Jack Martin Smith's set direction all contributing to the fun. Directed by Gene Kelly. With Michael Crawford, E.J. Peaker, Danny Lockin, Tommy Tune and in a few moments of genuine movie magic, Louis Armstrong duets with Streisand.