Hello, Dolly! (1969)

Director:

Gene Kelly

Writers:

Ernest Lehman (writer)
Michael Stewart (stage musical)
(more)

Release Date:

16 December 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Comedy | Musical | Family

Plot:

A matchmaker named Dolly Levi takes a trip to Yonkers, New York to see the "well-known unmarried half-a-millionaire," Horace Vandergelder...

Plot Keywords:

Broadway Musical | Based On Musical | 1890s | Hat | Wealthy

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 13 nominations

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Ahdar	...	Laborer (uncredited)
Will Ahern	...	Dancer (uncredited)
William 'Billy' Benedict	...	News vendor (uncredited)
James Chandler	...	Sullivan, ticket seller (uncredited)
Ron Cisneros	...	Waiter (uncredited)
John Command	...	Dancing Waiter (uncredited)
Jimmy Cross	...	Drunk (uncredited)
Scatman Crothers	...	Mr. Jones, redcap railroad porter (uncredited)
Linda Dano	...	(uncredited)
Sam Edwards	...	Laborer (uncredited)
Morgan Farley	...	Workman / onlooker (uncredited)
Jessie Garnier	...	Woman with groceries (uncredited)
Art Gilmore	...	Trailer Narrator (uncredited)
Bern Hoffman	...	Harmonia Gardens patron (uncredited)
Ken Hooker	...	Laborer (uncredited)
Shep Houghton	...	Dancer / singer (uncredited)
Jim Hutchison	...	Stanley (uncredited)
Jerry James	...	Laborer (uncredited)
Kathryn Janssen	...	Extra (uncredited)
Hubie Kerns	...	Keystone Kop (uncredited)
Ross Kimbrough	...	Onlooker (uncredited)
Charles Lampkin	...	Laborer (uncredited)
Ted Mapes	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Michael Mark	...	Pushcart man (uncredited)
Robert Neal Marshall	...	Boy With Hoop (uncredited)
Bert May	...	Dancing waiter (uncredited)
James McEachin	...	Laborer (uncredited)
Tyler McVey	...	Laborer (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery	...	Laborer (uncredited)
Harry Monty	...	(uncredited)
Patrick O'Moore	...	Officer Gogarty (uncredited)
Sanita Pelkey	...	Girl on Float (uncredited)
Alex Plasschaert	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Eddie Quillan	...	Mr. Cassidy (uncredited)
Ralph Roberts	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Tucker Smith	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Cecil Lester Stout III	...	Drummerboy (uncredited)
Clay Tanner	...	Laborer (uncredited)
Lisa Todd	...	Rhine maiden (uncredited)
Jerry Trent	...	Dancer (uncredited)
USC Trojan Marching Band	...	Band (uncredited)
Charles Wagenheim	...	Pushcart man (uncredited)
Guy Wilkerson	...	Laborer (uncredited)
Bart Williams	...	News Vendor (uncredited)
Judith Woodbury	...	Dinner guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Gene Kelly

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ernest Lehman		writer
Johann Nestroy		play "Einen Jux will er sich machen" (uncredited)
Michael Stewart		stage musical
Thornton Wilder		play "The Matchmaker"

Produced by
Roger Edens	....	associate producer
Ernest Lehman	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Herman

Cinematography by
Harry Stradling Sr.

Film Editing by
William Reynolds

Casting by
Alixe Gordin
Joe Scully

Production Design by
John DeCuir

Art Direction by
Herman A. Blumenthal
Jack Martin Smith

Set Decoration by
Raphael Bretton
George James Hopkins		(as George Hopkins)
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
Irene Sharaff

Makeup Department
Edwin Butterworth	....	makeup artist
Dick Hamilton	....	makeup artist (as Richard Hamilton)
Edith Lindon	....	hair stylist
Daniel C. Striepeke	....	makeup supervisor (as Dan Striepeke)
Verne Langdon	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
Sharleen Rassi	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Francisco Day	....	unit production manager
Richard Kobritz	....	assistant production manager
George E. Swink	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Helmick	....	first assistant director
Robert J. Koster	....	first assistant director
Richard Lang	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Lloyd R. Apperson	....	construction foreman
Greg C. Jensen	....	set construction
Dennis J. Parrish	....	property master
Craig Binkley	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Ward Preston	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
James Corcoran	....	sound supervisor
Jack Solomon	....	production sound mixer
Murray Spivack	....	sound re-recording mixer
Vinton Vernon	....	sound re-recording mixer
Donald C. Rogers	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects
Art Cruickshank	....	special photographic effects
Gerald Endler	....	mechanical effects
Emil Kosa Jr.	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Phil Adams	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Dial	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jeannie Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Stephanie Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Maurice Marks	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Sawaya	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ernst Haas	....	still photographer
Ronald B. MacKenzie	....	electrician
Dave Friedman	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Roy H. Wagner	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Courtney Haslam	....	wardrobe supervisor
Barbara Westerland	....	wardrobe
Ed Wynigear	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Sati Tooray	....	colorist

Music Department
Warren Barker	....	orchestrator
Frank Comstock	....	orchestrator
Don Costa	....	orchestrator
Alexander Courage	....	orchestrator
Lennie Hayton	....	conductor
Lennie Hayton	....	orchestrator
Philip J. Lang	....	orchestrator
Jack Latimer	....	music arranger: choral
Joseph Lipman	....	orchestrator
Robert Mayer	....	music editor
Lionel Newman	....	conductor
Herbert W. Spencer	....	orchestrator (as Herbert Spencer)
Kenneth Wannberg	....	music editor
Douglas O. Williams	....	music mixer

Other crew
George Eckert	....	dialogue coach
Shelah Hackett	....	assistant choreographer
Mollie Kent	....	script supervisor
Michael Kidd	....	choreographer
Marvin Laird	....	dance arranger
Patricia Newcomb	....	unit publicist
Randee Lynne Jensen	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Chenault Productions Inc.
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1969) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (1974) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment España S.A. (2002) (Spain) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)

Other Companies

• Lawrence W. Ford and Company  antique jewelry
• Solters & Digney  publicity

Runtime:

146 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) | Mono (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Norway:7 | New Zealand:G | Iceland:L | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:G

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Chenault Productions Inc.

Trivia:

The fifth-highest grossing film of 1969.

Goofs:

Continuity: Near the finale of "Now That I'm Dancing", the female dancers leap forward over a park bench via a low platform behind it. In the following wide shot, this riser has disappeared.

Quotes:

Joe, Vandergelder's barber: You'll have to sit still, Mr Vandergelder. If I cut your throat it'll be practically unintentional.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hollywood Remembers Walter Matthau (2001) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Finale

Somewhat overblown musical, but still excellent and entertaining

This film was certainly beautiful to look at and listen to. I was lucky to see it in 70 mm during its initial roadshow release. It was one of the few movies to have the negative actually filmed in 70 mm, rather than having the standard 35 mm merely blown up to 70 mm for the roadshow. "The Sound of Music" was another picture originally filmed in 70 mm, and we all know how beautiful the cinematography was in that. Sadly, the high cost of 70 mm has essentially ended the use of that type of film format.

"Hello, Dolly!" deserved the Oscars it won, such as musical direction, sound, and art direction-set design. About 15 years ago I stopped in the riverside village of Garrison, New York, to see where it was partially filmed. The real building that was adapted into Vandergelder's Hay & Feed was still there at the time, and "Vandergelder" was etched on the window pane from its use in the film. The bridge over the railway tracks is still there.

As much as I like the film as a whole, it does have some problems that could have been easily corrected. The early scene with Walter Matthau and Tommy Tune arguing over Ermengarde is overly dramatic and simply too theatrical. It might have been fine on Broadway, but the genre of cinema requires a bit of toning down. I blame this purely on Gene Kelly, the director, who should have known better. He is the one who is supposed to sense the pacing and delivery of lines. I get the impression he was trying to speed things up, knowing that there is a lot to fit into the picture. The screenplay was naturally required to closely follow the original material, but it could have been simplified a bit without sacrificing anything important. An example of this is the endless number of times that the audience is reminded that the main characters are going "to New York" by train. Once was enough.

Still, the music and choreography are superb, and carry the picture. Not everyone in it can sing as beautifully as Barbra Streisand, but it succeeds nonetheless. The number "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" is one of Hollywood's golden moments in terms of production quality. I have seen Carol Channing do the stage version and she was great, but I also feel that Barbra Streisand was perfectly adequate here. She can sing better than Ms. Channing and has real star quality.

If you visit the interesting Hudson River area of New York state, you will be warmly reminded of the scenic beauty in "Hello, Dolly!" Drop by the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to take the public tour and you will see the magnificent setting where the final wedding scene was done, minus the church of course.