Hello Dolly (U), January 1979

BARBARA STREISAND, WALTER MATTHAU, LOIS ARMSTRONG. Huge, lavish, GENE KELLY directed “spectacle” based, of course on the long running hit Broadway musical. The Broadway success was largely undeserved, and this transfer to the screen depends almost entirely on BARBARA’S special magic. She is, of course, quite up to the challenge, even though she is miscast – she is much too young and obviously marriageable while portraying a marriage broker to make the story have much sense – but all these objections, including a generally routine score, are forgotten when BARBARA takes over – as take over she does, especially in a big splashy parade sequence. She overpowers everyone in the cast with the exception of the indomitable “SATCHMO” ARMSTRONG who sings the title song. The story, set in Yonkers, New York, circa 1900, was borrowed from THORNTON WILDER, who borrowed the basic plot himself. U.S.A. 1969

Film (1024)