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IMDbPro

Hello, Dolly!

  • 1969
  • G
  • 2h 26m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
16K
YOUR RATING
Walter Matthau and Barbra Streisand in Hello, Dolly! (1969)
Trailer for this classic musical
Play trailer4:15
1 Video
72 Photos
AdventureComedyMusical

Matchmaker Dolly Levi travels to Yonkers to find a partner for "half-a-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder, convincing his niece, his niece's intended, and his two clerks to travel to New York ... Read allMatchmaker Dolly Levi travels to Yonkers to find a partner for "half-a-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder, convincing his niece, his niece's intended, and his two clerks to travel to New York City along the way.Matchmaker Dolly Levi travels to Yonkers to find a partner for "half-a-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder, convincing his niece, his niece's intended, and his two clerks to travel to New York City along the way.

  • Director
    • Gene Kelly
  • Writers
    • Michael Stewart
    • Thornton Wilder
    • Ernest Lehman
  • Stars
    • Barbra Streisand
    • Walter Matthau
    • Michael Crawford
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.0/10
    16K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Gene Kelly
    • Writers
      • Michael Stewart
      • Thornton Wilder
      • Ernest Lehman
    • Stars
      • Barbra Streisand
      • Walter Matthau
      • Michael Crawford
    • 157User reviews
    • 35Critic reviews
    • 51Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 3 Oscars
      • 4 wins & 13 nominations total

    Videos1

    Hello, Dolly!
    Trailer 4:15
    Watch Hello, Dolly!

    Photos72

    Barbra Streisand in Hello, Dolly! (1969)
    Barbra Streisand in Hello, Dolly! (1969)
    Barbra Streisand, Joyce Ames, and Tommy Tune in Hello, Dolly! (1969)
    Barbra Streisand in Hello, Dolly! (1969)
    "Hello Dolly" Barbra Streisand 1969 20th Century Fox
    "Hello Dolly" Walter Matthau, Barbra Streisand
    Barbra Streisand in Hello, Dolly! (1969)
    "Hello, Dolly!" Louis Armstrong, Barbra Streisand, Gene Kelly 1969 20th Century Fox
    "Hello Dolly" Barbra Streisand 1969 20th Century Fox
    "Hello Dolly" Barbra Streisand with son Jason Gould on the set 1969 20th Cent. Fox
    "Hello Dolly" Barbra Streisand and son Jason Gould 1969 20th Century Fox
    "Hello Dolly" Barbra Streisand, Louis Armstrong 1969 20th Century Fox

    Top cast

    Edit
    Barbra Streisand
    Barbra Streisand
    • Dolly Levi
    Walter Matthau
    Walter Matthau
    • Horace Vandergelder
    Michael Crawford
    Michael Crawford
    • Cornelius Hackl
    Marianne McAndrew
    Marianne McAndrew
    • Irene Molloy
    Danny Lockin
    Danny Lockin
    • Barnaby Tucker
    E.J. Peaker
    E.J. Peaker
    • Minnie Fay
    Joyce Ames
    • Ermengarde
    Tommy Tune
    Tommy Tune
    • Ambrose Kemper
    Judy Knaiz
    • Gussie Granger
    David Hurst
    David Hurst
    • Rudolph Reisenweber
    Fritz Feld
    Fritz Feld
    • Rudolph's Assistant
    Richard Collier
    Richard Collier
    • Vandergelder's Barber
    J. Pat O'Malley
    J. Pat O'Malley
    • Policeman in Park
    Louis Armstrong
    Louis Armstrong
    • Orchestra Leader
    David Ahdar
    • Laborer
    • (uncredited)
    Will Ahern
    • Paper Ricker
    • (uncredited)
    • …
    Rutanya Alda
    Rutanya Alda
    • Townsperson
    • (uncredited)
    Melanie Alexander
    • Dancer
    • (uncredited)
    • …
    • Director
      • Gene Kelly
    • Writers
      • Michael Stewart
      • Thornton Wilder
      • Ernest Lehman
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to Michael Crawford, he auditioned for Gene Kelly in his hotel room. Kelly asked him if he knew any tap steps, and tried to coach him on some on top of the coffee table. Crawford tried to imitate him, but was so nervous at the idea of dancing with the famous dancer and choreographer that he kept messing up. He was convinced he'd failed the audition, when Kelly told him "What we're looking for is an attractive idiot: My wife thinks you're attractive, and I think you're an idiot!", telling him he'd gotten the part.
    • Goofs
      During opening credits, as Walter Matthau's name appears, a couple of wrecked modern automobiles (circa 1960s) can be seen dumped in foliage to right of railroad track.
    • Quotes

      Dolly Levi: Money, pardon the expression, is like manure. It's not worth a thing unless it's spread around, encouraging young things to grow.

    • Alternate versions
      There are two alternate takes during the number Before The Parade Passes By. They occur as Dolly Levi (played by Barbra Streisand) is running down the garden path to see the parade and is singing the line "Before the Parade Passes by".In the 35mm prints which were sent to movie theaters after the roadshow engagements, Dolly almost loses her hat while running. This was used for the home video version. The 70mm prints have a different take, in which Dolly did not have any hat problems. This was used for the DVD version.
    • Connections
      Edited into American Masters: Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer (2002)
    • Soundtracks
      Just Leave Everything To Me
      (1964) (uncredited)

      Written by Jerry Herman

      Performed by Barbra Streisand and Chorus

    User reviews157

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    "Holy Cabooses"
    The strange history of the making of Hello Dolly could make a fine motion picture itself. The feuding between Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau during the filming is well known and documented. The incredible costs of the thing has also become an object lesson for movie producers who are not operating in the days of the studio system and actually have to pay the talent involved what they're worth. It's the biggest reason why musical films are now so few and far between.

    But I read a fascinating story in the Citadel Film series book on the films of Gene Kelly who directed Hello Dolly. It seems as though 20th Century Fox after scoring so big with The Sound Of Music decided on buying other big budget Broadway musicals hoping for lightning to strike twice. They bought the rights of Hello Dolly from producer David Merrick with the proviso that the film not be shown until the Broadway run concluded.

    So Fox made the film with huge production costs with borrowed money from bankers who wanted their loans paid back as soon as possible. What Merrick did and certainly the demand was there was to keep the show running. Hello Dolly wrapped in early 1968 and was over a year sitting on the shelf not earning a dime. In the meantime the finance boys had to be repaid and with heavy interest.

    Fox went to court to get out of the contract and release the film and Merrick did for some hefty financial consideration. By the time Hello Dolly sold its first ticket there was no way it could ever payback the cost. In fact it was the fifth highest grossing film of 1969 and still Fox lost big money on it. In the words of Barnaby Tucker, "Holy Cabooses".

    Well they spent big money on it and it shows. The production numbers are expensive, the entire town of Garrison, New York was made up to look like Yonkers at the turn of the last century. The New York scenes were lovely to look at and expensive to the bean counters. And what the biggest musical star of her time commanded in salary ate a lot of that budget as well.

    It's a great film that Kelly put together however and certainly Gene Kelly was a man who knew his way around the musical film. Between Streisand and Matthau feuding he must have felt like a referee. But both were professional enough to turn in good performances though the chemistry isn't quite there.

    Louis Armstrong's record of the title song is an American classic and it was almost mandatory that he appear in the film. His duet with Barbra Streisand is a piece of cinematic musical history. A fitting end for a man who brought the joy of living to his art and shared it with a grateful world.

    Besides the immortal title song Jerry Herman's score has some other gems in it as well. Streisand has one of the best numbers in her career with When The Parade Passes By and young Michael Crawford and Danny Lockin as Matthau's employees sing and dance a storm in It Only Takes A Moment.

    I can't finish this review without a word about Danny Lockin who left this earth way too soon the victim of a brutal murder. His performance as Barnaby Tucker is so winning that you can't help a tear coming to your eye when you read about his fate. His dancing reminded a whole lot of Donald O'Connor, I'll bet Donald O'Connor thought so as well if he saw Hello Dolly. He lived a life that convention dictate as a gay man he could not be open about it. The closet eventually killed him, but he left us this wonderful performance to remember him by.

    And to you, the late Danny Lockin this review is respectfully dedicated to. Holy Cabooses Danny, I'll bet you're giving Terpsichore a lesson in high stepping.
    helpful•47
    7
    • bkoganbing
    • Oct 11, 2009

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 16, 1969 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Ernest Lehman's Production of Hello, Dolly!
    • Filming locations
      • United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Chenault Productions
      • Twentieth Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $25,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $400,881
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $221,204
      • Aug 11, 2019
    • Gross worldwide
      • $400,881
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 26 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

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