Review of Hello, Dolly! (1969) by Matthew M — 07 Aug 2008

Hello, Dolly is one of the swan songs of the great MGM musicals, as it has so many strengths. From the great cast, lead by a magnificent Streisand, to the slapstick comedy and intricate dance routines, it delivers a spectacle that should be seen by anyone who loves musicals.

Ofcourse, such a musical should be expected when its spear headed by the great Gene Kelly who was vital in numerous musicals (e.g. Singing in the Rain) and knows how to shoot a "big" scene. Despite my admiration for Kelly, at times I feel he missed the mark in Hello,Dolly.

When there were scenes of dialogue or plot development, Kelly's direction seemed restrained and at times seemed only interested in moving the plot forward in order to reach the big number. And in there lies my second biggest gripe, the over indulgence of a few musical/dance numbers.

Granted all of them are good, but it seems Kelly didn't know when to end a number and he just kept on letting it drag on...and on...and on with dance steps. This is most apparent in the third act, when our players arrive at a restaurant and we're treated to a dance number that could have been chopped shorter.

Still, Kelly was lucky to have such a great cast that perform at the top of their game and deliver one of the last great musicals.