Wednesday, February 13, 2008

31 Days of Oscar: Hello, Dolly!

Wow, two Barbra Streisand pictures in one day ... this blog sure is gay ...

Often derided as overblown and miscast, the Gene Kelly directed adaptation of the classic Jerry Herman musical is, granted, a little bit of both, but it sure is entertaining nonetheless. Yes, Barbra was a tad young at the time to play seen-it-all matchmaker Dolly Levi, but they could have at least given her a Horace Vandergelder that wasn't as old as, well, Walter Matthau.

Herman's sprightly tunes and Michael Kidd's creative choreography (especially the exhausting waiter's gallop) are highlights, as are rare onscreen turns by Michael Crawford and Tommy Tune. Nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Dolly went home with three Oscars.

Hello, Dolly! airs on Turner Classic Movies tomorrow night at 8:00 PM EST.

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