A great performance by all, a joy to watch and one I will watch again and again and again. I don't want to think I will have missed a single minute of it!


Babs continues to bring new life to an old character   February 19, 2003
 14 out of 14 found this review helpful

For Years people only knew of oldies like Carol Channing as Dolly Levi and at the time she was the perfect Dolly. When Streisand was cast everyone said it was a huge mistake. Streisand was still in her 20's when she was cast as the middle aged Dolly but she proved that talent can master anything and in this you don't question her age you just accept it as fact. Her voice is in top form and she does justice to the songs, bringing her unique quality and comic timing to a role that otherwise would have been played the way it always had been. Streisand uses her youth by giving Dolly a sexy quality that was missing from the original stage show. Carol Channing could have done the film and a lot of people would have been happier with that choice at the time. However the reason people weren't happy with the films casting was simply that people don't like their favourite shows messed with and changed, but change brings new life to stories and that's exactly what it's done here. This film was one of the last old time Hollywood musical to be made and has managed to stand the test of time, unlike many of the others, the reason for this is Streisand, add to that Walter Matthau as the ever grumpy but lovable Horace and the goofy Michael Crawford who both bring their own individuality to this film. Obviously this is for Musical Fans - if you're not a fan of musicals, then it won't be for you, however if you are a fan then Streisand, like Dolly is Timeless and well worth a look!


Hello Dolly, Goodbye Babs   August 3, 2002
 5 out of 19 found this review helpful

"Hello Dolly" is regarded by some as the best musical of all time, winning an unequalled 10 Tony awards, including a Best Actress for its star Carol Channing. However, like with the original film version of Gypsy the show's broadway star was overlooked when it came to casting. Ros Russel got the part of Rose in Gypsy over Ethel Merman, and ALL her songs were dubbed over because... she couldn't sing. This wasn't the case with Hello Dolly! - Miss Streisand has a fantastic set of pipes, however "Dolly" was immortalised by Carol Channing's unique voice and personality, Streisand is not Dolly and therefore the film is definitely lacking. I'm only 18 I never saw Hello Dolly live on broadway, but listening to Channing's original cast recording gives me more of the feel of this musical than watching the film. I do think the film should be re-made, perhaps starring Channing herself, who is still "going strong" after a broadway revival of Dolly in 1994, or perhaps even starring the fantastic Bette Midler, who did so well in making a true film of Gypsy in 1993. Bette would certainly get the character of Dolly better than Streisand has here. Even more radical than those two suggestions, why not let Streisand have another go, now she's old enough to play the part!!!

Above comments acknowledged, Walter Matthau is fantastic, but then he always was!

Dominic Mattos