I made the boys watch Hello Dolly for our family movie night tonight. To be honest I don't think I'd ever seen it before either. The idea came to me recently when we rewatched Wall-E.
Wall-E has a desolate life on a ruined Earth, and he keeps himself sane by watching two songs from Hello Dolly over and over again. (Put on Your Sunday Clothes and It Only Takes a Moment). Which delighted both Wall-E viewers and the composer of Hello, Dolly! I've now seen Wall-E often enough that I was keen to see the original inspiration.
Explains why Barnaby is in the song so many times
It was fun to see such a famous movie. Thankfully the boys didn't complain (too much). And it was fun to note that
Gene Kelly directed it.
She's Barbra, not Barbara.
There is a lot of Frank Spencer in Cornelius Hackl.
Very sad to note that Danny Lockin who played Barnaby Tucker, met a tragic and unfortunate end.
Walter Matthau is still annoying. And couldn't really sing either. Although his major song It Takes a Woman is perhaps the funniest scene in the whole movie. I can't find a youtube video of the song from the movie (and have no idea how to upload it), so you'll just have to find a copy of Hello, Dolly! and watch it yourself.
I made my son watch it and then had him listen to Michael Crawford sing in Phantom of the Opera. The difference is astounding.
ReplyDeleteBarbra Streisand said she couldn't even be in the same room with him when they were recording the soundtrack because his voice was so weak. Then years later, after hearing his improvement, she invited him to sing a couple of duets with her on one of her albums.
Hugh Grant circa Four Funerals and Wedding always reminded me of a young Michael Crawford.
I can't blame my blabbering on lack of coffee. Today it's all about the lack of sleep.
We three all love Wall-E - one of our faves - but as a survivor of a parent (Mum) who starred in pretty well every single musical in the 19th and 20th C *except* Hello Dolly I've resisted.....
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