Hello Dolly Film Remake Idea- Page 2

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/29/21 at 5:59pm

I am in the minority saying I enjoyed the original. It was a product of its time. It was directed by a Hollywood icon of its golden years. While not exactly a fan of Sreusand she is a great talent. Before the Parade Passes By stands out like a sore thumb as it was way over the top.The score was not cut to ribbons as many were.

The biggest problem is how to sell a musical about 60 years old to the public. Maybe the right star could sell it. Who knows.

[BwayLB]

Posted: 3/29/21 at 6:05pm

^ I'm in the minority too

[George in DC]

Posted: 3/29/21 at 6:12pm

Mr Roxy said: "I am in the minority saying I enjoyed the original. It was a product of its time. It was directed by a Hollywood icon of its golden years. While not exactly a fan of Sreusand she is a great talent. Before the Parade Passes By stands out like a sore thumb as it was way over the top.The score was not cut to ribbons as many were.

The biggest problem is how to sell a musical about 60 years old to the public. Maybe the right star could sell it. Who knows."

The entire movie is over produced - Barbra was miscast but it was Michael Crawfords horrible, hammy acting that makes it unwatchable for me.

 

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/29/21 at 6:15pm

Agree about the casting. Crawford reminded me of his Dance of the Vampires routine .Streisand great voice but was indeed wrong for the part

[nealb1]

Posted: 3/29/21 at 6:21pm

Love the film.  Barbra is just incredible in the role.  Her being a young widow fits in perfect with the time frame.  Women in the 1890's got married at a very young age.  

[NameGreg]

Posted: 3/29/21 at 6:58pm

nealb1 said: "Love the film. Barbra is just incredible in the role. Her being a young widow fits in perfect with the time frame. Women in the 1890's got married at a very young age."

Even if there’s historical basis for her getting married as a teen, it just comes across as wrong for the character. She’s written to be middle aged, and you can’t just age a character down about three decades and expect a smooth transition.

The movie has plenty of other issues though. It really just couldn’t quite capture the magic of the stage show, and even if they had Channing or another perfect Dolly on board, that wouldn’t suddenly make all the other questionable moments better.

[nealb1]

Posted: 3/29/21 at 7:08pm

I've never had an issue with her age - not all.  Yes, we are used to seeing the role performed by an older woman.  I've always found the film to be incredibly magical.

And, I'm sure I don't have to tell you, once the film rights to any stage play or musical are sold, it's a different ball game.  Apples and oranges.  

Updated On: 3/29/21 at 07:08 PM

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 3/29/21 at 8:08pm

Bette would have never allowed the Broadway production to be filmed. Bette did not want her live voice captured on film. It’s the same reason she wouldn’t perform at the Tonys. Her voice was beat.

Dolly Parton doesn’t act. She plays herself. I don’t think she could nail the meddling nature and physicality of the role. I think she’d miss a lot of Dolly’s more nuanced traits.

Melissa McCarthy is great but she also plays everything the same way unless you put her in a straight drama. It would be all the same mugging and Dolly isn’t a buffoon.

Reba would be very good and she would generate interest on a streaming service. If you cast young popular celebs in the younger roles you’d have a smash.

[alovingfan]

Posted: 3/29/21 at 8:27pm

Bettyboy72 said: "Bette would have never allowed the Broadway production to be filmed. Bette did not want her live voice captured on film. It’s the same reason she wouldn’t perform at the Tonys. Her voice was beat.

Not true at all.   The decision for Bette not to perform at the Tonys was not hers.   Originally they wanted to do a live feed from the Shubert... witch was celebrating a Tony anniversary milestone.  Things went sour between the telecast producers and Scott Rudin.   That is why Penny in my pocket was performed.   All very well documented in the press.  

 

[alovingfan]

Posted: 3/29/21 at 8:45pm

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/29/theater/hello-dolly-bette-midler-seems-unlikely-to-sing-at-tony-awards.html

 

https://deadline.com/2017/06/tony-watch-scott-rudin-on-tony-awards-madness-and-pier-pressure-1202107798/

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 3/29/21 at 8:56pm

Press is not necessarily the truth. It is very possible he was protecting his A list leading lady, which is being a true gentleman and a respectful businessman. He didn’t make her the bad guy. Plus he didn’t want to show the title number. Makes total sense. Bette was pure joy in the show and I saw her many times but her voice was shot.

[DAME]

Posted: 3/29/21 at 9:08pm

I remembered reading in the trades that David Mallet had been tapped to direct the video capture. . I do not know why it never happened. I was hoping it would eventually happen if she took the show to London. I guess it is really hard to get all the unions to agree on recording things. Hopefully the pandemic taught everyone a lesson and things will be different. Bettes voice was no different than it had been on her last tour. Part of her charm. And any issues would have been fixed in post. Like is done with everything else. But I like the idea of a producer protecting his star. But that is not what happened.

Updated On: 3/29/21 at 09:08 PM

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 3/29/21 at 11:23pm

Bettyboy72 said: "Bette would have never allowed the Broadway production to be filmed. Bette did not want her live voice captured on film. It’s the same reason she wouldn’t perform at the Tonys. Her voice was beat.”

If that was the true reason, then that’s a real shame because I thought she sounded lovely when I saw her in the show.

[joevitus]

Posted: 3/30/21 at 12:09am

nealb1 said: "I've never had an issue with her age - not all. Yes, we are used to seeing the role performed by an older woman. I've always found the film to be incredibly magical."

While I wouldn't go that far, I, too, never had an issue about her age. Does anyone in the show ever refer to her age (I can't remember anyone doing so)? And even her "return" to the Harmonia Gardens after a long absence doesn't have to suggest she had to be away for 30 years or something. The entire place is staffed with young people, and they all know who she is, so it's possible she hasn't been away that long. She's just so loved that even a year or two without her felt like forever. Streisand is truly wonderful. The rest of the cast not so much, but it's the rare musical from that era (aside from The Sound of Music, which of course inspired all the others) in which, apart from Walter Matthau, everyone called upon to sing and dance, actually really can sing and dance. And the choreography is superb. There's a too-muchness to it (nearly every number is a Big Number), but, so what?

[Musical Master]

Posted: 3/30/21 at 12:27am

Exactly, sure there's some flaws here and there; but in comparisons to other film adaptations of Broadway musicals during that time after The Sound of Music was a surprise smash hit, I would rather watch this. Truth be told, I grew up on not just Disney films but also the Rodgers and Hammerstein movies and Hello, Dolly! amongst others, so the original does hold a place in my nostalgic heart.

Sure the movie was a victim of Hollywood wanting more bigger and lavish movie musicals when that was getting outdated in the late 60's, but it's one of the few musical adaptations that actually works with what it has. Camelot, Paint Your Wagon, Finian's Rainbow, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, Man of La Mancha, and Mame can't even compare to Hello, Dolly!.

But now movie musicals are cool again thanks to Moulin Rouge! and Chicago, so the genre does have a new lease on life once again, despite the bumps through these past 20 years. Can't wait for this years movie musicals to come out and look forward to the ones in development.

[BwayLB]

Posted: 3/30/21 at 12:42am

^ Exactly And I got into musicals partially because of High School Musical, Happy Feet and the Sound of Music/The King and I in the 2000’s. I even also saw Hairspray on Xmas Eve 2007 in my aunt’s old house.

With the success of the 2017 revival and the world recovering from COVID-19, that’s why I think it would be a good time right now for a Dolly remake.

[ETTORE FARRATTINI]

Posted: 3/30/21 at 4:31am

oh please! leave a good movie where it is. with all the great musicals that never had a movie version, why go back to those who had. 

let's push to see something we never had on the big screen

[Jarethan]

Posted: 3/30/21 at 11:03am

I think the best chance of this being done would be as one of those live TV performances or on Netflix, in either case with a bunch of names in the 5 - 6 key roles.  People who would not go to a movie theatre to see it would probably watch it if it was 'free' to them.  I don't know how well HD is remembered outside of Manhattan at this point.  From reading this board over the years, I probably believe it is viewed the same way I thought of The Desert Song 40 years ago.

[BwayLB]

Posted: 3/30/21 at 11:10am

^ After the Prom, I wouldn’t mind it being on Netflix.

[joevitus]

Posted: 3/30/21 at 12:15pm

Now that I'm thinking about it, it's a little strange NBC hasn't opted to add it to their list of live musicals. Would seem a rather natural fit.

[nealb1]

Posted: 3/30/21 at 12:36pm

Joevitus, no there is no reference to Dolly's age in the film.  Right before Dolly's arrival at The Harmonia Gardens, Rudolph informs the kitchen and wait staff that Dolly will be returning "after an absence of several years."  

[BwayLB]

Posted: 3/30/21 at 12:46pm

joevitus said: "Now that I'm thinking about it, it's a little strange NBC hasn't opted to add it to their list of live musicals. Would seem a rather natural fit."

I remember getting excited for Hairspray five years ago. It blew SOM, Peter Pan and the Wiz out of the water

[fosterfan2]

Posted: 3/30/21 at 5:30pm

Musical Master said: "Exactly, sure there's some flaws here and there; but in comparisons to other film adaptations of Broadway musicals during that time after The Sound of Music was a surprise smash hit, I would rather watch this. Truth be told, I grew up on not just Disney films but also the Rodgers and Hammerstein movies and Hello, Dolly!amongst others, so the original does hold a place in my nostalgic heart.

Sure the movie was a victim of Hollywood wanting more bigger and lavish movie musicals when that was getting outdated in the late 60's, but it's one of the few musical adaptations that actually works with what it has. Camelot, Paint Your Wagon, Finian's Rainbow, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, Man of La Mancha, and Mame can't even compare to Hello, Dolly!.

But now movie musicals are cool again thanks to Moulin Rouge! and Chicago,so the genre does have a new lease on life once again, despite the bumps through these past 20 years. Can't wait for this years movie musicals to come out and look forward to the ones in development."


Another great musical adaptation from the late '60s that works beautifully is "Oliver!" I love that movie.  My sister and I saw it for the first time when we around 7 and 5,respectively,and we fell in love with it. It was also the first show I was ever in,in local children's theater.
 

Updated On: 3/30/21 at 05:30 PM

[joevitus]

Posted: 3/30/21 at 6:04pm

nealb1 said: "Joevitus, no there is no reference to Dolly's age in the film. Right before Dolly's arrival at The Harmonia Gardens, Rudolph informs the kitchen and wait staffthat Dolly will be returning "after an absence of several years.""

Thanks, I was actually wondering if there was a reference in the stage show to her age. I can't remember such a line, but I haven't seen a production of Hello, Dolly! in decades. 

[BWAY Baby2]

Posted: 3/30/21 at 7:01pm

Hello, Dolly could not even make it on BWAY without Midler-  whose voice was pretty much shot- though in her 70's- this is not rare- sorry, but this musical is very old fashioned and really does not resonate with contemporary life in so many ways. There are so many other musicals that need to be filmed- and many that have yet to be written or filmed- to be stuck on this show- I find to be tired.  The role of women, gays, the rise of diversity in all phases of American life- so many interesting stories to tell- and with the pandemic- who knows what musicals will be created to dramatize this era- to look back on an old musical- with not much to say- let's face it-it seemed dated when Barbra did it way back when- is not a good bet. However, maybe in a decade, another BWAY revival will be mounted with a beloved diva- who will draw and audience for a limited engagement- and it will do very well- even Britney Spears at 55 years of age could be a bet- but not another film- that time has come and gone.

Updated On: 3/30/21 at 07:01 PM