Why wasn't Channing in the HELLO, DOLLY movie?

Since she won the TONY for the role on Broadway back in 1964, I would have expected she would have been in the movie. Instead, they chose Streisand. I find that very intriguing that Streisand lost the TONY to Channing in 1964 but then goes and takes Channing's role in the film of the musical that won her the award. Not to downplay Babs, because I think she's an amazing singer/actress...but the explanation interests me.

Anyone know the story behind that?

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Updated On: 7/10/05 at 05:13 PM

This si straight from the trivia section for the movie on imdb.com

Also considered for the role of Dolly was Elizabeth Taylor, who was passed on because she couldn't sing. Carol Channing was never considered for the role because it was felt, despite her Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress in the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), that she was both not attractive enough, physically, and too quirky to carry a film.

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Oh. Well, that wasn't my opininion, just something from imdb.

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Margo is more on point.

Channing never had any semblence of a film carrier. (How many of you have actually seen "The First Traveling Saleslady" which co-starred Ginger Rogers?) After her second film ("Saleslady") it took 11 years before she was back on film and that was in the bit part of "Millie." I wouldn't doubt that if it hadn't been for HELLO, DOLLY she would not have been cast in "Millie."

So, regardless of her success on the stage, the studio was not about to gamble the film on Channing's oversize personality.

I tend to agree with Margo, that it had more to do with bankability, than anything else. However, who gets the last laugh? When you think "Dolly", which name comes immediately to mind? Channing or Streisand?

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In Channing's memoir, JUST LUCKY I GUESS, she talks about how That Streisand Woman backstabbed and betrayed Channing in order to get the film role.

In Arthur Laurents' memoir, ORIGINAL STORY, he talks about Streisand a great deal (He directed her in WHOLESALE and wrote THE WAY WE WERE for her). He says that Streisand realized what a terrible mistake it was for her to do the film and wanted to quit. She called Laurents and complained that she "had a tap dancer for a director".

Walter Matthau had no use for That Streisand Woman. He told her to her face that she had "all the talent of a butterfly's fart".

As it turned out, the film version of my favorite musical was quite horrible. It nearly bankrupted 20th Cetnury Fox. It is the reason I boycott movies to this day.

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Yes, I remember reading that Channing and Streisand were great friends until Streisand and her agent "conspired to rob me[Channing]of my baby!" (this is from Channing's difficult-to-read autobiography--an argument for the importance of ghostwriters and editors, IMO.)

Whatever the true backstory, I'm going to fly against received wisdom. Streisand is the only source of interest in the "Hello, Dolly" movie. She's charming, funny, and sings beautifully. The action around her is staggeringly overproduced, overstaged, and oversold, with almost every performer misused (Tommy Tune, Michael Crawford). The "too young" argument is like the charge levelled at Liza Minelli in "Cabaret" (it was said she sang too well for a woman who was supposed to be a second-rate bar singer). It's a technicality that doesn't matter to audiences, only to bitchy theatre queens.

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Remarkable singing voice, especially in Parade Passes By ... but miscast. Movie itself overproduced, which revealed the weak writing in the original Broadway version. The show is not that good -- all the character tensions from Matchmaker were reduced by Champion to 2-3 minute scenes between production numbers which were beautifully staged but extraneous ... the show was never that strong, just a beautiful staging ... so the movie revealed the basic weaknesses in the material when miscast and overproduced ... perhaps Carol's zany style would have hidden the problems more, but the production values were entirely too elaborate and worked agains the story of a POOR WIDOW's attempts to matchmake for herself ... this was all lost on Broadway, further lost in Hollywood .. the title song was simply vulgar in the movie, excessive and out of proportion for the character and the situation ... Barbara played Barbra .. but isn't that all she CAN play?

Channing says, "The movie had great scenery. It had lots and lots of scenery and cosumes. [but when it came to Streisand] a barrel of laughs she ain't. Didn't she know that the show was a COMEDY?"

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I thought Streisand was very funny as well. Her comic timing was definitely on in the film. Yes the movie is over the top, over-produced, and over blown, but the musical isn't that great either. I maybe in the minority, but I can't listen to Channing's recording of Hello Dolly. I actually think she lacked emotion in it, but maybe Channing needs to be seen as Dolly rather than heard. I actually enjoy Pearl Bailey's take on Hello Dolly a lot.

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Lucille Ball is an amazing actress and was, in fact, a joy in MAME.

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Actually, Streisand hadn't won the Oscar yet for Funny Girl when she was cast in Dolly. She won the award during the filming of On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.

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I saw both Dolly & Mame as a kid, in the movie theatre. I was blown away by both. It was only later, when I saw the shows done on stage, with actresses who were more suited for their roles that I realized how lacking the films were.

I guess if we had a time machine, we could go back and put Lucy in Dolly and Barbra in Mame and see how that would work.