Editor Reviews:

Description:
Barbara Streisand is a knockout as Dolly Levi, the woman "who arranges things like furniture and daffodils and lives." And Hello Dolly, is the blockbuster musical you'll want to see her in again and again. The famed plot concerns Dolly, a young widow and professional matchmaker who sets her sights, and whatever else she can muster, on conquering tight-fisted Yonkers merchant, Horace Vandergeider, beautifully played by Walter Matthau. How she does it has to be the grandest, singingest, dancingest, marchingest flag-wavingest musical there ever was.

Amazon.com:
They just don't make musicals like this any more. There are some who would be grateful for that--the plot is but a flimsy excuse to string together song and dance numbers. Some of us, however, love big, splashy, overdone musical scenes, of which there are many. Glittering stage numbers showcase a commanding Barbra Streisand as Dolly Levy, a New York matchmaker who can find a mate for anyone. Anyone but herself, that is. Determined to marry wealthy Walter Matthau, she lures him out of Yonkers and sets about wooing him.

Don't worry about the lack of a solid story or Gene Kelly's pedestrian direction. Watch instead for the musical numbers and the lavish costumes. Listen to Jerry Herman's score, and dance around the living room when a sequined Streisand arrives in a club as Louis Armstrong strikes up the title tune for her benefit. (Just pull the shades first.) Based on Thornton Wilder's play The Matchmaker, Hello, Dolly! won Academy Awards for best sound, art direction, and musical score. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Rating : - Just Leave Everything to Dolly
This movie is one of those joyous romps that will put a smile on your face from the beginning to the very end. From the clever opening sequence which introduces matchmaker Dolly Levi (Barbra Streisand) and her penchant for "arranging things" to the opulent wedding finale, "Hello, Dolly!" is full of energy, laughs, and heart. This is my favorite Streisand role of her entire career, and she is truly the shining star of the movie with her seemingly boundless energy and amazing voice. Her vocal numbers are captivating, none more than the famous "Hello, Dolly!" scene at Harmonia Gardens, featuring a stunningly choreographed troupe of waiters and the legendary Louis Armstrong. If you enjoy elaborate musical numbers, each and every dance sequence will demand your attention, with the lavish costumes of hundreds of extras and the master hand of dance legend Gene Kelly directing. His influence is unmistakable in the style and pace of the sequences. Musical highlights include the aforementioned "Hello, Dolly!", as well as the breathtaking "Before The Parade Passes By" (check out the Special Features for a glimpse at the filming of this number), "Put On Your Sunday Clothes", and "It Takes a Woman". Walter Matthau as the crotchety Horace Vandergelder, the object of Dolly's pursuit, provides a fitting counterpoint to her effervescence. His comedic lines come across as almost unintentional, which makes them all the more funny. His performance takes a back seat to Barbra's star power, but it fits the role and he delivers admirably. The supporting cast of Cornelius Hackl (Michael Crawford), Barnaby Tucker (Danny Lockin), Irene Molloy (Marianne McAndrew), and Minnie Fay (E. J. Peaker) are all wonderfully talented performers.

This movie is guaranteed to lift your spirits and leave you humming the catchy tunes with a smile on your face. It is a visual feast and a film classic that, like Dolly, will "never go away again."