Hello Dolly (1969) (1 Viewer)

[Garysb]

Babesdude - unfortunately she is not, it was hosted by Gene Kelly's daughter ( and I forgot her name already! ).I'm sure you can refresh my memory for me. I finally watched it projected on Saturday and I was suitable impressed, Detail held up very nicely amd it looked quite film like to me. All in all I think Fox has given us another transfer that should please just about eveybody. I am expecting a JVC X35 projector anytime and this will be one of my first blu rays I will chek it out with. I enjoyed all of the musical numbers of course but for some reason the first song Walter Matthau "sings" early in the film sounded quite good when the group sang together with him. It was just one example of how it has benefitted from lossless audio.

Gene has 2 daughters. The oldest, Kerry Kelly Novick, has done some public speaking about her father, hosting tributes and charity events so I assume that is the daughter in the documentary. His other daughter is named Bridget Kelly Camp.

 

[DP 70]

I have just had a look at the Blu and i am very impressed, it is in 2.20.1 and also has the TOOD -AO credit.

 

[babsdude]

Wow!!! Wish Amazon was shipping early!

 

[DP 70]

Sorry TODD-AO credit .

 

[Everett S.]

If Matthau ever slapped Streisand's face it would have been big news and charges would have been brought up with the screen actors guild. After all these years, who cares how old Streisand was - it makes no difference to the story as re-written for film and the film works regardless of her young age. Her acting choices in the role is also not based on age but other things. She wants a husband who has money - didn't most women? Hollywood has cast younger actors in older age roles for decades and no one seems to care. Matthau and Streisand got along okay at the beginning, but Matthau pissed off alot of people during the shoot - but they weren't big name stars and they didnt write books about it. Crawford did go on record that he himself maded insulting remarks about Streisand "Barbra, you're just as ugly from the other side", He and Matthau also did not get along well

It was Streisand who hit Matthau, so said he on the "The Mike Douglas Show". He said you could see it on screen under the makeup about midway thru.

 

[Everett S.]

Brent -- thanks for the early review and stats. The "Barbra Archives" site that's linked to in a previous post is mine, so I'm (obviously) very excited for the Streisand Blu-rays coming out, especially DOLLY. Nice to know the aspect ratio is wrong on the box. (Same thing happened on the DVD, I believe). Is the Todd-AO screen credit in the opening credits? As for FUNNY GIRL, the Sony announcement came out today --- someone posted it in another thread on this forum. Ann Francis did not have a solo number cut from the film. The drama behind all that was explained a few years ago. Francis blamed the "Streisand-Cut-Me-From-The-Film" urban legend on an over-zealous publicist she retained in the day and apologized to Streisand publically. If you look at some of the FUNNY GIRL pages on my Barbra Archives site you will see that the Georgia James character she played was also tried out on Broadway and cut for the same reasons: The story is about Fanny Brice and every time you cut away from her, the audience got bored. So, they lost the character on Broadway, and Ms. Francis' scenes were cut in the film. I am VERY interested in the Nick-Playing-Cards-Superimposed-Over-The-Swan scene in FUNNY GIRL ... never heard that before! I wonder what Sony's come up with on the FUNNY GIRL Blu-ray. That was *not* in the restored version of the film they released to theaters in 2001 (and the eventual DVD of that roadshow version, too). I'd LOVE to see that.

To have a true RoadShow version they should add the card game over the Swan back & have the general releaseas an Extra.

 

[Everett S.]

Hmm, I didn't see a blu listing...

Sorry I got Dolly & F. Girl mixed it's on Amazon US.

 

[Everett S.]

The dvd is the roadshow version. I saw this when it first came out.

I was an usher during most of the RoadShow running in Balto. Md. The RoadShow version has never beenshown, on video or tv!!! I was there! The version on VUDU is the Gen.release.

 

[ahollis]

I was an usher during most of the RoadShow running in Balto. Md. The RoadShow version has never beenshown, on video or tv!!! I was there! The version on VUDU is the Gen.release.

What's the difference?

 

[DP 70]

I watched the complete film last night and think this is one of the best Todd-AO transfers looks even better than
The Sound of Music and Mag Men , nice stereo but could not hear any directional dialogue , i did notice a few
colour runs on the titles but i think most people will be very impressed with this.
I have my front seat booked to see this in Todd-AO and DTS/Datasat on the Cinerama screen in Bradford next
month.
I will see if the DTS Special Venue track has directional dialogue remember, You are in the Show in Todd-AO.

 

[GMpasqua]

I watched the complete film last night and think this is one of the best Todd-AO transfers looks even better than
The Sound of Music and Mag Men , nice stereo but could not hear any directional dialogue , i did notice a few
colour runs on the titles but i think most people will be very impressed with this.
I have my front seat booked to see this in Todd-AO and DTS/Datasat on the Cinerama screen in Bradford next
month.
I will see if the DTS Special Venue track has directional dialogue remember, You are in the Show in Todd-AO.

The 70MM print screened at the Eyptian Theater about 10 years ago had directional dialogue

 

[DP 70]

Hi, Was the Eyptian screening the new 70mm DTS SV print from 2002, thanks.

 

[GMpasqua]

most likely

 

[BBbrowd]

Found some screen caps online. For those who've seen the blu already, are these accurate? If so.. Wow! Looks stunning.

 

[willyTass]

wow!

 

[DP 70]

As i put 5 posts back i think this is one of best Todd-AO transfers , I have over a 10 Blus from 65mm elements
and this is one of the best.

 

[JPCinema]

The gambling montage from FUNNY GIRL was removed shortly after the release because there had been so many complaints about "The Swan" sequence being so truncated. There had been an article in Life magazine before the film's release which was all about "The Swan" which hyped that number.

 

[GMpasqua]

Looks pretty good. Not quite 70Mm but the best the film has ever looked on Video. The image is much better than the screen shots posted above.
The Gene Kelly feature was also pretty good but way too short. The other feature looks remarkably good 45 years later

Comes very Close to matching the Blu-rays of "The Sound of Music" "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and "West Side Story"

Most should be pleased, some will complain - they always find something to complain about

 

[babsdude]

I've checked out all my favorite scenes and numbers just now and am VERY impressed.

First, the sound is MUCH better than the older DVD. On the DVD, the ADR was much more obvious, and on this Blu-ray the transitions between live sound and ADR are a little more seamless.

I'm very impressed by details and colors -- the golden gown at Harmonia Gardens just glistens! Some of the grassy greens look weird to me, but that feels like a nit-pick because everything else is so gorgeous.

"Love is Only Love" looks much improved to my eyes since the DVD -- looks like they've done some work on that segment, since it's low light. The opening scene (with the blue-green-red washes) looks a bit too oversaturated, but, again, a slight complaint compared to how good everything else looks.

The Todd-AO credit is at the beginning, and Streisand does NOT lose her hat while running during "Before the Parade Passes By."

 

[babsdude]

Also, the 1969 featurette looks like they've scanned and restored that in hi-def. Lovely.

The Gene Kelly documentary is hosted by his widow, Patricia Ward Kelly. Some nice behind-the-scenes photographs, but I agree: too short.

I still don't understand why the Fox screen tests could not be /were not included. There was also a HELLO DOLLY radio special with fascinating interviews (I have it over at my Barbra-Archives.com site) that they could have added .... Hmmm.

I don't want to complain too much b/c the film is so gorgeous on Blu-ray.