Blu-ray Review Thoroughly Modern Millie Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[Matt Hough]

While overlong and not quite as good as it could have been, George Roy Hill’s Thoroughly Modern Millie is still a frisky lark of a comic musical.



Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967)



Released: 22 Mar 1967
Rated: G
Runtime: 138 min




Director: George Roy Hill
Genre: Comedy, Musical, Romance



Cast: Julie Andrews, James Fox, Mary Tyler Moore
Writer(s): Richard Morris



Plot: Millie Dillmount comes to town in the roaring twenties to encounter flappers, sexuality, and white slavers.



IMDB rating: 6.9
MetaScore: N/A





Disc Information



Studio: Universal
Distributed By: Kino Lorber
Video Resolution: 1080P/AVC



Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio: English 2.0 DTS-HDMA...

Continue reading...

 

[Darby67]

Matt:

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your review of the Thoroughly Modern Millie Blu-ray. I have this on DVD and was thrilled to see this released on Blu-ray, A fun and very enjoyable musical comedy!

 

[Matt Hough]

It is lots of fun. I can easily understand why it was such a big hit in its day.

 

[Mark Mayes]

Cannot wait!

 

[ahollis]

Thanks for the review. Now I can’t wait for it to arrive.

 

[Will Krupp]

Great review Matt, thanks! Counting down the days!

 

[roxy1927]

When this came to the suburbs after its roadshow run which is when I saw it there were no cuts and it played as it had on Broadway but just at 'popular prices!' Whatever happened to them? As I've said the wedding scene helps to pad out the film and appeal to the Jewish ladies matinee audiences who would buy group tickets to roadshow films. I can't complain because Julie is at her best and who wouldn't want more of Andrews' singing? You also get a very funny aside from Moore.
I don't find it too long but my complaint is that Fox plays the least funny man in drag I have ever seen and his performance at that point becomes embarrassing. Then there comes the very unfunny slapstick(we got enough of that in Mad World to last the length of the human race)to defeat of the inscutable 'orientals' though Lillie gets a priceless line at their expense. I'm kind of surprised that Jack Soo who is so wonderful in Hunter's FDS went along with it. I think I remember however that it's an Asian who saves the day though it's a very hazy to me now. For some reason my father whose idea of a musical was the pre code Warner and RKO pre code musicals, other than those he had little use for them, liked this alot which surprised me. I think he liked pretty women in flapper dresses. It was when he was born.

 

[warnerbro]

What's not to completely love about this film? It's fun entertainment with great music! I am excited to see this! Thank you, Kino!

 

[DFurr]

From Matt's review, "and the lengthy and less necessary “Jewish Wedding Song,” another sequence that could have been completely eliminated from the film to no ill effect."
When I purchased my 35mm roadshow print it was missing the wedding sequence ( a whole reel of film) and the first time I screened it, one of our guests told me it was missing the entire wedding scene. I contacted the seller and after a bit he found the reel and shipped to me so I could complete the print. Matt is right though....that's one reel that doesn't add anything to the film. I've considered removing it from my screenings.

 

[usrunnr]

I love the Jewish Wedding Song. I don't care if it adds to the film.
I enjoy Julie singing, the choreography, the whole kit and kabootle.

 

[dukiejosh54]

Thanks for the review! I am super excited for this and In The Good Old Summertime this month!

 

[Joel Arndt]

Another excellent review Matt. Looking forward to seeing this.

 

[KPmusmag]

Thank you for the review, I am so looking forward to this.

As for The Jewish Wedding Song, I agree it adds nothing to the story, but Julie's vocal agility is thrilling. And I would miss the little grandma who hauls butt across that dance floor! She's a hoot.

That being said, I have always thought that instead of the wedding, there should be a traveling song that they sing in the biplanes. Maybe it could be called Razzzz-berries.

As for Millie being from Kansas, is that ever mentioned in the film? I know it is mentioned in the novelization, but I think in the film she just refers to "back home" or something vague like that.

As a note, I have found that the two-channel music decodes nicely with a matrix (such as Dolby Prologic) setting and fills the room with orchestra while vocals stay front and center. Everyone to his or her own taste, of course.

 

[Matt Hough]

Thanks for the review! I am super excited for this and In The Good Old Summertime this month!

I hope I get the chance to review it, too.

 

[Noel Aguirre]

The colors on that slip cover irk me- they’re completely wrong. Millie’s hat should be cherry red not kumquat
If anyone renders the correct cover please share! Thanks!

Having said above I am extremely happy for the technical merits given in the review and it’s a fun film and I’m a big fan of all the actors involved. Looking forward to watching it many times over!

 

[Garysb]

I believe I read that Beatrice Lillie was already suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease and had trouble remembering her lines during filming of "Millie" Wonderful that it doesn't show in the film.

Update : Something similar is mentioned on Ms Lillie's Wikipedia page which list Julie Andrews as the source of the story about Ms. Lillie's memory problems and confusion on the set.

 

[Will Krupp]

The colors on that slip cover irk me- they’re completely wrong. Millie’s hat should be cherry red not kumquat
If anyone renders the correct cover please share! Thanks!

It's so bizarre. While I agree it just looks wrong, there IS support for the "kumquat" being among the colors originally used. It seems as though they never could make up their mind what color the hat was supposed to be!

Here's a 1960's era poster with the hat as we see it on the kino release:

and another in which we see it in the more familiar (to us) cherry-pinkish:

While the soundtrack album went for a neon:

and the original novelization went for a deep red:

It's possible that we're used to seeing the red cover as it was used on the old VHS release in the 1980s (which was closest to the novelization in terms of shade) but I agree that the one they're using, legitimate as it may be, isn't necessarily the best looking of the bunch.

 

[Noel Aguirre]

Thanks Will! As always you come through. And the album cover -yes! I do remember that late ‘60s black light day glow hat and main title color. However I never remember that kumquat look.
Oh well the movie is the thing- and the review is stellar on that front.And thanks Matt for a thorough review as the cover had me worried.

 

[Will Krupp]

However I never remember that kumquat look.

Me neither!

Our college radio station had a vintage copy of the soundtrack so I very well remember the day-glo cover, too! **

(I wouldn't HATE it if someone made a custom cover of the cherry-ish cover, however!)



** It always seemed an odd choice for the college station to have, by the way. "Coming up after the break, we have Echo & the Bunnymen singing 'Killing Moon,' 'This Charming Man' from the Smiths, and Julie Andrews with TAPIOCA!"

 

[ahollis]

The cd basically used the LP colors. However the British LP cover used the Style B one sheet as inspiration, which I prefer.