MUSINGS, PONDERINGS, RUMINATIONS AND FANCIES

[dianedebuda]

I agree with Lehman about Channing overdose as the movie lead. She has just the right amount of screen time in Millie to be delightful. My only problem with Barbra as Dolly was that she was too young at that time. When I look at the list

In addition to Ms. Channing, an astonishing list of Broadway and Hollywood luminaries have inhabited the role of Dolly Gallagher Levi, including Pearl Bailey, Phyllis Diller, Betty Grable, Martha Raye, Ginger Rogers, Ethel Merman (in her last appearance on Broadway), and Mary Martin

the Dolly that I really would have liked to see was Pearl Bailey. But I fear an all-black or mixed cast wouldn't have flown at that point in time. Such a pity.

[TikiSoo]

She could find you a husband & water your plants!

[Swithin]

I agree with Lehman about Channing overdose as the movie lead. She has just the right amount of screen time in Millie to be delightful. My only problem with Barbra as Dolly was that she was too young at that time. When I look at the list

In addition to Ms. Channing, an astonishing list of Broadway and Hollywood luminaries have inhabited the role of Dolly Gallagher Levi, including Pearl Bailey, Phyllis Diller, Betty Grable, Martha Raye, Ginger Rogers, Ethel Merman (in her last appearance on Broadway), and Mary Martin

the Dolly that I really would have liked to see was Pearl Bailey. But I fear an all-black or mixed cast wouldn't have flown at that point in time. Such a pity.

As a teenager, I saw Hello, Dolly! on stage twice: once with Carol Channing, another time with Pearl Bailey. The night I saw Pearl Bailey (Cab Calloway and a very young Morgan Freeman were also in the cast), Ms. Bailey made a very strange statement at the curtain call. She was non-specific but said something like, "the cast had to decide what to do."

My friend and I went to the stage door to get her autograph after the show, and she told us that during the performance, the all-Black cast was informed that Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. had been shot and killed.

Regarding Streisand, I've never been a big fan, though I loved her on stage in Funny Girl, and on the recordings of I Can Get It for You Wholesale and Pins and Needles.

[dianedebuda]

As a teenager, I saw Hello, Dolly! on stage twice: once with Carol Channing, another time with Pearl Bailey.

Must be good memories for you although the performance on the day of MLK's death must have been tough on the cast.

Funny that all-black stage versions of classic musicals worked when Dolly was filmed, but that I still suspect a movie version would not have. Saw a touring all-black cast back then locally in Guys and Dolls starring Leslie Uggams and Richard Roundtree that was absolutely top rate. They made no changes based on race, but the Rockin' the Boat number was on fire.

[Hibi]

Swithin wrote: I agree that Edith Evans should have won that year. Re: Barbra, whom I'm not fond of on film: One of the great cinematic mistakes: not casting Carol Channing in the film of Hello, Dolly!



Swithin, according to Matthew Kennedy's book ROAD SHOW!, Ross Hunter sent rushes of Carol Channing in Thoroughly Modern Millie to convince Ernest Lehman to cast her as Dolly. Lehman had originally favored Channing, but the rushes convinced him otherwise. Lehman was quoted as saying, "After seeing Thoroughly Modern Millie, I honestly felt that I couldn't take a whole movie in which Carol Channing was in practically every scene."

LOL!!!!!

[Hibi]

I think Doris Day would've been great casting as Dolly. She was the right age and could sing the score. Sadly her movie career was in the doldrums at the time and possibly her being signed to the tv series could've nixed the idea. I think she was in the running. Liz Taylor was also said to be a possibility too. (though I can't imagine them using her voice).

[Intrepid37]

I honestly felt that I couldn't take a whole movie in which Carol Channing was in practically every scene."

She is a freak, isn't she.

[BagelOnAPlate]

And I know people will disagree with me, but I think that Barbra Streisand for Funny Girl should have been the sole winner the year that she tied with Katherine Hepburn for The Lion In Winter.
This was probably a true tie in terms of votes because I suspect that both Katherine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand voted for themselves!


I agree with that. Streisand had one of the greatest debuts in movie history, excelling in comedy, drama and singing. She deserved the award solely. Though if non nominee Mia Farrow (Rosemary's Baby) had been up there, I think she would have deserved it.


If Streisand deserved to win the award solely, there would not have been a tie. To award only one person when there is a tie, would, in essence, cancel out all the other members that voted for the other person. PS: I would have voted for Streisand if I was a member.

I can’t speak for Detective Jim, but to clarify what I meant when I said that Barbra Streisand should have been the sole winner the year that she and Katherine Hepburn tied for the Best Actress Oscar: I think Streisand’s performance was the best of those nominated for the award that year. However, since an Oscar is awarded based on the number of votes received, both Streisand and Hepburn deserved the award since both received more votes than the other nominees but no more than each other.
Since the award is determined by votes from Academy members, I’m actually surprised Patricia Neal didn’t win that year considering her triumphant return to acting after recovering from a stroke. But if there was some magical way to award an acting Oscar based solely on the performance (and of course there isn’t), I think Barbra Streisand should have been the sole winner that year.

[Andree]

I thought Storm Warning might have some camp possibilities, but it's a pretty straightforward flick, though a bit
overdone in parts. A large chunk of the domestic drama aspects seem to be "borrowed" from Streetcar. Steve Cochran
is a somewhat less animalistic than Stanley and with a cleaner tee shirt. And thankfully he doesn't go on and on about
the Napoleonic Code. And Cochran doesn't have his patented pinstripe suit around, maybe because it wouldn't fit in with
his Klan wardrobe or else it was on loan out to another studio. But Ginger Rogers is no Blanche, being a feisty dame who
doesn't take any crap from Stevie. If one didn't know about the KKK before seeing this movie one might think it was a
group of local bullies who liked to party, beat people up, and gather for florid ceremonial occasions. Nowhere is it hinted
that its main goal was to terrorize and sometimes to kill black people, which doesn't say much for WB's social conscience
bona fides. One sidelight that was interesting was the brief dialog about the Klan big wheels making a lot of money from
KKK uniforms, patches and all manner of knickknacks and doodads. I recall reading about that in various articles about the
Klan. The higher ups really made a mint on this stuff. They must have had a Klandacious markup on the merch.

[Bronxgirl48]

A blessed Passover and Easter to all!

Hi, Detective Jim! You know, I never really thought about it before, just always accepted Barbra and Kate as dual winners for that year, but if I had to choose I would agree that Streisand should have taken the solo Oscar. Now, I am not really a fan (the only Babs performances on film I really like are THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT and THE WAY WE WERE)

Well, ANOTHER WOMAN came around again on ScreenPix so I decided to give it a second chance but so help me, I had the same reaction. I am much more tolerant of voiceovers in European movies....

Much more enjoyable was THE SCREAMING SKULL. One of the very worst! Emotionally vulnerable newlywed moves into hubby's late wife's mansion where all sorts of cheapjack special effects take place. Faux William Castle opening has a narrator ominously intoning "We will provide funeral insurance for those people who drop dead while watching" Yeah, from boredom.

[Bronxgirl48]

I agree with Lehman about Channing overdose as the movie lead. She has just the right amount of screen time in Millie to be delightful. My only problem with Barbra as Dolly was that she was too young at that time. When I look at the list

In addition to Ms. Channing, an astonishing list of Broadway and Hollywood luminaries have inhabited the role of Dolly Gallagher Levi, including Pearl Bailey, Phyllis Diller, Betty Grable, Martha Raye, Ginger Rogers, Ethel Merman (in her last appearance on Broadway), and Mary Martin

the Dolly that I really would have liked to see was Pearl Bailey. But I fear an all-black or mixed cast wouldn't have flown at that point in time. Such a pity.

As a teenager, I saw Hello, Dolly! on stage twice: once with Carol Channing, another time with Pearl Bailey. The night I saw Pearl Bailey (Cab Calloway and a very young Morgan Freeman were also in the cast), Ms. Bailey made a very strange statement at the curtain call. She was non-specific but said something like, "the cast had to decide what to do."

My friend and I went to the stage door to get her autograph after the show, and she told us that during the performance, the all-Black cast was informed that Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. had been shot and killed.

Regarding Streisand, I've never been a big fan, though I loved her on stage in Funny Girl, and on the recordings of I Can Get It for You Wholesale and Pins and Needles.

In the 1970's I saw Ron Moody backstage in his underwear after a performance as Fagin in OLIVER. (Los Angeles) He was not particularly friendly.

Another weird memory from that city: A drunken Aldo Ray propositioned me as I was waiting for a downtown bus. I was flattered but turned him down.

[Intrepid37]

Another weird memory from that city: A drunken Aldo Ray propositioned me as I was waiting for a downtown bus. I was flattered but turned him down.

Offered you a role in a movie, did he?

[Swithin]

In the 1970's I saw Ron Moody backstage in his underwear after a performance as Fagin in OLIVER. (Los Angeles) He was not particularly friendly.

Another weird memory from that city: A drunken Aldo Ray propositioned me as I was waiting for a downtown bus. I was flattered but turned him down.

I was once propositioned by Susan Tyrrell (I think), around 1981. That was bizarre!