Musical Mondays Week 41 Hello, Dolly!

[Cameron H. 23786]

Holy cabooses!

 

We watched...

 

[Cameron H. 23786]

OMG, guys! The Canon is doing Tommy next week lol

 

 

 

[Cam Bert 8145]

Embarrassing admission time!

 

I fully expect the full ridicule of tomspanks but as I was watching the movie today I had to do a check online because I had a moment in which I did not know if Yonkers was a real place or not. It was a name I heard so much in movies and TV and I always just thought it was an East coast/New York way of saying "out in the sticks" or "out in the boonies."

[grudlian. 4725]

I wasn't really big on this movie, in part, because I find movies where a woman annoys a man into loving her super annoying. There are a couple moments I really liked though.

 

Barnaby and Cornelius go to town to kiss a woman. Knowing nothing about the history of Hello, Dolly!, I assumed this wad just an old timey movie and "kiss" was a euphemism to placate the puritanical masses. Then later the two woman make a blowjob joke with a banana.

 

But my absolute favorite moment is at the beginning of the song Hello Dolly when she says the whole world sways, then the waiters and get sway in unison. God, I loved that.

[Cam Bert 8145]

Barnaby and Cornelius go to town to kiss a woman. Knowing nothing about the history of Hello, Dolly!, I assumed this wad just an old timey movie and "kiss" was a euphemism to placate the puritanical masses. Then later the two woman make a blowjob joke with a banana.

That is an aspect of the movie I found fascinating. Barnaby and Cornelius are pretty pure and innocent guys. Heck, all Barnaby wants to do is see a whale and go home. So when Cornelius wants to kiss a girl that's all he seemingly legitimately wants to do. He's been single his whole life and at one point it is stated that for the last ten years or so all he does is work in the shop and sleep. Then on the other side of the coin you have Molloy who is much more experience and forward. Like the scene when they are in the restaurant and Cornelius puts his arm around her and says "I've never touched a woman" and she responds with "You still haven't that's my corset." It's such a reversal of the more dominating man and the shy and innocent girl. I found it interesting. I have more to say about this but I'll save it for later.

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

I didn't get to rewatch yet but I'll get to it soon. Just wanted to pipe in and say that I played Barnaby in a high school production when I was 16! I wish I had photos to show.

 

ETA: I just checked my photo albums and sadly there are none to be found. I found pictures of me in Guys and Dolls and Fiddler on the Roof, but no Barnaby pictures. I wore round glasses and a tartan tam, by the way.

[Cameron H. 23786]

I didn't get to rewatch yet but I'll get to it soon. Just wanted to pipe in and say that I played Barnaby in a high school production when I was 16! I wish I had photos to show.

 

ETA: I just checked my photo albums and sadly there are none to be found. I found pictures of me in Guys and Dolls and Fiddler on the Roof, but no Barnaby pictures. I wore round glasses and a tartan tam, by the way.

 

Oh man, while I was watching I was picturing you as Cornelius. I was so close!

[taylor anne photo 11311]

OMG, guys! The Canon is doing Tommy next week lol

 

 

 

I should have known what was under that spoiler tag... I should have known...

[PollyDarton 1807]

I'm fascinated with the mid 20th century's obsession with Edwardian nostalgia. This is just one of many - (My Fair Lady, The Music Man, The Importance of Being Earnest, Charley's Aunt, Mary Poppins, Meet me in St. Louis, Lady and the Tramp... I'm sure there's more) I suppose it is the WWI folks who were waxing for their childhood - The "Lost generation."

Every decade seems to get taken with a previous decade - although those movies mentioned span more than 20 years 1890s-1912, but they all share starry eyed nostalgia for this stretch of time. I guess it's because it is the last time women wore long dresses as a social rule? Or maybe it was just the great sweet spot between devastating wars where people (erm...white people) seemingly didn't have a care.

 

Added bit: I think that's why all the shit about Cornelius never having "touched a woman." That's remembering society with some true rose colored glasses. I'm sure people were that virginal (even at 28!?) but it's just such a gross way to wax nostalgic. The fact that there are some under the radar racey jokes is not surprising either... The Music Man, for instance, is a little naughty if you start to think about some of the things they discuss in that show/movie.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I'm fascinated with the mid 20th century's obsession with Edwardian nostalgia. This is just one of many - (My Fair Lady, The Music Man, The Importance of Being Earnest, Charley's Aunt, Mary Poppins, Meet me in St. Louis, Lady and the Tramp... I'm sure there's more) I suppose it is the WWI folks who were waxing for their childhood - The "Lost generation."

Every decade seems to get taken with a previous decade - although those movies mentioned span more than 20 years 1890s-1912, but they all share starry eyed nostalgia for this stretch of time. I guess it's because it is the last time women wore long dresses as a social rule? Or maybe it was just the great sweet spot between devastating wars where people (erm...white people) seemingly didn't have a care.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang would back your theory up. Written by Ian Fleming, a World War Two soldier but born in 1908.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I think that's why all the shit about Cornelius never having "touched a woman." That's remembering society with some true rose colored glasses. I'm sure people were that virginal (even at 28!?) but it's just such a gross way to wax nostalgic. The fact that there are some under the radar racey jokes is not surprising either... The Music Man, for instance, is a little naughty if you start to think about some of the things they discuss in that show/movie.

28 & 3/4

[PollyDarton 1807]

28 & 3/4

 

And look what happens when you're a virgin at 28 3/4!

 

(Of course... I'm just joking. Being a virgin at any age should carry no stigma. People's sex lives are their own private business.)

[tomspanks 9039]

Oh man, while I was watching I was picturing you as Cornelius. I was so close!

 

I said Cornelius too. I'm thinking he was miscast...

[tomspanks 9039]

Embarrassing admission time!

 

I fully expect the full ridicule of tomspanks but as I was watching the movie today I had to do a check online because I had a moment in which I did not know if Yonkers was a real place or not. It was a name I heard so much in movies and TV and I always just thought it was an East coast/New York way of saying "out in the sticks" or "out in the boonies."

 

 

[EvRobert 1684]

I haven't yet watched Hello Dolly (I went to Kansas City for the weekend and watched a horrendous MLB game and a fantastic MLS game and got hella sunburned) but it's interesting you bring up the nostelgia for that just turn of the century era. Two of the films I'm considering fit into that time frame.

[PollyDarton 1807]

I get the impression that Thornton Wilder wrote this whole stupid scenario because he thought the word “Vandergelder” was funny and wanted to see how many times he could get people to say it.

[PollyDarton 1807]

I haven't yet watched Hello Dolly (I went to Kansas City for the weekend and watched a horrendous MLB game and a fantastic MLS game and got hella sunburned) but it's interesting you bring up the nostelgia for that just turn of the century era. Two of the films I'm considering fit into that time frame.

Yeah... if those movies were made in the 40s, 50s, 60s it's no mystery. They could NOT get enough of the Belle Epoch.

 

The 40s, 50s, and 60s were hung up on the edwardian period. (A good bit 70s fashion referenced this period a lot too.)

The 70s and 80s were hung up on the 50s and 60s (Grease, American Graffiti, Back to the Future, Peggy Sue Got Married, Hairspray... Happy Days!)

The 90s were way into the 70s (Disco was Baaaaaack - I'll have to check on the movies/TV. The only thing I can think of of the top of my head is Dazed and Confused and That 70s show)

And of course our culture's current obsession is the 90s - Fashion and movie reboots, but not necessarily a lot of movies about the 90s.

[tomspanks 9039]

Added bit: I think that's why all the shit about Cornelius never having "touched a woman." That's remembering society with some true rose colored glasses. I'm sure people were that virginal (even at 28!?) but it's just such a gross way to wax nostalgic. The fact that there are some under the radar racey jokes is not surprising either... The Music Man, for instance, is a little naughty if you start to think about some of the things they discuss in that show/movie.

 

I really think the lyrics in "It Takes a Woman" are all sexual innuendos.

[PollyDarton 1807]

 

I really think the lyrics in "It Takes a Woman" are all sexual innuendos.

 

Ha! YAS! Many of the lyrics refer to having a woman clean something out.

 

Honestly for me that makes the context of the song better, because if you take it literally then he just wants a maid to clean his house... if he's really talking about her taking care of the other business at home... it actually makes me like him better.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I get the impression that Thornton Wilder wrote this whole stupid scenario because he thought the word “Vandergelder” was funny and wanted to see how many times he could get people to say it.

Not to mention his first name is Horace (sounds like horse) and Gelder is the last part of his name. Gelding a horse is not a happy process. It's almost like the end of the movie is a gelded horse finding his mojo again.

[PollyDarton 1807]

Not to mention his first name is Horace (sounds like horse) and Gelder is the last part of his name. Gelding a horse is not a happy process. It's almost like the end of the movie is a gelded horse finding his mojo again.

 

Hee hee!

It's almost as if the events of the movie are the process of gelding the horse.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

 

Hee hee!

It's almost as if the events of the movie are the process of gelding the horse.

So his name changes to Horace Vandergelded.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

Idk how present I will be in this one this week but I fuckin love Barbra in this movie. She's iconic and this role is iconic.

 

[tomspanks 9039]

Idk how present I will be in this one this week but I fuckin love Barbra in this movie. She's iconic and this role is iconic.

 

I agree, she's gorgeous. She's like buttah.

 

BUT - I felt she was far from the spinster widow type.

[Cam Bert 8145]

Walter Matthau is born and raised in New York and so was Barbra Streisand. You'd think this commonality would create some kind of mutual bond between the two actors. Well I guess that was not the guess. Walter Matthau hated Barbara Streisand and she was not a fan of "old sour puss" either. He'd only show up to do scenes with her when absolutely necessary and flat out refused to do the final climatic kiss at the church. They had to angle it in a way to appear they were kissing while keeping their faces far apart. To put in in a bit of perspective, Walter Mattau was fresh off an Oscar win and been acting for years and now he's playing supporting role to someone twenty plus years younger than him in their second movie who wasn't a trained actor. It was slightly understandable. It wasn't her fault though as him being set in his ways and an angry man plays a large part in it too. But just how much did Walter Mattau dislike Barbra Streisand? Here are a few choice quotes:

 

I'd love to work with Barbra Streisand again. In something appropriate. Perhaps, Macbeth.

 

I had no disagreement with Barbra Streisand. I was merely exasperated at her tendency to be a complete megalomaniac.

 

The most extraordinary ... er ... uninteresting person I have ever met. I just found her to be a terrible bore ... She was doing something and asked the director if I wouldn't mind saying my lines in a certain way. I think I said something to her like, "I was acting before you were born, so please don't tell me how to act." And she said, in her own inimitable way, "Is this guy crazy or something?".

 

I have more talent in my smallest fart than she does in her entire body

 

The trouble with Barbra is that she became a star long before she became an actress. Which is a pity, because if she learned her trade properly, she might become a competent actress instead of a freak attraction–like a boa constrictor.”