--- title: "Hello, Dolly!: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/hello-dolly/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/hello-dolly" critics_score: 49 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Hello, Dolly! (1969): what the critics said Critics' score 49 from 8 reviews: 3 positive, 1 mixed, 4 negative. Most critics arrive at the same two conclusions and then differ on how much they matter. Barbra Streisand carries the film: even the harshest reviews call her the main asset, and several single out her scenes with Louis Armstrong. The physical production is the other point of agreement. The sets, costumes, Technicolor and photography draw praise almost everywhere, including from critics who dislike the film as a whole. The reservations gather around size and casting. Several reviews call the production elephantine, faulting Gene Kelly for inflating a slight story and for favouring spectacle over performance. Streisand is widely thought too young for Dolly Levi, though Radio Times treats this as a quibble in an otherwise lavish treat. The Jerry Herman score splits the reviews outright: some call it marvellous and enduring, others find it unmemorable. The spread is wide, from warm admiration to flat dismissal, and the negatives outnumber the positives. ## Radio Times — Tony Sloman Rating 4/5. The critic calls it a wondrous treat under Gene Kelly's direction despite Streisand being cast underage as Dolly Levi. It singles out the design, use of colour, marvellous score, and parade of stars including Michael Crawford and Louis Armstrong as breathtaking highlights of this lavish musical. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-5z9334/hello-dolly/) ## Los Angeles Times — Barbara Saltzman Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 November 1992. The laser disc release restores the 1969 film's vibrant Technicolor and expansive choreography to good effect. Streisand's star turn and the supporting cast, along with the enduring Jerry Herman songs, make it a reminder of classic musical energy. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-11-13-ca-357-story.html) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1968. The expensive, opulent filmusical benefits greatly from Streisand's unique vitality and charisma in the title role. It is sentimental and wholesome, with strong pictorial values despite some inconsistencies in supporting performances. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1968/film/reviews/hello-dolly-1200421913/) ## The New Yorker — Pauline Kael Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 27 December 1969. The massive, overproduced musical is unimaginative and mechanical, with dismal songs and broad acting, but Streisand's energy and talent transform parts of it and make it watchable. The critic singles out her scenes with Louis Armstrong and certain solos for praise. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1970/01/03/keep-going) ## Empire — David Parkinson Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic calls the film a misguided adaptation of the stage musical, faulting the miscasting of a too-young Barbra Streisand and Gene Kelly's uneven direction focused on technical spectacle over strong performances. The elaborate sets, costumes and photography are praised as highlights amid the overall disappointment. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/hello-dolly-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Eric Henderson Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 27 August 2003. The critic views the film as a campy, over-the-top production marred by miscasting of Streisand and broad direction from Kelly, turning it into something more frightening than funny on screen. The song score stands out as a highlight alongside some better-aged elements like rapid-fire delivery and story threads. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/hello-dolly/) ## The New York Times — Vincent Canby Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 18 December 1969. The critic finds the film adaptation reverential to a fault, inflating the thin source material to elephantine proportions on the big screen. Streisand's performance stands out as the main asset amid the oversized production. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1969/12/18/archives/on-screen-barbra-streisand-displays-a-detached-cool.html) ## Time Out — PT Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 19 July 2012. The review faults Streisand for hogging the screen in an elephantine production that helped bury the Hollywood musical. It complains that the Jerry Herman score is unmemorable and the choreography is foreshortened to make room for extra dialogue. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/hello-dolly) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/hello-dolly.md