‘Hello, Dolly!’ Back Where She Belongs

For some movie musicals, life on laser disc can be a blessing, for others more of a curse.

“Hello, Dolly!,” the 1969 film nominated for seven Oscars, was a star turn for more than Barbra Streisand. FoxVideo/Image’s recent release of “Dolly!” on laser (letterboxed, extended play, 148 minutes, 33 chapter stops, $70) does the Todd-AO film full justice. Gene Kelly, as director, opened up the Jerry Herman musical with expansive choreography by Michael Kidd.

Re-meeting everybody’s favorite busybody matchmaker is a reminder of the style, energy and voice that brought Streisand stardom. She’s surrounded by class: Walter Matthau in what turns out to be one of his more endearing hangdog roles as Yonkers’ half-a-millionaire Horace Vandergelder and, more amazingly, a hayseed Michael Crawford as the bumbling, high-pitched Cornelius Hackel decades before he stopped hearts as the Phantom of the Opera. Tommy Tune and Louis Armstrong don’t hurt the mix any either.

Perhaps the most delightful surprise of all is how well Herman’s hum-along musical numbers hold up, including “It Takes a Woman,” “Put On Your Sunday Clothes,” “It Only Takes a Moment” and “Before the Parade Passes By” in addition to the title song.

Time hasn’t been quite so kind to “State Fair,” the only musical Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote directly for the screen. Too bad producers of the recent stage play based on the film didn’t study this FoxVideo/Image release (extended play, 100 minutes, 30 chapter stops, $40) a little more carefully to see just how much this story feels dated.

The film is given its due with a bright transfer--the vivid Technicolor print almost dances off the screen--but the 1945 film starring Jeanne Craine, Dana Andrews and a very young Dick Haymes and Vivian Blaine winds up more curio than compelling. The signature songs, “It’s a Grand Night for Singing” and “It Might as Well Be Spring,” make a nice detour between “Oklahoma!” and “Carousel” (both film versions also available from Image/Fox), but not much more.

Current Movies Just Out: “Batman Returns,” “Basic Instinct” (without the additional footage), “Thunderheart,” “Far and Away” (letterboxed), “City of Joy” (letterboxed), “This Is My Life,” “Paris Is Burning,” “Stephen King’s Sleepwalkers,” “Incident at Oglala” and “Newsies.”

Coming Soon: Disney’s work-in-progress version of “Beauty and the Beast” is scheduled for release Nov. 24. The theatrical version will not be available on laser until next year, presumably after the video market is played out and the danger of making video copies of superior laser images is past. Paramount’s seven-disc “The Godfather Trilogy” (at a whopping $200) is due next month. LIVE’s “Universal Soldier,” featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme, also is due in December.

Older Titles Just Released: “Vampyr” (Image, 1932, $40): Director Carl Dreyer’s stylized classic vampire tale influenced a generation of film makers.

“The Men” (Republic, 1950, $35): Marlon Brando made his screen debut as a paraplegic war vet adjusting to civilian life.