Directed by George Roy Hill
Written by Richard Morris
1967/US
IMDb link
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Miss Dorothy Brown: Oh, I do hope he won’t be an addict. I mean with all that dope.
Millie Dillmount: It didn’t hurt Sleeping Beauty or Snow White.[/box]
The soundtrack was in regular rotation when I was young. Disappointed in the actual movie.
It is 1922. Sweet young thing Millie Dillmount (Julie Andrews) arrives in the big city and transforms into a modern flapper within the first couple of hours. She gets lodgings in a small hotel run by white-slaver Mrs. Meers (Beatrice Lillie. She soon makes friends with more naive transplant Dorothy Brown (Mary Tyler-Moore).
The girls are romanced by John Gavin and James Fox. Carol Channing plays Muzzie Von Hossmere, a character apparently created solely so that Channing could play her larger-than-life-size stage persona on screen. All have many adentures.
This movie starts out promisingly enough but rapidly just became too self-conscious and over-the-top for my taste. It’s also a long film with an overture and intermission and dragged for me.
On the other hand, the costume and production design are very competent, the music is good, and the performers give it their all. It was also interesting to think about it as a product of its time with regard to the women’s lib theme.
Elmer Bernstein won the Academy Award for Best Music, Original Score. The film was also nominated in the Best Music, Adapted category (is this a first?). It was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress (Channing); Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; Best Costume Design; Best Sound and Best Music, Original Song.
I love this movie so much and I especially love catching it on cable and watching it for an hour or so. You’re right that it’s kind of long. I remember watching it late at night when I was a teenager (late 1970s) and thinking it was wonderful and how sexy are Julie Andrews and MTM! But I think that’s the only time I watched the whole thing. When I see it, it’s so much fun for a while! But I eventually decide to do something else.
I think this film is best in small doses.
Like you, I played and played this soundtrack. I enjoyed the movie when it was released. Perhaps, based on your experience, I’ll leave it to memory. . . .
If I had seen the movie on original release, it may have aged better. I’m still trying to figure out why “Millie” seemed so stupid to me while I love “How to Succeed in Business” which is equally silly I suppose.