Just leave everything to me . . .

You may be surprised to learn that the story of "Dolly" is a vintage tale that goes as far back as the early 1800s. Before audiences knew of either Carol Channing or Barbra Streisand, Thornton Wilder wrote a play called "The Matchmaker," based on an 1852 story, and considered by some to be a classic. In 1958, Paramount brought "The Matchmaker" to the screen as a non-musical comedy, and establishing its star, Shirley Booth, as the screen's first-ever Dolly.

Growing Up Dolly:
A History of the World's Best Known Matchmaker
 

1835	John Oxenford wrote a one act British farce called "A Day Well Spent."
1852	Austrian playwright Johann Nestroy penned a full length play entitled "Einen Jux will er sich machen" ("He'll Have Himself a Good Time") based on Oxenford's one act comedy.
1938	Thornton Wilder wrote "The Merchant of Yonkers" based on Nestroy's play. It was a Broadway flop which closed after just 39 performances.
1955	Wilder rewrote "The Merchant of Yonkers," calling it "The Matchmaker." The previously minor character of Dolly Gallagher Levi was expanded to become the centerpiece of the production. The play had a successful run in London's West End and was ultimately transferred to Broadway starring Ruth Gordon as Dolly. The play was a hit and ran for 486 performances, garnering a Tony nomination for Gordon and a Tony award for the director, Tyrone Guthrie. David Merrick, who would later bring "Hello, Dolly!" triumphantly to Broadway, was this production's producer as well.
1958	Paramount brought the story of Dolly to the screen for the first time as a non-musical comedy starring Shirley Booth. In "The Matchmaker," Booth played the meddlesome Dolly "Gallagher" Levi opposite a cast of relative unknowns: Shirley MacLaine as Irene, Anthony Perkins as Cornelius, and Robert Morse as Barnaby. "The Matchmaker" theatrical trailer If you've seen this film, you know that the story is essentially the same, but without the musical production numbers. If you're a fan of "Hello, Dolly!", this film is interesting to watch, especially when realizing how this century-old tale was brilliantly reinvented as a Broadway showcase for Carol Channing, and later as a film vehicle for Streisand. "The Matchmaker" is currently available on DVD. Shirley Booth as Dolly   Shirley Maclaine as Irene Molloy   Robert Morse and Anthony Perkins as Barnaby and Cornelius Booth with Paul Ford as Horace Vandergelder
1964	David Merrick took another stab at his 1955 production of "The Matchmaker" when he produced the Tony award winning musical sensation "Hello, Dolly!" on Broadway in 1964. At the Tony awards, "Hello, Dolly!" was voted "Best Musical" and Carol Channing was awarded "Best Actress" honors. In total, "Dolly" racked in ten Tony's, making it the season's biggest commercial hit, while dashing Barbra Streisand's own hopes for a Tony (for "Funny Girl") in the process. "Dolly's" ten Tony awards made it the most honored show in Broadway history, a record that would stand for decades. It took thirty-eight years for the Tony baton to eventually be handed over. In 2001, Mel Brooks' "The Producers" walked away with twelve Tonys. "Dolly" ran in New York for an astounding 2,844 performances. After Channing left the show, a revolving door of actresses was brought in to play the title role. Among them were Ginger Rogers, Martha Raye, Betty Grable and Pearl Bailey, the most successful of Carol Channing's replacements. Even the legendary Ethel Merman, whom composer Jerry Herman had in mind when he originally wrote the score, ultimately gave her own spin as Dolly. In 1978, Channing starred in her first Broadway revival of the show in a limited run of 147 performances. She brought "Dolly" back for yet another run of 116 performances in 1995.
1969	Barbra Streisand starred in the film version of "Hello, Dolly!". The film won three technical Oscars (Best Art Direction, Best Sound, and Best Score Adaptation). When it was announced that Barbra Streisand had been chosen to play the part on screen over Carol Channing, controversy immediately erupted. Naysayers from Broadway to Hollywood claimed that Streisand was too young to play the part of the worldly widowed matchmaker. But Barbra was a fresh, new, and immensely talented performer, so giving her the chance to reinvent the age-old character of Dolly only seemed logical. Besides, who's to say that Dolly can't be a younger woman? In the original script of "The Matchmaker," Thornton Wilder describes Dolly Levi as a woman of "uncertain age."   The film was a flop at the box-office and 20th Century Fox suffered major financial losses after pouring millions into the biggest budget musical Hollywood had ever produced. So where did the "Dolly" film go wrong? A case can be made for the studio's, or perhaps director Gene Kelly's, reliance on overproduction. Others contend that the story needed to be tightened up for the screen, after all there are long stretches of the film where the star is noticeably absent. Only one new number was added for Streisand to sing ("Love Is Only Love" - a discarded trunk song from Jerry's Herman's original Broadway production of "Mame") while other non-Streisand musical sequences seemed to go on endlessly. Most would agree that the lack of chemistry between Walter Matthau and Barbra was a major reason why the film failed in the romantic appeal department. Still, for all the criticism heaped on the film version of "Dolly," none could justifiably be pegged on Streisand's performance. Her vocals alone were enough to insure a lasting legacy for the film. Remembering Richard D. Zanuck - Cast Barbra in "Dolly"     July 14, 2012 (UPDATE) Richard D. Zanuck, the onetime head of 20th Century Fox passed away yesterday at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 77. Zanuck was the executive who hired Barbra Streisand to star in "Hello, Dolly!". It was a casting decision that ignited controversy all the way from Hollywood to Broadway. Should Carol Channing have gotten the part? Was Barbra Streisand too young to play Dolly? Indeed, the debate still goes on today. Zanuck on the set of "Hello, Dolly" (AP Photo) Zanuck was not directly involved in the film's actual day-to-day production, but as head of the studio, he was ultimately in charge. During production, co-star Walter Matthau allegedly became frustrated with his leading lady and went to the front office with his complaints.  Zanuck handled the issue by famously telling Matthau that the film wasn't called "Hello, Walter." In 1965, Zanuck purchased the film rights to "Hello, Dolly!" from Broadway producer David Merrick. In the deal, Zanuck agreed not to release the film until the Broadway show ended its run. When the film was completed, the original contract was renegotiated to allow for its release (at a significant penalty to Fox). The film did open in December of 1969  even though the show was still goin' strong on Broadway. Of course, it is the film's title number that will always be remembered for its historic significance. It paired Streisand with legendary jazz great Louis Armstrong. In 1964, Armstrong released his own vocal version of the "Hello, Dolly!" title number. His rendition not only established itself as a long standing  number one chart hit, but its extraordinary popularity and radio air play was a key factor in the overall success of the "Dolly" franchise on Broadway. Putting Louis Armstrong smack-dab in the middle of the film's most famous number was a stroke of commercial brilliance. Barbra did indeed reinvent the role, and her vocal performance was head and shoulders above any delivery Carol Channing ever gave to the part. Bitter at being overlooked for the film role, Channing managed to keep her sour grapes discussion alive in theatrical circles for nearly forty years. Channing, however, made one concession to Barbra in her 2002 memoir "Just Lucky, I Guess." According to Broadway's Dolly, Barbra Streisand's singing in the film "was beautiful." Today, Barbra's film version of "Hello, Dolly!" enjoys a robust after-life in video and on television. With its recent theatrical re-mastering (and subsequent DVD release), "Dolly" is one of the most visually vibrant and exciting films available for home viewing.