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Thoroughly Modern Millie

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2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

"Thoroughly Modern Millie" is a reminder that once upon a time in Hollywood singing stars made B-musicals. Here is a classic example from the career of Julie Andrews that reminds us her career was not all mega-hits like "Sound of Music" and super-flops like "Star." Unfortunately for lovers of musicals Hollywood stopped marking movies like this, leaving singing stars with Olivia Newton-John with a smash like "Grease" and a bomb like "Xanadu" with nothing in between. I also have fond memories of "Thorough Modern Millie" because it was a movie that was shown to us in class in high school; the reason why we were allowed this privilege is beyond me, unless we were supposed to get an appreciation of the Roaring Twenties from this film (so why did they show us the original version of "The Blob?").

Our flapper heroine is Millie Dillmount (Andrews), who has decided to be a "mod" and turned in her long curls for a stylish bob. Her goal in life is to marry her boss and after interviewing several possibilities she hits the jackpot with Trevor Graydon (John Gavin), who hires her as his stenog and calls Millie "John" (as in "Johnny on the spot"). Millie likes young Jimmy (James Fox), who impresses her by inventing a new dance called the Tapioca and being a swell kisser, but he is poor and Millie has her ambitions. Millie's best gal-al is Miss Dorothy (Mary Tyler Moore), who is sweet, innocent, and has lots of curls.

However, the life of Millie and her friends are caught between two imposing characters. At the hotel for young women where Millie lives there is Mrs. Meers (Beatrice Lillie), who is always looking out for young girls who are "all alone in the world," like Miss Dorothy, who could be of use to a Chinese White Slavery ring. But Millie also encounters an unstoppable force for life in the person of the irrepressible Muzzy (Carol Channing), who lives the good life at her Long Island "Cottage" estate and pops up at key moments throughout the narrative.

The movie is not a great musical, mainly because it does not have any really great songs (as evidenced by the fact that the current Broadway musical has almost entirely new songs), but it is still great fun. Director George Roy Hill takes advantage of Andrews' comic flair and the film has great fun with her double takes and comic title cards as Millie periodically comments on the proceedings. The movie does employ stereotypes of the Chinese, but you have to admit these are balanced between the comic relief of Mrs. Meers' henchmen (Jack Soo and Pat Morita) and the wise old Tea (Philip Ahn).

"Thoroughly Modern Millie" won an Oscar for music and Channing was nominated for supporting role (she won a Golden Globe for her efforts, were clearly tailored to her style). But Lillie is a delight as well and I personally enjoy Gavin's mock-heroic performance. Moore just has to look sweet, although she does get to say a bad word (!), and Fox is charming although clearly too young for Andrews. Unfortunately the debacle of "Star" pretty much derailed Andrews' musical career in Hollywood, which is a loss because the comic flair she shows here is the same that she showcased in films like "Victor, Victoria" a couple of decades later. The good news is that the Broadway show will bring this film back to the public's notice; I am sure that is the reason I have spent the morning watch the film on TV.

Julie Andrews. Carol Channing. Mary Tyler Moore. Beatrice Lillie. What a cast!

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (TMM) is a hoot. Director George Roy Hill keeps the pace fast and the mood light. He has Julie Andrews look into the camera often for funny effect. Usually a silent movie card is flashed onscreen when she does this, telling the audience Millie's thoughts ("Her beads hang straight.")

The characters are broadly drawn, which makes the movie fun. Beatrice Lillie is the arch-villainess, and her severe makeup and beehive hairdo are hilarious. Mary Tyler Moore strikes the right chord as the virginal Miss Dorothy.

There are several highlights for me: The opening number when Millie changes from 'plain Jane' to 'thoroughly modern'; any time a character has to dance in the tempermental elevator to make it go up or down; "Jazz Baby" with Carol Channing.

About the disc: The print of TMM doesn't look that good. The movie was released in 1967, so it's over 35 years old. Some of the special-effects shots (even the wipes and transition scenes) look grainy. The colors could be more vibrant. This is probably the best print in existence, still one wishes the quality were better. The sound tended to 'peak' in sections too.

TMM fans will be happy to know that the overture and intermission music have been restored.

TMM is a funny, entertaining, old-fashioned film with great performances. Julie Andrews seems to be having a great time vamping it up. Enjoy it!

Even aside from her once-perfect voice, Julie Andrews has an amazing dry comic gift that is maybe akin to genius, and it never got a better showcase than in THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE. If you don't get it, you don't get it, but there are indeed many, many people who cannot even think of her facial expressions when she turns to the camera in this Twenties spoof just before her thoughts are flashed onscreen in intertitles without becoming helpless with laughter, and I confess to be one of them. This is the fullest chance she ever got to strut her comic stuff (especially when she decides to become "positively FATAL!").

There are many problems in this George Roy Hill spoof: its overlength, its bizarre plot excursions ( Julie at one point announces she has to sing "Trinkt Le Chaim" at a Jewish wedding which she does for no possible reason other than no one previous ever possibly IMAGINED what this song would sound like sung by her), and Carol Channing does overdo it as Muzzy (when she gets shot out of a cannon, you want to duck). But, it has one of the world's alltime best running sight gags (an elevator that works only if you dance in it), Mary Tyler Moore's peerless attempt to do the dance known as "the Tapioca," which practically stops the entire show, and finally Beatrice Lillie's famously hilarious performance as Mrs. Meers. Casting Lillie, the absolute unquestioned master of dry British comedy, against Julie Andrews was nothing short of inspired, and when Lillie attempts to figure out which of many cups of tea has a sleeping drug hidden in it the movie somes close to comic genius.

"Welcome everybody! Welcome!" Yeah...welcome to one of the best movies this side of Saudia Arabia! Thoroughly Modern Millie is so much fun to watch over and over! Its hysterical and a fun musical. The cast is great- Julie is great as Millie, and Mary Tyler Moore is incredibly hysterical as Miss Dorothy, Carol Channing is simply the best as Muzz (Razzzzzberries!), and Beatrice Lillie is so off-the-wall as Mrs. Meers, the house-mother with a love for the Pacific Rim. This spoof made me laugh so hard and my friend Bonnie (who introduced me to this movie) and I quote the wonderful lines all the time! ("Don't worry Miss Dorothy, the kids will soon forget your dress is real lace and ask you to dance.") Everything from the dance sequence in the elevator to the "tap-tap tap-tap-ioca" to "SOYYYY SAUCE!!!!", to Baron Von Richter and his loop-de-loops (they do wonders for the inner ear, ya know!), the movie is non-stop fun. Go get it ahora mismo!

Thoroughly Modern Millie is a hilarious 1920's type comedy. Its about a young girl in the city who wants to be "modern" and her adventures with her friends Miss Dorothy (Mary Tyler Moore) and Jimmy (James Fox). It has everything you could ask for in a movie: laughs, music, romance, mystery, and excitement. Although I may be a bit biased, considering I'm the worlds biggest Julie Andrews fan! She does a wonderful job portraying Millie! Very cute, not for the serious type though. What it lacks in plot and substance, it makes up for with humor and well...Julie! A great movie, I definitly recommend it!!

Absolutely delightful! Great fun and camp beyond belief! The story goes that the studio were all ready to make a movie version of The Boyfriend when suddenly they realised they did not have the rights to the songs! What to do? I know, why not do our own musical using the sets, costumes and cast that we have all lined up and ready to go! From the opening titles, where we see the hilarious transformation of Julie Andrews' Millie from a plain jane to a thoroughly modern, through to the hilarious round-up of villains and the subsequent end titles, this is a masterpiece of comedy acting! As you would expect with the likes of Julie Andrews, Mary Tyler Moore and Carol Channing, the songs and dancing get first class treatment. The famous 'lift scene' where Julie and Mary have to tap-dance to get the lift to work (due to a troupe of dancing girls who used to practice their routines in it, which did something to the mechanism) is hysterical. One-liners are strewn like rose petals all the way through the film and Beatrice Lillie as the White Slave Trader/House Mother is in fine fettle. The surprise of the film, to me at any rate, is James Fox as Jimmy. Not only does he show an exemplary flare for comedy but also his singing and dancing are not that bad! Everyone connected with the film seems to be having a whale of a time and it certainly comes over to the viewer. I can't wait for this to be released on DVD so that I can go to all my favourite spots in the film at the flick of a switch! Great fun, but only for those with a sense of humour!

There are not enough stars in any rating system to fully do justice to this wonderfully fun musical that spoofs the 1920s and much else as well. Made in 1967 just as the age of movie making innocence was sadly drawing to a close this film is as fresh and sparkling today as it was at its first release. Blessed with a wonderful cast headed by the legendary Julie Andrews and a group of supporting players second to none, the film also boasts a memorable musical score, lavish costumes and a vivid 1920's period recreation all courtesy of that master of movie gloss Producer Ross Hunter. Nominated for a stunning 7 Academy Awards, (strangely though not for Julie Andrews as Best Actress),the film ended up only winning one for Best Musical Score. The recent Broadway show sadly altered much of this delightful story, music and characters from the original movie supposedly so that it would not "offend", modern audiences whatever that means, but this 1967 movie is the original, unaltered and greatly entertaining version of this story unfettered by stifling 2004 sensibilities.

"Thoroughly Modern Millie", stars Julie Andrews as Millie Dillmount, a young naive girl who comes to New York to find a job as a stenographer and hopefully marry her boss. Her criteria for taking a job is that her boss has to be rich and handsome and above all else SINGLE!! To achieve her aim Millie becomes what is called a "modern", complete with flapper clothes, bobed hair, and of course the essential flat bustline!. At her hotel (For single young ladies!!)Millie makes the acquaintance of new arrival Miss Dorothy (Mary Tyler Moore), a naive girl from California. The two strike up a friendship under the eagle eye of Hotel Proprieteress Mrs Meers (Beatrice Lillie), who uses the hotel as a front for a white slavery ring and preys on all the single women with no families that take up residence there. Millie finds a job at an accounting firm run by Trevor Graydon (John Gavin), who fits all her specifications. Trevor however only views Millie as his ever reliable assistant, nicknames her "John", and is seemingly blind to Millies repeated attempts to seduce him (like any "modern" girl would!). Meanwhile Millie has aroused the attention of fun loving Jimmy (James Fox), who sells paper clips for a living. Jimmy is funny and affectionate and takes the two girls on an extravagant weekend to the Long Island Mansion of ecentric Muzzy Van Hossmere (Carol Channing). Muzzy is very much a free spirit and taking Millie under her wing urges her to simply "follow your heart". Much to Millie's distress however real love blossoms between Miss Dorothy and "her Trevor". Millie continues to be dogged by a besotted Jimmy and when Miss Dorothy disappears from the hotel suspicion falls on Mrs. Meers as the leader of something no good. Millie, Jimmy and Trevor embark on a scheme to not only rescue Miss Dorothy from the clutches of the White Slavery group but turn in Mrs Meers and her gang to the authorities. Jimmy dresses as a woman and pretends to be checking in as a single young woman who is, to quote Mrs Meers, "all alone in the world". The scheme backfires when Jimmy is drugged by some spiked ink and is carried away by Mrs. Meers' Chinese assistants (Jack Soo and Pat Morita),to the opium den in Chinatown to await transportation as a white slave. After Millie sets off a factory full of fireworks a rescue of both Miss Dorothy and Jimmy is made and they escape to Long Island. However they are pursued by Mrs Meers and her men and its through Muzzy's quick thinking that the trio are brought to justice. Millie then learns the "real identitites", of Miss Dorothy and ardent paper clip salesman Jimmy which results in not just one wedding, but three!!

"Thoroughly Modern Millie", is a totally charming film that never fails to fill me with a great feeling with each screening. Julie Andrews had her last big success with this film which became Universal Studios biggest hit that year and rarely has she been better cast. The terrific musical numbers like the Tapioca, and the unforgettable tap number in the hotel's uncooperative lift provide her with just the right avenues for her multi talents and she makes the most of each of these opportunities. As Millie she is both sweet and wacky at times which beautifully shows off her often overlooked talents as a comedian. The supporting cast of Mary Tyler Moore ideally cast as the naive Miss Dorothy who never goes anywhere without her cheque book, and the zany jazz baby Carol Channing in a role ideally suited to her larger than life personality make a viewing of this film a treat. Special mention in the acting stakes however must go to the brilliant Beatrice Lillie in a rare film appearance as the deliciously evil Mrs Meers. I find myself missing her when she is not on screen. Great homage to everything that was distinctive from the twenties is made in this film from the mention of Rudolph Valentino as a great lover, to the obvious tribute to the comic genius of Harold Lloyd in the scenes where Millie and Jimmy are suspended in mid air outside the office building. Universal went all out in their attention to detail on recreating the twenties music, dance, costumes, and cars and have come off with one of the best looking musicals from the 1960's decade. Director George Roy Hill who had guided Julie Andrews through her performance in "Hawaii", the year before does an admirable job of amazingly keeping all of this together in an admittedly long two and a half hour running time.

A fun filled nostalgic journey back to another time is guaranteed in "Thoroughly Modern Millie", which only came about when the rights to "The Boyfriend", could not be purchased. It was a blessing really as what was created from scratch is one of the best original musicals to come from the 1960's. To quote Millie herself it's totally "terrif", "bonzer", and "swell" and makes highly recommended viewer to all lovers of fun filled, tuneful musicals that recall happier simpler times. Enjoy!

Sure it's silly...sure it's long...but this is a great movie. I've loved this movie for years. Julie Andrews is hysterical in her attempts to be a "modern", especially when trying to find the right boss to marry. Mary Tyler Moore is the best as the rich girl trying to make it in the real world (taxis don't take checks?) Come on, how can you not love a movie about white slavery in the '20s with singing and dancing! This movie really is a guilty pleasure.

This is a wonderful movie! I try to introduce it to everyone I know,-it is that good. Julie Andrews stars as a young woman of the 20's fresh out of business school, and in the big city. She becomes roommate with fresh-face Mary Tyler Moore. It is very funny, and entertaining. The two break into dance at any given moment. For example, during an arguement,the two young women step onto the elevator. The elevator is jammed, and the only way to get it to go is to dance. So here they are, dancing and arguing.--For twenty floors up. It is also a romance, but very clean. My girls first watched it at age 5 and 9 and they still love it! Great for a snowy day! I get this video as a gift for people of all ages. This is well worth the money!-I promise!

It's a cotton candy movie and the second act drags, but you've got to give Millie credit - it's silly, it's tuneful, and by golly it was done by people who know how to carry off a song and dance.

TMM is a spoof of the music, movies, and mood of the 1920's. It's about Millie who moves to the big city from the mid-west to become a "modern" with bobbed hair and short skirts. Her plan is to marry her boss, but she meets this heiress turned actress, and then Millie becomes the object a plucky young man's affection. Oh and there's a Chinese landlady and an eccentric society matron, and ...

Does this make any sense? Of course not. Here's the real Millie story. In the mid-1950's a very young Julie Andrews first appeared on Broadway as the ingénue in another 20's spoof called "The Boy Friend". Movie producer Ross Hunter wanted to film that musical, but he lost the rights to another studio, so he set off to create his own 20's romp using songs of the day rather than an original score. By that time Julie Andrews was the biggest star in Hollywood so Hunter had the script tailored to her. Add in top stars of the day from Broadway and television and combine them with talent like director George Roy Hill behind the camera what do you have?

You have an hour and a half of riveting entertainment spread out over a three hour show. But let's start with the positives. The screwball concept works. For example, every so often Julie Andrews will look at the camera, and the film cuts to a title card with what she's thinking, a la silent film. Then there's the madcap elevator at the hotel which only works if you tap dance.

It seems the movie's simplest musical numbers are its most inspired. Mille swoons as she lays eyes on her boss, (played by the square-jawed John Gavin) and an off-screen choir breaks into phrases from the Hallelujah chorus. John Gavin and Mary Tyler Moore fall in love and the soundtrack plays "Oh, Sweet Mystery of Life" as they gaze at each other. Millie realizes that her boss loves someone else, and her heartbreak is underscored by "Poor Butterfly" as she bravely tries to go on with her job. It's all an over-the-top homage to silent films where the background music had to carry the inner life of the character.

Julie Andrews was never funnier as the clueless but determined Millie. Beatrice Lillie is a joy to watch. She deftly handles both the physical and verbal silliness and still remains the evil (boo! hiss!) Mrs. Meers. The others are all good, though not quite as successful. Carol Channing is Carol Channing. You get to see the zany comic timing that has won her many fans on the stage. James Fox, primarily known for British drama, works hard but seems a little out of his league here and Mary Tyler Moore can't seem to wring much life out of her poor little rich girl character.

But the film seems weighted down with too many musical numbers and too much plot. There is a big Jewish wedding number that has nothing to do with anything, other than it gives Andrews a showy song to sing and allows the movie to capitalize on the popularity of "Fiddler on the Roof". The second half suddenly becomes another movie as Millie and friends try to get the goods on a white slave trade ring. By that point it's the movie that's taking itself too seriously, and interest begins to wane.

If you like musicals, screwball comedy, and / or Julie Andrews, you must see this film - you'll have a great time. Even if you don't fit into any of these categories, you won't find Mille thoroughly monotonous, and you may be surprised.