An unlikely trinity in Thoroughly Modern Millie

8/10/13 Thoroughly Modern Millie, Best Original Score, 1967

Maybe this is what the Jazz Age was supposed to be, not Baz Luhrmann's version of The Great Gatsby. Neither one is very realistic, and if I had to pick, I would pick Millie and company over Jay Gatsby et al every time. Millie (played by Julie Andrews) moves to New York to find a husband via job interviews (the interviewees think they are interviewing Millie for a job, while she is interviewing for future husbands). This may not seem very independent or feminist, but Millie has it all under control and knows what she wants. Miss Dorothy (Mary Tyler Moore) is even newer to New York and more than a little naive; Millie takes Miss Dorothy under her wing. Millie and Miss Dorothy are staying in the Priscilla Hotel for single women. James Fox (familiar to viewers of the BBC) plays Jimmy Smith, a young man who is vying for Millie's affections. The inimitable Carol Channing plays Muzzy, a very wealthy widow, who loves to throw big parties at her Long Island estate and show off her new talents (dancing, singing, leading the band). One of the subplots in the film involves Mrs. Meers, the proprietress of the Priscilla Hotel and her predilection of Mrs. Meers to abduct any of her lodgers who are alone in the world because nobody would miss them. This could be rather sinister, and does provide many of the more suspenseful moments in the film, but also some of its comedic scenes. Mrs. Meers was played by English actress Beatrice Lillie, who was more well-known for her stage work in America and London. She was amazing; great facial expressions and timing. Hilarious. I tried really hard to find something I didn't like about the movie, and my only issue is I think it went on about 10 minutes too long at the end, other than that, I loved it. The music was fabulous, the comedy was right on, the cast was spot on, I mean was there anyone better than Julie Andrews in the 1960s for musicals? I think not. Even in the 1980s with Victor/Victoria, she was brilliant. And think about it, how many movies have a Jewish wedding scene, a vaudeville show, a major character in drag, and an acrobatic finale? Exactly. Carol Channing was nominated as Best Supporting Actress, and based on her performance here versus Estelle Parsons in Bonnie and Clyde, I'm still not sure how Estelle Parsons' hysterical shrieking beat Channing's dancing and singing and flying. Elmer Bernstein won for Best Original Score. George Roy Hill directed, and he also directed The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid among many others. It seemed almost in the style of Blake Edwards (The Pink Panther movies). The movie was set in the 1920s, and made in the 1960s, and I'm fairly certain that if the movie was made today, the portrayal of the Chinese would be changed drastically because those stereotypes are not acceptable. The next time you are looking for a 'terrif' film that is suitable for the whole family, think about Thoroughly Modern Millie, you will not be sorry (see if you can spot Pat Morita - The Karate Kid and Jack Suh - Barney Miller).