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“Thoroughly Fresh 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 rupture like “Grease” and a bomb like “Xanadu” with nothing in between. I also have fond memories of “Thorough Unique 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 derive an appreciation of the Roaring Twenties from this film (so why did they exhibit us the fresh 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 status”) . Millie likes young Jimmy (James Fox), who impresses her by inventing a recent dance called the Tapioca and being a swell kisser, but he is awful 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 utilize 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 agreeable life at her Long Island “Cottage” estate and pops up at key moments throughout the tale.
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The movie is not a huge musical, mainly because it does not have any really large songs (as evidenced by the fact that the fresh Broadway musical has almost entirely unique songs), but it is unexcited broad fun. Director George Roy Hill takes advantage of Andrews’ droll flair and the film has immense fun with her double takes and droll title cards as Millie periodically comments on the proceedings. The movie does utilize stereotypes of the Chinese, but you have to admit these are balanced between the funny relief of Mrs. Meers’ henchmen (Jack Soo and Pat Morita) and the wise old-fashioned Tea (Philip Ahn) .
“Thoroughly Unusual 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 relish Gavin’s mock-heroic performance. Moore impartial has to spy sweet, although she does salvage to say a poor word (!), and Fox is charming although clearly too young for Andrews. Unfortunately the debacle of “Star” glowing remarkable derailed Andrews’ musical career in Hollywood, which is a loss because the silly flair she shows here is the same that she showcased in films like “Victor, Victoria” a couple of decades later. The honorable news is that the Broadway expose will bring this film support to the public’s notice; I am certain that is the reason I have spent the morning seek the film on TV.
Julie Andrews. Carol Channing. Mary Tyler Moore. Beatrice Lillie. What a cast!
THOROUGHLY Recent MILLIE (TMM) is a hoot. Director George Roy Hill keeps the inch hasty and the mood light. He has Julie Andrews see into the camera often for silly do. Usually a peaceful movie card is flashed onscreen when she does this, telling the audience Millie’s thoughts (”Her beads hang straight.”)
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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 apt 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 beget it go up or down; “Jazz Baby” with Carol Channing.
About the disc: The print of TMM doesn’t gape that obliging. The movie was released in 1967, so it’s over 35 years primitive. Some of the special-effects shots (even the wipes and transition scenes) view grainy. The colors could be more vibrant. This is probably the best print in existence, smooth one wishes the quality were better. The sound tended to ‘peak’ in sections too.
TMM fans will be overjoyed to know that the overture and intermission music have been restored.
TMM is a droll, moving, musty film with large performances. Julie Andrews seems to be having a mammoth time vamping it up. Savor it!
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