The movie version of Hello, Dolly! was considered to be something of a disappointment, which may help explain why the soundtrack album is one of the few records Barbra Streisand is associated with that hasn't even gone gold. Streisand's wild miscasting is less apparent on record than on film, however, and she sings effectively. The album also features Louis Armstrong, who had a hit with the title song (not this version) and, in a small part, Michael Crawford, later in the award-winning Phantom of the Opera. On the other hand, Walter Matthau can't sing. ~ William Ruhlmann