"I like you." "And I like you, by jingo." Foreplay terms of endearment just don't get much more charming than this cornball sweet exchange between Julie Andrews' lovable "modern" (circa the roaring '20s) heroine Millie, a small-town girl come to the big city to land a "stenog" job with the right employer (i.e., male, single, rich), and James Fox's lovestruck Jimmy. Granted, the weird plot--Millie and her friend Miss Dorothy (Mary Tyler Moore) uncover a Chinese laundry front for a lurid white slavery ring at the Priscilla Hotel for Single Young Ladies)--would set the collective teeth of the Asian-American organization NAATA on edge, but George Roy Hill's 1967 Oscar winner (for Best Original Score) is mostly swell, thanks to its tongue-in-cheek dialogue, excellent song and dance numbers (the title tune, "The Tapioca," "Trinkt Le Chaim," and "Do It Again"), and wonderful performances (Carol Channing has a show-stealing turn as a rich jazz widow named Muzzy who's up for any and all of life's adventures). But how in the world did it snag a "G" rating with its sexual innuendo, language (Moore calls someone a "bitch"), and--at Muzzy's estate--Kama Sutra-esque garden statuary? The inspiration for the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical that is still touring today (I'll be seeing it in Seattle next spring), Thoroughly Modern Millie makes its DVD debut in a very nice anamorphic widescreen transfer bolstered by a solid Dolby Digital surround soundtrack, but no extras, unfortunately. Bargain-priced, this is sure to be popular, and is definitely recommended. (R. Pitman)
[Blu-ray Review—July 28, 2021—Kino Lorber, 94 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $29.95—Making its Blu-ray debut, Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967) sports a fully restored 4K digital transfer of the roadshow edition and extras including a new audio commentary by author/film historian Leo Gambin and art historian Ian McAnally. Bottom line: this classic Julie Andrews musical shines on Blu-ray.]