Millie's Metropolis

🏙️ Ambition in the Roaring Twenties

Set in New York City in 1922, the narrative follows Millie Dillmount, a spirited young woman embodying the "flapper" ethos. Her primary objective is to secure employment as a stenographer for a prosperous businessman, with the ultimate aim of marrying him—a distinctly "thoroughly modern" aspiration for the era. Millie forms a bond with Miss Dorothy Brown, a fellow resident at the Priscilla Hotel, unaware of the sinister activities orchestrated by the hotel's housemother, Mrs. Meers, who systematically exploits vulnerable tenants for nefarious purposes.

❤️ Romantic Entanglements and Deception

At a social gathering, Millie encounters Jimmy Smith, a charming paperclip salesman, sparking an immediate connection. Despite this burgeoning romance, Millie remains committed to her plan of marrying wealth. She secures a position at Sincere Trust, setting her sights on the attractive Trevor Graydon. A pivotal excursion to Long Island introduces the girls to the eccentric widow Muzzy Van Hossmere. As Millie develops feelings for Jimmy, her suspicions are aroused when she witnesses him meeting Miss Dorothy late at night, leading her to misinterpret the situation.

🕵️ Unraveling the Conspiracy

Millie's resolve to marry Trevor intensifies, but her attempts at seduction prove unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Trevor finds himself falling for Miss Dorothy, leaving Millie disheartened. Jimmy's persistent efforts to communicate with Millie are repeatedly obstructed by Miss Flannary, her stern supervisor. Mrs. Meers' attempts to abduct Miss Dorothy are consistently thwarted by Millie's unwitting interventions. The mystery deepens as Millie discovers that Miss Dorothy, like several other girls, has vanished, leaving behind all possessions. Recognizing a common thread—that the missing girls were orphans—Millie, Trevor, and Jimmy begin to piece together the conspiracy.

💥 Climax and Resolution

Jimmy infiltrates the Priscilla Hotel disguised as a woman, inadvertently alerting Mrs. Meers, who incapacitates him with a tranquilizer dart. Millie follows Mrs. Meers and her accomplices to Chinatown, discovering the unconscious Jimmy and Miss Dorothy in a fireworks factory. Millie's actions inadvertently trigger an explosion, allowing her to rescue the captive girls and escape with Jimmy and Miss Dorothy to Muzzy's mansion. There, it is revealed that Jimmy and Miss Dorothy are wealthy siblings, and Muzzy is their stepmother guiding them to find partners based on genuine affection. The film concludes with Millie marrying Jimmy, Miss Dorothy marrying Trevor, and Muzzy remarrying.

💡 Genesis and Development

Producer Ross Hunter initially intended to adapt the stage musical The Boy Friend, but the prohibitive cost of film rights led him to develop an original concept inspired by the same era. He successfully secured Julie Andrews, fresh from her success in The Sound of Music, to star in the project. The film's production involved careful consideration of its period setting and musical numbers.

🎭 Casting and Creative Decisions

Notable casting choices included Pat Morita and Jack Soo, both of Japanese descent, portraying Chinese characters, reflecting certain casting practices of the era. Jimmy Bryant served as the uncredited singing voice for James Fox. Director George Roy Hill reportedly experienced creative differences with the studio regarding artistic control, particularly concerning the film's score and final edits, leading to his temporary withdrawal from the project before its completion.

💰 Box Office Performance

Upon its release, Thoroughly Modern Millie achieved significant commercial success. It generated approximately $40 million in worldwide box office revenue, with distributor rentals in North America alone reaching $8.5 million in 1967. This performance solidified its status as a major hit, particularly for star Julie Andrews during that period of her career.

⭐ Critical Analysis

Contemporary reviews offered a generally positive, albeit nuanced, assessment. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times lauded the film as "a thoroughly delightful movie" and a "joyously syncopated frolic," praising Julie Andrews' performance while noting minor flaws in specific scenes and the overall length. Variety acknowledged the film's successful first half, characterized by wit and satirical recall of the flapper era, though it found the latter half's slapstick elements less convincing. Critics like Charles Champlin and Clifford Terry similarly commended the film's initial charm and Andrews' performance, while expressing reservations about the pacing and comedic effectiveness of the concluding segments. Despite some criticisms regarding its narrative structure and comedic execution in later parts, the film was widely recognized for its vibrant energy, engaging performances, and nostalgic portrayal of the 1920s.

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 85%, based on 13 reviews, indicating a strong consensus among critics.

📜 References