AllMovie

Born in Seattle, WA, in late 1921, Carol Channing made her Broadway debut in 1941 in the show Let's Face It, and she's been on the stage ever since, landing the star-making role of Lorelei Lee in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1949 and originating the role of Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly! in 1964. Since then, the actress with the big eyes, red lips, blonde mane and bubbly personality has been a one-of-a-kind presence on stage, in movies and on television, still maintaining a busy schedule at the age of 90. Filmmaker Dori Berinstein offers a fascinating profile of this singular talent in the documentary Carol Channing: Larger Than Life, which chronicles her life on and off the stage as she rehearses a new show while discussing her life in the theater, her four marriages (including a late-in-life reunion with her high-school sweetheart, who she wed in 2006), her political causes, her status as a gay icon and the persona she's created for herself. Carol Channing: Larger Than Life was an official selection at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival.