Doris Day's ID was that of the absolutely honest and direct woman who was constantly amazed by the unscrupulous nature
of the men she got involved with. It was part of the fun that the audience could see instantly what a seductive phony Rock
Hudson (for example) could be while it took Day much of the film before she caught on.
But Dolly is a finagler, a manipulator. It would have been impossible for the public to accept Day in a role like that, and it seems
very unlikely that she was ever seriously considered for Hello, Dolly! Casting her would have thrown the story off its pins.
