The Mikado (1939)
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40% of users liked it
(81 ratings)
Though it boasts an American director and star, this Technicolor cinemadaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan's comic operetta The Mikado is a faithful record of what it must have been like to attend a performance of Britain's D'Oyly Carte opera company. Rradio tenor Kenny Baker stars as… More Though it boasts an American director and star, this Technicolor cinemadaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan's comic operetta The Mikado is a faithful record of what it must have been like to attend a performance of Britain's D'Oyly Carte opera company. Rradio tenor Kenny Baker stars as Nanki-Poo, the wand'ring minstrel who wanders into a curious set of situations in the Japanese village of Titi-Pu. D'Oyly Carte perennial Martyn Green plays the leading role of Ko-Ko, the timorous Lord High Executioner who must perform one execution per day or he'll lose his job-and his own head. Ko-Ko finds a likely candidate for decapitation in the form of Nanki-Poo, who feels mighty suicidal when it seems as though his sweetheart Yum-Yum (Jean Cola) is out of his reach. Unbeknownst to Ko-Ko, Nanki-Poo is the son of none other than The Mikado, played with a combination of pomp, circumstance and Noel Cowardlike waspishness by Sydney Granville. Most of the satirical Gilbert & Sullivan songs have been retained, including "The Lord High Executioner", "Three Little Maids from School are We", "Tit Willow", "Here's a How-de-Do", and "The Object Most Sublime". Musical accompaniment is provided by the London Symphony Orchestra. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Victor Schertzinger
- Genres
- Romance, Musical & Performing Arts, Classics, Comedy
G,
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 1939 Wide
Critic Reviews
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James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
a mish-mash of visual and narrative approaches, some of which are successful, and some of which are not
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Joseph Jon Lanthier, Slant Magazine
As far as Blu-ray releases of adaptations of The Mikado go, the Criterion Collection's is sufficiently decayed.
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Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Beautifully preserves the essence of the work and captures for all time the great Martyn Greene's signature performance as Ko-Ko.
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Cast
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Kenny Baker
as Nanki-Poo
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Martyn Green
as Ko-Ko
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Sydney Granville
as Pooh-Bah
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John Barclay
as The Mikado
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Gregory Stroud
as Pish-Tush
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Constance Willis
as Katisha
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Elizabeth Paynter
as Pitti-Sing
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Kathleen Naylor
as Peep-Bo
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Jean Colin
as Yum-Yum
