The Pirates of Penzance (1983)

Director:

Wilford Leach

Writers:

William S. Gilbert (operetta)
Wilford Leach (writer)

Release Date:

18 February 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Broadway's smash hit is now the movie!

Plot:

This movie is an adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan's comic operetta of the same name, with parts of other of their operettas stirred in...

Plot Keywords:

Pirate | Gilbert And Sullivan | Family Relationships | Filmed Opera | Orphan

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Kevin Kline	...	The Pirate King
Angela Lansbury	...	Ruth
Linda Ronstadt	...	Mabel
George Rose	...	Maj. Gen. Stanley
Rex Smith	...	Frederic
Tony Azito	...	Sergeant
David Hatton	...	Samuel
Stephen Hanan	...	Samuel (singing) (voice)
Anthony Arundell	...	Pirate
John Asquith	...	Pirate
Mohamed Aazzi	...	Pirate
Tim Bentinck	...	Pirate
Ross Davidson	...	Pirate
Mike Grady	...	Pirate
Simon Howe	...	Pirate
Tony Millan	...	Pirate
Zoot Money	...	Pirate (as G.B. Zoot Money)
Andrew Paul	...	Pirate
Ken Leigh Rogers	...	Pirate
Mohamed Serhani	...	Pirate
Mike Walling	...	Pirate
Louise Gold	...	Edith
Alix Korey	...	Edith (singing) (voice) (as Alexandra Korey)
Teresa Codling	...	Kate
Marcie Shaw	...	Kate (singing) (voice)
Leni Harper	...	Daughter
Clare McIntyre	...	Daughter
Louise Papillon	...	Daughter
Tilly Vosburgh	...	Daughter
Nancy Wood	...	Daughter
Peppi Borza	...	Policeman
Nicolas Chagrin	...	Policeman
Frankie Cull	...	Policeman
David Hampshire	...	Policeman
Phillip Harrison	...	Policeman
Maurice Lane	...	Policeman
Neil McCaul	...	Policeman
Jerry Manley	...	Policeman
Rhys Nelson	...	Policeman
Garry Noakes	...	Policeman
Chris Power	...	Policeman
Kenny Warwick	...	Policeman
Preston Lockwood	...	Orchestra conductor
Romolo Bruni	...	Pinafore captain
John Bett	...	Pinafore company
Lennie Byrne	...	Pinafore company
Jo Cameron Brown	...	Pinafore company (as Jo Cameron-Brown)
Zulema Dene	...	Pinafore company
Marta Eitler	...	Pinafore company
Carole Forbes	...	Pinafore company
Jack Honeyborne	...	Pinafore company
Carol MacReady	...	Pinafore company
Brian Markham	...	Pinafore company
Valerie Minifie	...	Pinafore Company
Linda Spurrier	...	Pinafore company
Ursula Stedman	...	Pinafore company

Directed by
Wilford Leach

Writing credits
William S. Gilbert		(operetta) (as Sir William Schwenck Gilbert)
Wilford Leach		(writer)

Produced by
Timothy Burrill	....	co-producer
Stephen Katz	....	associate producer
Joseph Papp	....	producer
Edward R. Pressman	....	executive producer
Andrew Tribe	....	associate producer

Non-Original Music by
Arthur Sullivan		(from operetta "The Pirates of Penzance") (as Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan)

Cinematography by
Douglas Slocombe

Film Editing by
Anne V. Coates

Casting by
Debbie McWilliams
Rosemarie Tichler

Production Design by
Elliot Scott

Art Direction by
Ernest Archer
Alan Cassie

Set Decoration by
Peter Howitt

Costume Design by
Tom Rand

Makeup Department
Jill Carpenter	....	makeup artist
Ramon Gow	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Alexander De Grunwald	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mike Higgins	....	second assistant director
Barry Langley	....	assistant director
Timothy Reed	....	third assistant director (as Tim Reed)

Art Department
Syd Nightingale	....	construction manager
Ernest Smith	....	scenic artist
Frank Walsh	....	art department
Barry Wilkinson	....	property master
Simon Wilkinson	....	dressing propman

Sound Department
Tim Blackham	....	playback operator
Graham V. Hartstone	....	dubbing mixer
David Hildyard	....	sound mixer
Nicolas Le Messurier	....	dubbing mixer
Gordon K. McCallum	....	chief dubbing mixer
Les Wiggins	....	dubbing editor

Special Effects by
Brian Johnson	....	special effects supervisor
Alan Poole	....	special effects technician
Michael White	....	special effects technician

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Beeson	....	additional photographer
Tim Blackham	....	playback operator
Keith Blake	....	focus puller
Wally Byatt	....	camera operator
John Harman	....	gaffer
Bob Penn	....	still photographer
Robin Vidgeon	....	focus puller
Chic Waterson	....	camera operator
Steve Kitchen	....	electrician (uncredited)
Robert Willoughby	....	special still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joanna Johnston	....	costume design assistant

Editorial Department
Patrick Moore	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Peter Asher	....	music producer
William Elliott	....	composer: additional music
William Elliott	....	conductor
William Elliott	....	music adaptor
William Elliott	....	orchestrator
Frank Filipetti	....	music recording engineer
Martin Grupp	....	music coordinator
Chris Kelly	....	music editor (as Christopher Kelly)
Alix Korey	....	singing voice: Louise Gold (as Alexandra Korey)
John Strauss	....	supervising music editor

Transportation Department
John Newey	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Brian Bailey	....	production accountant
B.H. Barry	....	fight consultant
Anne Dallwitz	....	assistant to executive producer
Graciela Daniele	....	choreographer
Geoff Freeman	....	unit publicist
Roy Jones	....	assistant choreographer
Richard Kornberg	....	special publicist
Marge Rivingston	....	voice coach (as Marjorie Rivingston)
Jeannie Stone	....	production coordinator
Maggie Unsworth	....	continuity
Joanna Whitaker	....	assistant to executive producer
Jasper Fforde	....	production office runner (uncredited)

Thanks
Lynn Pressman-Raymond	....	special thanks (as Lynn Pressman Raymond)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents)
• St. Michael Finance Limited
• Timothy Burrill Productions

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1983) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1983) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

UK:U | Australia:G | USA:G | Portugal:M/6

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

In Act II, there is an extra song ("My Eyes Are Fully Open") that is not originally from "The Pirates of Penzance." It's a modified version of a song from William S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan's "Ruddigore". The inclusion of this song required Kevin Kline, Angela Lansbury, and Rex Smith to sing one of most dizzyingly rapid songs in the entire Gilbert and Sullivan catalog.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: The lip-synching is often off (or ceases altogether), especially in choral numbers like "When the Foeman Bares His Steel".

Quotes:

Pirate King:Don't swim, Fredric, take the dingy!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Atop the Fourth Wall: Xena #1 (#2.39)" (2009)

A great film, but beware!

Gilbert and Sullivan titles, like Shakespeare, are far too easy to do badly. They can fall into 'traditional' ruts that rapidly drain all the life out of them. This is why THIS Pirates of Penzance is such a treat. The production team obviously recognized that the whole story is absurd, and so they had fun with it. They took their work seriously, but not (the kiss of death) pompously. The result is wonderful.

HOWEVER: be warned that there IS a DVD of Pirates of Penzance with ALMOST the same cast. It was filmed/taped on Broadway as part of an archival project while the production that inspired the movie was on stage. IT IS SIMPLY AWFUL!

It may well serve its original purpose as a reference for professionals, but the camera work is so bad as to be almost unwatchable. It totally spoils what looks like it may well have been a charming production - at least I assume it was; it inspired a wonderful film, but you just can't tell from the DVD.