The Mikado (1967)

In a mythical Japan, Ko-Ko, a cheap tailor, has been appointed Lord High Executioner and must find someone to execute before the arrival of the ruling Mikado. He lights upon Nanki-Poo, a ... See full summary »

Director:

Stuart Burge

Writer:

W.S. Gilbert (libretto) (as William S. Gilbert)

Stars:

Donald Adams, Philip Potter, John Reed

Cast

Cast overview:
Donald Adams	...	Mikado
Philip Potter	...	Nanki-Poo
John Reed	...	Ko-Ko
Kenneth Sandford	...	Pooh-Bah
Thomas Lawlor	...	Pish-Tush
Valerie Masterson	...	Yum-Yum
Peggy Ann Jones	...	Pitti-Sing
Pauline Wales	...	Peep-Bo
Christene Palmer	...	Katisha
George Cook	...	Go-To

Storyline

In a mythical Japan, Ko-Ko, a cheap tailor, has been appointed Lord High Executioner and must find someone to execute before the arrival of the ruling Mikado. He lights upon Nanki-Poo, a strolling minstrel who loves the beautiful Yum-Yum. But Yum-Yum is also loved by Ko-Ko, and Nanki-Poo, seeing no hope for his love, considers suicide. Ko-Ko offers to solve both their problems by executing Nanki-Poo, and an agreement is reached whereby Ko-Ko will allow Nanki-Poo to marry Yum-Yum for one month, at the end of which Nanki-Poo will be executed, in time for the arrival of the Mikado. But what Ko-Ko doesn't know is that Nanki-Poo is the son of the Mikado and has run away to avoid a betrothal to an old harridan named Katisha. The arrival of the Mikado brings all the threads of the tale together.

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Plot Keywords:

japanese | gilbert and sullivan | operetta | live performance | independent film | 

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Taglines:

It's unequaled on the screen! A brand new actual performance of The D'Oyly Carte Opera Co.

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Genres:

Musical

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 March 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Town of Titipu

Filming Locations:

Golders Green Hippodrome, Golders Green, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

BHE Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of The Mikado (1984)

User Reviews

On screen and fan...and DVD too!

Although it is not shown in the link as I write this, Amazon does indeed carry the DVD version of this filmed performance. Having seen several filmed versions of the Mikado it remains the best performance hands down.

Now for the bad news: The audio quality is, in a word, muddy. If you didn't already know the lyrics by heart, you certainly would not be able to distinguish them here. It is a mono sound track that could have benefited by some audio wizardry. As for the visuals: It seems softish and a rather faded. The coloration of the costume and backdrops are, by design, subdued thus influencing the overall tone of the film but this print must have seen better days. Lastly, $36.00 is a bit dear for this but, hey, I'm a bit obsessive...

Despite the quibbles the performance is very enjoyable with the prime standouts being Ko- Ko (John Reed) and Yum-Yum (Valerie Masterson). It is their voices with which I compare whenever listening to other performers.

If you are new to Gilbert & Sullivan it would be better to find a clear recording of this material to appreciate the tone, pacing and vocal nuance of this work of art. But once discovered, I can assure you, if you have a soul, you WILL walk down the street whistling tunes from the Mikado!