Movie Review: The Mikado (1939)

The Mikado (1939) directed by Victor Schertzinger

The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company was the home of Gilbert and Sullivan's comic operas like The Pirates of Penzance (1880) and H.M.S. Pinafore (1878). Their long tradition continued into the twentieth century. In 1939, they collaborated with Hollywood for this movie production of the opera that originally debuted in 1885. The lavish setting and costumes were shown off in full Technicolor. This production captures the spirit and joy of The Mikado.

The movie starts off slowly with title cards explaining the set-up and then a wordless pantomime of the action. The Japanese emperor's son Nanki-Poo (Kenny Baker) flees the royal palace because he's been betrothed to Katisha (Constance Willis), a shrewish older woman. Nanki-Poo disguises himself as a second trombonist and hides in the town of Titipu. He falls in love with Yum-Yum (Jean Colin) who is betrothed to her mentor Ko-Ko (Martyn Green). Ko-Ko was a tailor but he fell under a death sentence when he disobeyed the Mikado's law against flirting (yes, it's a capital crime). The town, in an attempt to stay the executions, hired Ko-Ko as The Lord High Executioner. Ko-Ko clearly couldn't cut off his own head, so things are peaceful. The only problem is that the Mikado is coming to town. Ko-Ko assumes it's because there's been no executions in over a year. He needs to find someone to off. And he has to deal with Nanki-Poo's wooing of Yum-Yum. A lot of delightful comic nonsense ensues.

The show is full of a lot of great and delightful songs like "A Wand'ring Minstrel I," "Three Little Maids from School," "Tit-Willow," and many others. Sullivan's light and airy music occasionally imitates Japanese music (the original opera was made during a Japan craze in England). Gilbert's lyrics and plotting are witty and enjoyable. The production suffers a little bit from the mimed opening and the stage-like sets. It's almost as if viewers were seeing an elaborate stage production. The ninety minute running time means a lot of cuts to and rearranging of the story (and the occasional song).

Recommended--if you haven't seen any Gilbert and Sullivan productions, you owe it to yourself to watch this or the 1980's Pirates of Penzance film with Kevin Kline and Linda Ronstadt. Or go visit a theater where they are putting on a production.