Criterion | 1939 | 91 mins. | NR
Making its debut at the Savoy Theater in 1885, Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado was an immediate hit and went on to become one of their most enduring comic operas. Producer Richard D´Oyly Carte had a long standing relationship with W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan and had the Savoy Theater built specifically to stage their musicals. However, the duo’s previous opera “Princess Ida” was a relative failure and the two men had all but terminated their partnership. Before going their separate ways for good, they decided to work together one more time. “The Mikado” was performed over 600 times by the legendary D´Oyly Carte Opera Company.
In 1939, “The Mikado” became the first film adaptation of any Gilbert and Sullivan work. Rupert D´Oyly Carte (Richard´s son), agreed to the project under the condition that he get to supervise closely along with producer Geoffrey Toye, a former musical director at D´Oyly Carte. Though some changes were made, director Victor Schertzinger remained largely faithful to the material.
Years before, Nanki-Poo (Kenny Baker), son of the Mikado (John Barclay), has fled his father to avoid an arranged marriage to Katisha (Constance Willis), a much older, not terribly attractive woman. Disguised as a minstrel, he arrives in the town of Titipu, he immediately becomes smitten with the lovely Yum-Yum (Jean Colin), but she’s been promised to the town’s tailor Ko-Ko (Martyn Green) who’s just been appointed Lord High Executioner. Ko-Ko has received a letter from the Mikado urging him to execute someone as soon as possible if he wishes to retain his lucrative post.
Fearing a miserable existence without Yum-Yum, Nanki-Poo decides to end his life. However, he meets Ko-Ko, who has a proposition: Nanki-Poo can marry Yum-Yum for a month if, at the end of it, when the Mikado arrives, he agrees to let him have his head.
As anyone familiar with “The Mikado” would expect, the film is full of elaborate set pieces and boasts hundreds of extras. Martyn Green (Ko-Ko) was a member of the D´Oyly Carte and knows his role well. He performs graceful pratfalls, which sets him up perfectly to be the butt of jokes. Also a member of D´Oyly Carte, Sydney Granville plays Poo-Bah, the Lord High Everything Else, who holds nearly every office in town. Granville not only has a great voice, but makes tremendous use of his hefty frame and bulky costume, stealing nearly every scene. Lead Kenny Baker is the only American in a cast of Brits. While he does a fine job, Green and Granville tend to dwarf him.
Schertzinger’s adaptation The Mikado maintains much of story’s witty spirit. With such memorable song numbers as “A Wand’ring Minstrel I,” “Three Little Maids from School,” and “Willow, Tit-Willow,” both the movie and theatrical musical remain classics with a permanent place in popular culture.
The film is presented in its original 1.33: 1 aspect ratio. The remastered digital transfer captures the beauty of this Technicolor film nicely. The color palette is rich, with a few moments when the colors blend together a bit (as often happens with Technicolor). Detail is above average, but there are a few moments of softness. For a 1939 film, this is a solid transfer.
The Blu-ray is presented with an LPCM 1.0 audio track. The lossless sound is razor sharp. Dialogue is all very cleanly mixed, and there is little to no evidence of distortion or damage in the audio. I don’t have an opera trained ear, but it sounds lovely to me.
We get the following special features:
- Mike Leigh – Director Mike Leigh discusses Victor Schertzinger’s adaption of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado. Recorded exclusively for Criterion in 2010. (19 min, 1080p).
- Scholars – Professors Josephine Lee and Palph MacPhail Jr. discuss the history of The Mikado and Victor Schertzinger’s film. (30 min, 1080p).
- 1926 D’Oyly Carte Promo – a short silent film made in 1926 to promote the D’Oyly Carte company’s upcoming stage performance of The Mikado, as well as the new costumes created designer Charles Ricketts.(4 min, 1080p).
- Deleted Scene – this deleted scene contains Ko-Ko’s “I’ve Got a Little List”, one of many songs that were trimmed. (3 min, 1080p).
- The Swing Mikado and The Hot Mikado – audio excerpts from the two stage productions, which were broadcast on NBC Radio as part of RCA’s series The Magic Key, hosted by Ben Grauer.The Swing Mikado
— “Three Little Maids From School” (2 min).
— “The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring” (2 min).The Hot Mikado
— “Willow, Tit-Willow” (3 min).
— Medley: Mikado’s Entrance/”A More Humane Mikado” (6 min).
- Booklet – an illustrated 16-page booklet containing an essay by critic Geoffrey O’Brien.
