The Mikado 1939 - Gilbert & Sullivan on the screen

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031650/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
IMDB rating: 6,7

Director: Victor Schertzinger
Main Cast: Kenny Baker, John Barclay, Martyn Green, Jean Colin, Constance Willis

"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." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-mikado-v32631

DVD links: