Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The Mikado (1967): Starring Phillip Potter, Valerie Masterson, John Reed, Donald Adams, Christine Palmer, Kenneth Sandford, Peggy Ann Jones, Thomas Lawlor, Pauline Wales, George Cook...Director Stuar Burge From 1967, this Mikado appeared on British television. It hit American television shortly afterward. The production values are not high, but the singing is outstanding and this little beauty of an operetta has garnered a cult classic fan base. The singers are in superb shape, especially Donald Adams as the pompous Mikado, Christene Palmer as a bitchy and temperamental but funny Katisha, the gorgeous Valerie Masterson is a charming and super feminine Yum-Yum, and Phillip Potter a matinée idol Prince Nanki-Poo. Truthfully, they live their roles and become the characters that Gilbert and Sullivan envisioned so perfectly, encompassing every nuance. The only quibble and or flaw is that perhaps they were acting them as if they were 60's British characters. Still, There is no greater cast.The release of the 1966 D'Oyly Carte Opera production of The Mikado on DVD in 2003-2004 was a capital idea. Gilbert and Sullivan fans have been waiting years for the classic film to appear on DVD. VAI (Video Artists International) offers many fine and rare operas on film. Gilbert and Sullivans' light operas were the signature of the D'Oyly Carte Opera and in the 60's this cast was the leading performers of the genre. Tenor Phillip Potter portrays Nanki Poo, the son of the Mikado disguised as a wondering minstrel. His performance is top-notch and Valerie Masterson, the soprano singing the part of Yum-Yum is his perfect counterpart. Together, they make beautiful music as in their duets. The comic actor John Reed sings Ko-Ko the Lord High Executioner. A short, playful and silly man, he's far from the expected strong and fearsome image of a Lord High Executioner. Christene Palmer is Katisha. Her commanding presence, dramatic mezzo soprano voice and imperious nature make her the perfect Katisha. She's got some powerful scenes, such as the Act I Finale in which she interrupts the Wedding of Yum Yum and Nanki Poo and threatens to reveal his true identity, operatically dramatic in her cries "My Wrongs With Vengeance Shall Be Crowned !". Donald Adams plays The Mikado Emperor. He's at his silliest in the aria "My Object All Sublime" in which he lets out a high pitched shriek as he describes his fascination for torture and execution. The authenticity of the mood and setting, a Japan of fable and art, is gloriously manifested in the scenery, which gives off a Japanese "Floating World" look and the props, bridges, lakes, tea houses, aesthetically classical in space and shape. And those costumes ! Exquisite and very Oriental with colorful patterns on the silk. And the use of fans was almost over-the-top, the characters closing and opening their fans in Japanese poses, but still it works effectively. All the great numbers that made this opera famous are here- "Three Little Maids from School" and Ko-Ko's List Song. Coincidentally, this was the same production that inspired the crazed Zodiac Serial Killer who was fond of twisting the Lord High Executioner's image. He even re-wrote the lyrics to Ko-Ko's List Song. This is the best version of The Mikado ever made. It's worth the price and has value because of its camp classic appeal.

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!

I wandered into a theater sometime in the late '60s and watched The Mikado because I didn't have anything else to do that afternoon. I can't be sure that it was this production; it seems to me that it was performed by the D'Oyly Carte company, which I recall because it is such an unlikely -- therefore unforgettable -- name.Anyway, it was almost a magical experience. I was for a couple of hours transported into an imaginary world which I had not known existed. The music was pretty, if not particularly memorable (one doesn't walk down the street whistling tunes from the Mikado). The dialog was OK, but the lyrics were hilarious. I have rented and borrowed various productions of The Mikado in an effort to find the one I saw forty years ago, but most are not entertaining; the lyrics are either inaudible or garbled beyond comprehension, etc. The one I saw was very well done and enchanting.I have since seen the VHS version of Wilford Leach's production of Pirates of Penzance, with Kevin Kline, Angela Lansbury, etc., and am even more a G&S fan. It, too, has great lyrics and music, though you don't see people whistling its tunes either.

While musicals are not meant to be thought-provoking or cerebral, the ridiculous nature of "The Mikado" was more than I could handle. There was very little in this film I enjoyed: the music was stale and uninteresting, the acting was rather bland, and the humor missed it's mark. It's a shame too; the plot had so much potential. However, it was completely squandered, as was the quality of this miserable film.