Gilbert et Sullivan

The film Gilbert And Sullivan came in for much of the same criticism that so many musical biographies coming out of Hollywood did. But when we went to see such work as Till The Clouds Roll By, Words And Music, and Night And Day, we were hardly seeing the real stories of Jerome Kern, Rodgers&Hart, and Cole Porter. Their work is what people went to see those films for and thus it is with Gilbert&Sullivan whom we were lucky to get them working in harness for as much as they did give us.

Robert Morley plays W.S. Gilbert the word half of the duo who started in life as a barrister, but I suspect the law probably bored him and he had a gift with a phrase and turned it into writing lyrics. Morley who was at his best playing such witty people as Oscar Wilde and James Fox was the best possible fit for Gilbert.

Arthur Sullivan is played by Maurice Evans who had ambitions to be a serious composer and he did compose some truly serious music like Onward Christian Soldiers for example. But these comic operas did pay the bills. Right at the beginning of the film there is a marvelous bit with Wilfrid Hyde-White who plays the father of Dinah Sheridan whom Evans is courting. She wants to be the wife of a celebrated serious composer, but dad just wants a son-in-law who can pay his own way, he does not want to wind up supporting genius as he put it. Sullivan never did marry, but the author of Onward Christian Soldiers was quite the ladies man including a rather lengthy affair with at least one married woman that went public.

Peter Finch plays D'Oyly Carte their producer who created the light opera company that bears his name and has first call on the works of Gilbert And Sullivan. Finch and wife Eileen Herlie must have felt more like referees than producers as they kept the two working in harness as long as they could.

And the heart of this film is the D'Oyly Carte company giving highlights of the various Gilbert And Sullivan comic operas which are loved in every part of the English speaking world. I've seen performances of HMS Pinafore and The Mikado myself and God willing I'll get to see others. The musical numbers are the heart of this film as they are in any American film about one of our persons of music.

The copy I rented looks like it has been restored, the color is quite nice. Good thing too, because Gilbert And Sullivan and their talent deserve the best.

I have never forgotten having seen this movie when others like The Red Shoes, Tales of Hoffman, the Alec Guiness and Peter Sellers comedies, Olivier performances in Hamlet and Henry V, were being received and cherished. The "Story of Gilbert and Sullivan" cast, script, and production values were as good, if not better than, the above mentioned. I have never understood how it didn't seem to get much attention for reproduction and reshowing in view of the fact that G&S productions are still being done in today's live performance theaters! Is it really too late to salvage and restore it for revival? Since it's action is largely in closeup, it's mono sound needs only to be upgraded to today's sound projection technology ... it will still be brilliant. I'll never forget the scene with Gilbert (the great Morely) riding in his horse cab during his customary opening night anxiety attack with the picture (and sound of the horse's hoof beats) superimposed over Martin Green (peerless Grossman) singing the Nightmare song ...matchless!! Please ... somebody ... rescue this film!!!

I have a poor copy that was probably made off the air. Despite the technical shortcomings, the film is a delight to watch. The staging of the various operetta's was done with taste and love. I watch it at least once a year and enjoy it each time. I only wish I could find a reasonable copy. It seems to have vanished.

An enjoyable handsomely well-mounted production in Technicolor, there's actually far more music than story (under the baton of Malcolm Sargent). Not being an expert I can't comment on the quality of the arrangements but they're probably sufficiently clearly enunciated and long enough to please most serious Gilbert & Sullivan aficionados.

As Sullivan Maurice Evans is almost unrecognisable, as Gilbert Robert Morley only too recognisable; while the depictions of the tensions between them anticipates 'The Commitments'.

As usual the best performance is by Peter Finch as D'Oyly Carte, although like many of the men in the cast his singing voice is obviously dubbed.

A gentle and moving production, this film takes itself much less seriously than Topsy-Turvy. Blending both well-timed comedy and the "human drama" which Sullivan himself so longed for in the libretti of his partner, the film takes us through the majority of the duo's career. Only the most pedantic G&S historian will not forgive the mild omissions and distortions which are used to move the plot along, and the film manages to work in references to all but Patience, Ida, Utopia, and Grand Duke, often in quite clever and entertaining ways. The soaring music of Yeomen, used so poignantly near the end, never fails to bring a tear to my eye. All in all, I would call this one of my favorite films, for its subtle humor, charm, and artistry.