simonton-4

The old VHS tape had dismal picture quality, but the sound was quite good enough to understand the dialog. The DVD is the reverse: the picture quality is relatively excellent, but the dialog is nearly unintelligible. The idiot who re-recorded the sound for the DVD must be the same one that destroyed the sound for The Importance of Being Earnest and Waltz of the Toreadors. I wish I could synchronize the DVD with the VHS to get the best of each.

This is such a wonderful film, a favorite. How sad that friends and family can't share my enthusiasm because of the struggle to understand what's being said. Nevertheless, I recommend it and insist it's worth the trouble. The film transports me to the time and place, and gives my emotions some healthy exercise. Try taking the journey from sadness and frustration to hopefulness and joy, with a fascinating view of the London of 40 years ago and a sensitive portrayal by Peter Sellers, one of his best.

Every scene propels the film through the collaboration of Gilbert and Sullivan, hitting most of the high points and portraying the lows with the sympathy and understanding that creative geniuses deserve. I was predisposed to liking it, because I was a fanatical G&S enthusiast first, but it was a relief to discover that this film was a worthy tribute to their legacy. Providence deserves the credit for forcing friends to acquaint me with the operas of Gilbert and Sullivan, when I was dead set against them (for no apparent reason). Later, Providence rewarded my open mind by delivering into my hands (from out of the blue) a 35mm Technicolor print of the film. My reason for mentioning it is that the print had an intermission at about the one hour point. It seemed silly at first, but I later discovered that the print had been shown "double system," with separate hour-long reels of 35mm magnetic sound tracks. This was confirmed by an article in the Journal of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, which stated that The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan had been one of the earliest films presented with magnetic stereo sound (before the composite magnetic prints of Cinemascope). I never found the magnetic stereo tracks, but the print also had the usual monaural optical track, of very good quality. My print eventually decomposed from vinegar syndrome, but I was able to buy a VHS tape from a G&S society in England, which apparently owns the rights. I wonder whether they own the stereo tracks, or will ever release a DVD. Are there not enough G&S fans in the world to make it hugely profitable?

There is no mention of the source of the music, but Gaylord Carter played his improvised score for a special showing of The Winning of Barbara Worth on January 28, 1971, and it's a recording of that performance which turned up on the DVD. The instrument was a 36-rank Wurlitzer Pipe Organ. Henry King and Frances Goldwyn were in the audience and both spoke after the film. I was there. Mr. King described his search for a desert that looked like a desert, after finding the Mojave in bloom. He also recalled hearing Gaylord Carter play the organ at the Million Dollar Theatre in Los Angeles in the 1920's, soon after Harold Lloyd recommended Gaylord for the job.