Self-Help : Gilbert Sullivan H.M.S. Pinafore Marshall Howerd Jones Opera World [VHS]
Gilbert & Sullivan - Iolanthe / Hammond-Stroud, Mills, Collins, Opera World | 
 | 60% Recommended by our customers.
Catalog:
Manufacturer: Superior Promotions,
Theatrical Release Date: 1982
Release Date: 1999-11-16
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List Price: $29.95
Our Price: $7.95
Used Price: $2.66
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 Absolutely tragic. Dreadful.
What a waste of production dollars--or pounds--or both. The idiotic policy of selecting "names" rather than strong performers, which battered every production in this series--here derails the whole affair. Add to that the cruel irony that nobody over there knew Peter Marshall and that nobody over here knew Frankie Howerd, and there you are--the most embarrassing catastrophe to afflict the great Gilbert and the sublime Sullivan since the real-estate agent's wife filled in for the ailing pastor in the role of Ralph Rackstraw when the Auxiliary produced Pinafore in the high-school auditorium back in '08.
Howerd cannot sing: yet somehow this was not understood to disqualify him from a pivotal role in an opera. He simply recites the lines, out of tempo, and, although he isn't singing, yet somehow oddly out of tune. Howerd also thinks that he's funnier than Gilbert, and therefore need not bother himself with anything like learning lines. He'll make them up as he goes along.
Fortunately, we don't have to listen to much of it, as the sound man was, like us, unable to keep from turning away from this massacre of art, and kept his microphone at a suitable distance most of the time.
The role of Buttercup, which demands an Anne Collins, went instead to a--sorry--didn't catch the name--while Josephine, written for a Nan Christie, was given instead to--sorry--didn't understand a word the woman said.
I could go on, but--I can't go on.
 OK, but:
The product was in tip top shape and it came promptly. THe seller did great. I was a little disappointed in the production, no fault of the seller. I had seen a peppier production on PBS years ago and I thought this production would be equally entertaining. D'Oily Carte is a little stiff.
A little disappointing
Perfectly fine performances, BUT... this version was filmed on a sound stage for a PBS television production (rather than a live performance.) The result is a rather sterile feel. I much prefer the Opera Australia version with Anthony Warlow, David Hobson, and Colette Mann (which was filmed during a live stage performance.) The applause, laughter and audience reactions make it far more enjoyable than this PBS version.
No plot to the course
It looks like Frankie Howerd wasn't really interested in the job of playing Sir Joseph Porter. He rarely engaged the other cast members. The most obvious miss is that Sir Joseph must absolutely dote on his following camp of sisters, cousins and aunts. Howerd's interpretation is so disdainful of them that as he weds Cousin Hebe and is ordered by her to say goodbye to his female retinue, his established character has nothing to mourn in that loss. It's a puzzle how both Howerd and the director could miss that detail, unless they both were very unfamiliar with the show. If you can overlook the unengaged ham for the entre, you can find some interesting morsels. Peter Marshall seemed worried his hat might fall off. There are too many moments in which the characters do not connect with each other. The character and camera blocking was also underachieving. There are either dancing actors or static actors, but no one really moves in sync with the music or the dialogue. The orchestra performed superbly. Please do not judge the show itself by this production. You will find community theater presentations of Pinafore with more heart and commitment than what was invested here.
 Dancing Across the Ocean Blue
I have friends who will kill me for saying this, but this is probably the best Pinafore available on DVD. It has just the right balance of everything. It is a romantic comedy that never takes itself seriously, it emphasizes the humor (Dick Deadeye really is "rather triangular"), well sung for the most part, and well performed. The reason some people may kill me is because some I know were upset by Frankie Howerd's singing, which admittedly was not of true G&S quality, but the overall effect was so good that who can truly find fault. If you want to see good "Pinafore", this is good a place to start as any, then you be the judge.
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