I am all Mikado. Show me a Mikado and I will watch
it. I am a big fan of it as well as other Gilbert & Sullivan operettas.
This film tested that as much as it could but I am still glad to have seen
it all the way through. Apparently, made the minute the copyright ran out.
Why anyone in 1963 thought the time was ripe for an idiot take on this classic
musical is a mystery. But that they did. Full of dreadful clunky comedy and
pretty girls. But what got me through this is that it has a number of songs
based on the operetta with words changed but still quite recognizable and
they aren't bad. The Three Little Maids, A Wandering Minstrel, Behold the
Lord High Executioner and of course The famous Mikado Twist arranged by some
guy named John Barry to name a few. And who might the director and scriptwriter
be? None other than Michael Winner who would go on to make similar films
in the Death Wish series. What really got Paul Kersey angry wasn't his wife
being murdered but seeing Gilbert & Sullivan mangled.
In fairness, the film states at the beginning that any resemblance to G&S's
Mikado is purely accidental. It takes place in Tokyo - a few establishing
shots of the city convinces us that it really was filmed there (ha, ha)-
and Mike who is in the US army spots Yum Yum in a club and falls in love.
But she is also the love interest of Koko who is a silly gangster of sorts.
And Mike's father comes over to Japan because he wants his son to marry another
woman. His last name is the Mikado. But Yum Yum, Koko and the Mikado are
all played by white actors.
Ok. Not surprising. What is surprising is that they are not in Yellow-face.
They are white folks with Asian names. Koko is played by a well-known British
comic, Frankie Howerd, Yum Yum is played by Jill Mai Meredith, a cute blonde
with a decent voice and Mikado is Stubby Kaye, a comic in America of some
note back then. A few Asians are allowed into the cast - two of note in small
roles - Burt Kwouk in two quick roles and Tsai Chin as Patti-Sing. Throw
in small bits as well by Dennis Price and Tommy Cooper (British comedian).
Perhaps the best thing about it is its shortish running time of 80 minutes
of which at least 25 of them are taken up with songs and 55 by humor that
only a man on death row would laugh at.
