I was so excited when I first bought H.M.S. Pinafore on Video. It is one of my favorite musicals, along with many of the other Gilbert & Sullivan operas, but when I watched it for the first time, I was somewhat disappointed. Most of the cast does a really good job with their respective roles. What really infuriated me was Frankie Howerd's interpretation of Sir Joseph Porter. For one thing, he didn't sing a single lyric, he actually spoke through them. When the chorus came in between his solo lines, it didn't make any musical sense. That most definitely would have made Sullivan, who was very adamant about his music being heard, very angry. Another thing he did was ad-lib most of his lines, something Gilbert, being the strict man that he was, would not have allowed. He also had a very annoying speaking voice which I could barely stand listening to. Peter Marshall has a great singing voice and would have otherwise been perfect for the role of Captain Corcoran. Even though he was good in the singing and the dialogue, his manner was too childish. He lacked the dignity that the Captain traditionally has and thought it more suitable to dance around like a five-year-old at a birthday party. I thought it made him look like an idiot. Also, the woman playing Buttercup didn't have a strong singing voice. To me, it sounded like she took a breath between every single word in her aria at the beginning of the show. She also kind of over did it with the acting business toward the end. The rest of the cast was really good. The only minor disappointment I had was that the man playing Rackstraw didn't hit the high note in his recitative leading into the first act, but that's not really a big deal. He was terrific, otherwise. Not the best in the series, but at least it completes the collection.
10 Reviews
Nicely done, with the exception of the two lead baritones.
lxndrnll6 March 2015
The dancing was good, the set was perfect, the orchestra was just right.
The cast was also perfect, except, unfortunately, for two individuals who appear only to be cast in an attempt to garner greater views: Peter Marshall as the captain and Frankie Howerd as Sir Joseph.
Peter Marshall overacts far more than necessary for the role, and frankly there are plenty of more than qualified English actors that could have been found, since his accent is distracting. So it's clear that he was chosen simply because he is a name that people would have recognised.
Frankie Howerd clearly didn't learn his lines and can hardly pronounce them. He improvises enough words to get him through the scene, bearing only minor resemblance to what is in the script. He also didn't sing, but rather, a la Rex Harrison (though not half as gracefully) just speaks them generally near to the note, looking annoyed and occasionally sighing in the process. It's also clear that he doesn't care for the lines, and he's not trying to add to Sir Joseph's character by acting like that, as one can see by watching the behind the scenes feature. However, it is rather funny when Sir Joseph cannot remember the Captain's name, a mistake that I could almost believe was unintentional, since Howerd is about as much a buffoon in real life as Sir Joseph was in fiction.
These choices, unfortunately, make this production stick out poorly in the Brent Walker collection, which does have some fairly decent videos, and some fairly decent talent that one wouldn't have otherwise expected. It is also clear that the direction and other aspects of the production did as best as they could, and it is unfortunate to have two stains on what could have otherwise been a good rendition.
Speaking in terms of what could have been, for instance, Keith Mitchell who the series had cast as the Major General, Robin Oakapple, and Don Alhambra del Bolero would have made the perfect Sir Joseph. Likewise, Donald Adams or Derek Hammond-Stroud who played a number of Brent Walker baritone parts would have been suitable captains. If they wanted a household name to bring in the views, at least someone who could sing and memorise the lines, like Clive Revill, would have been more sufficient than Frankie Howerd.
The cast was also perfect, except, unfortunately, for two individuals who appear only to be cast in an attempt to garner greater views: Peter Marshall as the captain and Frankie Howerd as Sir Joseph.
Peter Marshall overacts far more than necessary for the role, and frankly there are plenty of more than qualified English actors that could have been found, since his accent is distracting. So it's clear that he was chosen simply because he is a name that people would have recognised.
Frankie Howerd clearly didn't learn his lines and can hardly pronounce them. He improvises enough words to get him through the scene, bearing only minor resemblance to what is in the script. He also didn't sing, but rather, a la Rex Harrison (though not half as gracefully) just speaks them generally near to the note, looking annoyed and occasionally sighing in the process. It's also clear that he doesn't care for the lines, and he's not trying to add to Sir Joseph's character by acting like that, as one can see by watching the behind the scenes feature. However, it is rather funny when Sir Joseph cannot remember the Captain's name, a mistake that I could almost believe was unintentional, since Howerd is about as much a buffoon in real life as Sir Joseph was in fiction.
These choices, unfortunately, make this production stick out poorly in the Brent Walker collection, which does have some fairly decent videos, and some fairly decent talent that one wouldn't have otherwise expected. It is also clear that the direction and other aspects of the production did as best as they could, and it is unfortunate to have two stains on what could have otherwise been a good rendition.
Speaking in terms of what could have been, for instance, Keith Mitchell who the series had cast as the Major General, Robin Oakapple, and Don Alhambra del Bolero would have made the perfect Sir Joseph. Likewise, Donald Adams or Derek Hammond-Stroud who played a number of Brent Walker baritone parts would have been suitable captains. If they wanted a household name to bring in the views, at least someone who could sing and memorise the lines, like Clive Revill, would have been more sufficient than Frankie Howerd.
Excellent adaptation with great performances
spanishflea5026 October 2007
I think that the general mood of criticism about this production of HMS Pinafore and of Frankie Howerd's performance in particular is very unfair indeed. Generally speaking this production is an excellent straight adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan which is beyond reproach with regard to the various leads (I believe the actor playing th Captain was an American game show host but having no reference to this I just think he is a perfectly good singer) and on my DVD version the sound is super. Frankie Howerd in the role of Sir Joseph Porter has come in for a lot of criticism but having heard so many baritones sing the role from Henry Lytton onwards I absolutely loved the performance. I accept that he does not sing (he speaks with a good sense of rhythm) and that he injects his own mannerisms into the role but I personally think it riffs well with the tone and is very funny (watch his reaction when delivering the line about the common sailor being bulwarks of the empire). I think that G & S are treated with such (understandable) reverence that productions can sometimes become rather stilted and encased in aspic and that Howerd's performance whilst not to everyones taste at least constitutes a good attempt to inject a bit of personality into the role.
critique of HMS Pinafore
imacpherson9 December 2006
As a life long fan of Gilbert & Sullivan, I was appalled at this production which I personally found to be terribly "high camp".
The singers were surely miscast - age wise - and Frankie Howard as Sir Joseph Porter KGB is the biggest piece of miscasting I have ever encountered.
A funny man does not necessarily make a funny part any funnier - and in this case - it fell totally flat as far as I am concerned.
I would not recommend this purchase to anyone who has a true love of G & S - you will be sorely disappointed - as I was.
I bought this to use as a model for a production of this work I will be mounting in Tennessee in March-April 2007, but I will not let my cast look at this production.
I am sorely tempted to throw it in the trash can.... This may sound harsh - but true lovers of G & S will, I believe, find this production unworthy.
The singers were surely miscast - age wise - and Frankie Howard as Sir Joseph Porter KGB is the biggest piece of miscasting I have ever encountered.
A funny man does not necessarily make a funny part any funnier - and in this case - it fell totally flat as far as I am concerned.
I would not recommend this purchase to anyone who has a true love of G & S - you will be sorely disappointed - as I was.
I bought this to use as a model for a production of this work I will be mounting in Tennessee in March-April 2007, but I will not let my cast look at this production.
I am sorely tempted to throw it in the trash can.... This may sound harsh - but true lovers of G & S will, I believe, find this production unworthy.
modified rapture!
standardmetal26 October 2003
H.M.S. Pinafore is, in my opinion, the best so far that I've seen of the series. I really didn't mind either Frankie Howerd or Peter Marshall (Yes, that Peter Marshall!) though I agree that Frankie could have sung his part more and that Peter was a bit too goofy. But they both fit in with the style of the production. I liked the dancing and the youthful supporting cast and the singing generally and enjoyed the DVD extras interview with the producer Judith de Paul, Frankie and Peter. I also enjoyed the part following which showed the real sailing ships and their crews in Portsmouth to, in what seems to be the New York City OpSail celebration, the George Washington Bridge(?). I would have liked to know more about the choral vocals and how they were added to the dancing since it seems that the dancers were also the singers. It seems unlikely that they mostly did both at the same time since the dancing and acrobatics looked rather strenuous. 8 out of 10.
Terrible
golddore6828 January 2006
This was the worst presentation of HMS Pinafore I've ever seen. My high school drama class performed this musical and did a lot better job than these jokers. Peter Marshall as Captain Corcoran dances around like a loon. As mentioned elsewhere, Frankie Howerd talks the lines of his songs instead of singing, which is awful. And the actor who plays Josephine, Meryl Drower, looks like she's as old as Peter Marshall. It's not believable that she could be his daughter. They should have gotten a lot younger actor to play Josephine. I was very disappointed with this. With the actors who actually could sing pretty well, Ralph (Michael Bulman), Dick Deadeye (Alan Watt) and Buttercup (Della Jones), the instruments in the music are too loud and it almost drowns out the words of the songs.
Simply Appalling
pirofpenzance16 September 2006
When first I obtained this VHS from the library I was hopeful that opera world would be able to give a decent presentation of this classic Operetta. I was sorely disappointed. I will start with Frankie Howard's performance of Sir Joseph. I cannot say that he preformed the part badly, because that would imply that he actually did the part. He said very few of Gilbert's words (he seemed to ad-lib most of the duologue) and he sang none of Sulivan's notes. If one does not say the lines of a part, or sing the music of it, it cannot be said that one performed the part at all. What he did do, was not very entertaining. As Captain Corcoran, Peter Marshal was not nearly as horrendous as Mr. Howard, but was still far from good. He sang the part well, but his acting, both in his interpretation of his lines and his facial expression, was very annoying and of a rather silly nature. Alan Watt was a mediocre Dick Deadeye at best. He would randomly make oddly silly faces for no real reason taking any power from his lines. He also popped our from random objects for no apparent reason. For the character to have any humorous effect he must be serious about what he is doing, and between the random jumping, and odd faces, it was obvious that he was little more than a clown. Ralph and Josphine were both decently portrayed, singing well and acting sufficiently. As a whole however this production had very few good scenes and many that made me wince. Therefore I cannot recommend it to anyone.
Save Your Money
billg2436 April 2006
I love Gilbert and Sullivan, but the productions in this series are so bad I winced watching them. When Captain Corcoran first appeared on deck, I furrowed by brow and said out loud, "No, it can't be." But sure enough, a check of the credits revealed that the hardy captain of the H.M.S. Pinafore actually was game show icon Peter Marshall. That claim to fame and his constant horse-toothed grin were distracting enough, but his terrible performance made watching this version of Pinafore almost unbearable. Pete should have stuck to the likes of Yahtzee! and Hollywood Squares. Frankie Howerd speaks most of his lines as Sir Joseph. That may have worked fine for Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady, but it was a deep disappointment to a die-hard G&S fan waiting to hear some of his favorite songs actually sung. The cast includes a plain-looking Josephine and downright ugly (and aging) Ralph Rackstraw. I focus on Pinafore because it is usually my favorite and was so horribly wrecked here. But the other productions in the series are no better. The choreography is consistently overwrought to the point of being downright silly. The singing, while at times good, is generally uneven. Spoken lines often are poorly delivered. The series was taped in 1982. It shows its age, and not only from the silly looking, big 70s-80s hair on all the men. The camera work is awkward, the sets invariably cheesy. In one scene in Pirates of Penzance, the camera rises from behind a potted plant in an effect reminiscent of early public access cable television. I could go on, and really I'd like to find positive things to say, but I do so love G&S, whose work here is turned into something so bad it's difficult to watch. I was going to sell my boxed set and the extra DVDs I purchased, but I would not inflict them on someone else. Save your money and invest in some of the excellent audio versions that are available.
Good for the most part
chatelaine219 October 2002
My mother in law just gave us this as a gift recently,a nd we watched it this afternoon. For the most part, it was very enjoyable. The one part my husband and I did not like, in fact we down right hated it, was the fact that the actor portraying Sir Joseph Porter spoke his songs, not sang them. Sir Joseph's songs are some of the best in the whole operetta of HMS Pinafore, and it was very disappointing to see this not done the way it could be. On the other hand, all the other actors were superb. It was wierd seeing Peter Marshall sing, I am so used to seeing him behind a game show host type console asking questions. Except for the detail mentioned above, a good production. I only wish our group in Pittsburgh had more of a budget to do the staging like the opera world productions have.
Possibly the worst of the D'Oyly Carte G&S productions
TheLittleSongbird1 June 2012
I know from the likes of The Sorcerer and Iolanthe that D'Oyly Carte are capable of producing good Gilbert and Sullivan productions. It's just that they've also produced some disappointments like this, Pirates of Penzanze and Yeomen of the Guard. I love all of Gilbert and Sullivan's operettas, finding them witty and delightful with catchy tunes and appealing characters, so naturally I want productions of them to be just as much. Other than the musical values and a couple of good performances, I just didn't care at all for this HMS Pinafore. The orchestra apart from being too loud in places still played with a lively intent and the conducting was generally well-judged. Of the performances, I found the Buttercup of Della Jones to be the best. She does lack breath support but does show signs of a vocal ability and she is very funny and quite saucy in I'm Called Little Buttercup. Other standouts are the wickedly funny Deadeye of Alan Watt and Gordon Sandison like he did in The Mikado makes the role of the Bosun more interesting than it actually is. I did have mixed feelings on the chorus though, they sing well(especially the ladies) but they just lack energy, due to mediocre choreography mainly, having seen productions where the men literally don't stop moving. The production values seem lacking to me too, the sound is so muffled at times I was wondering whether my video recorder was broken and the picture quality gives the costumes and sets, which are not as amateurish as Pirates but even Yeomen had more handsome production values than here, a dated feel. The dialogue lacks wit often, and I think a lack of energy and the feeling(like Pirates) that the production was over-stretched or something had a lot to do with it. The rest of the cast disappoint also. Michael Bulman as Ralph and Meryl Drowser's Josephine are good singers, but together and in stage presence they are rather dull for my liking. Even more disappointing were the big names. Peter Marshall as the Captain doesn't have too bad a voice, however the whole performance just felt rather contrived. But my biggest problem was the Sir Joseph of Frankie Howerd, who for me is the biggest miscasting of the D'Oyly Carte G&S productions, even worse than Peter Allen in Pirates or Joel Grey in Yeomen(some may also say Vincent Price in Ruddigore, I thought despite his less-than-great singing he was delightful). Howerd just talks his way through the songs, and most of his performance consists of unfunny ad-libbing and mugging, which also slow the production down in my opinion. All in all, very disappointing, of a hit and miss series, this is a contender for the worst. 4/10 Bethany Cox
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