The Cool Mikado (1963)

Curiosità

The Cool Mikado is a British musical film released in 1963, directed by Michael Winner and starring Frankie Howerd, Lionel Blair and Stubby Kaye. It was produced by Harold Baim, with music arranged by Martin Slavin and John Barry. The script was written by Winner from an adaptation by Maurice Browning.

Production

In May 1958, The New York Times reported that Don Walker was working on an updated version of The Mikado called The Cool Mikado. Harry Squires was to produce. Walker then became committed to the musical First Impressions meaning Cool Mikado was postponed.

Producer Harold Baim decided to make a film of The Cool Mikado. He said the 1936 version of the original operetta "didn't make a bean" so was keen to update it. He hired Martin Slavin to redo the music. The director was Michael Winner who said "we have taken what is lasting in The Mikado and firmly junked the rest."

The film was shot at Shepperton Studios in July 1962. Bernie Winters says his scenes took three days "and I spent most of that time trying to keep Mike from punching the director."

Filmed entirely on a sound stage, stock footage was used to provide Japanese atmosphere between scenes. This footage looks like one of the many travelogues for which producer Baim is best known, but according to Winner's autobiography this footage was specially shot. Winner credits the film's problems to the fact it was underfunded. The colourful sparsely dressed sets, not always tending towards realism, give the film a surreal quality.

Bain hoped to follow it with versions of The Gondoliers and Pirates of Penzance.

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