Search Results for: blog hms pinafore 1982

The Star of Christmas (2002)

Bob the Tomato stars as Cavis Appythart and Larry the Cucumber as Millward Phelps in this Christmas movie by the creators of VeggieTales. Cavis and Millward are hopeful British composers, somewhat after the style of Gilbert and Sullivan, who are trying to make it big with their production, “The Princess and the Plumber.” They’ve asked Miss Effie Pickering (Madame Blueberry) to head up their cast, and now they need a big show stopper, a main attraction. If they don’t get a good crowd, their entire dream will go up in smoke and they won’t be able to pay for all … Continue reading →

Night and Day (1946)

Cary Grant stars in this recap of the life of one of our most prolific music composers to date, Cole Porter. He wrote more standards than anyone else I can think of; if you’re singing a Golden Oldie, chances are you’re singing a Cole Porter. The movie title, “Night and Day,” is also the title of one of his hits. The movie takes us on a journey to Yale, where we see young Cole Porter as a student. His family wants him to go into law, but his heart is in his music. Going home for Christmas vacation, he tells … Continue reading →

Calamity Jane (1953)

“Calamity Jane” is the story of a girl (Doris Day) who doesn’t quite know she’s a girl. She has dressed in buckskins her whole life, knows how to shoot better than most men, can lasso, ride, and drink just like a man. But beneath all that bravado beats the very real heart of a woman – she’s in love with Lieutenant Danny Gilmartin (Philip Carey, who later went on to play Asa Buchanan on “One Live to Live.”) After all, didn’t she ride in and save him from a band of Indians? But no matter what she does, she just … Continue reading →

The Song of the Lark – Willa Cather

“The Song of the Lark” by Willa Cather is similar in a lot of ways to “A White Bird Flying” by Bess Streeter Aldrich. “Lark,” too, is about a young girl who grows up knowing that she has a gift and wants to develop it into everything it can and should be, in this case the talent of singing, whereas in “Bird,” the talent is writing. Thea Kronberg is our heroine in “Lark.” The daughter of a preacher with seven children, she understands that her place is to help with the children, do her chores, and be obedient. Beyond that, … Continue reading →

Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967)

A friend recommended “Thoroughly Modern Millie” to me, saying that it is her favorite play. When I saw it listed on Blockbuster.com, I added it to my queue, excited to see it. I don’t know if it wasn’t staged quite right, or what, but I just wasn’t impressed. (Wow, this is starting to sound a lot like my review of “HMS Pinafore.”) Unlike “Pinafore,” though, “Millie” was filmed as a movie, with Julie Andrews in the starring role and Mary Tyler Moore and Carol Channing as supporting actors. Perhaps that should have been my clue right there – I don’t … Continue reading →