Gilbert & Sullivan: 12 Greatest Comic Operas (DVD, 1982, 11-Disc) Region 4

MUSIC BY THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND THE AMBROSIAN OPERA CHORUS. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF IOLANTHE, DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS JR.

PRESENTS A SELECTION OF TREASURED LIGHT OPERAS.

TRIAL BY JURY

A jury awaits the case of Edwin (Ryland Davies), sued by Angelina (Kate Flowers) for breach of promise. The learned Judge (Frankie Howerd) enters and tells the story of his rise to wealth and success, which involved marrying, and then deserting, the daughter of a rich lawyer.

COX & BOX (by F.C. Burnand and Arthur Sullivan)

Cox (Russell Smythe) works by day, and Box (John Fryatt) by night.

Their rascally landlord (Thomas Lawlor) lets the same room to both of them and doubles his profit. But eventually they meet and discover they are betrothed to the same woman.

H.M.S PINAFORE

Captain Corcoran (Peter Marshall) and his crew await Sir Joseph Porter (Frankie Howerd), the First Lord of the Admiralty, who is going to marry his daughter, Josephine (Meryl Drower). But Josephine is secretly in love with Ralph Rackstraw (Michael Bulman), a member of the crew.

IOLANTHE

lolanthe (Beverley Mills) was banished 25 years ago for marrying a mortal.

Pardoned by the Fairy Queen (Anne Collins), she returns, but with a 24-year old son, Strephon (Alexander Oliver), who is halt fairy, half mortal. He is in love with Phyllis (Kate Flowers), a ward of the rather susceptible Lord Chancellor.

PATIENCE

The lovesick maidens of Castle Bunthome forsake their handsome soldier suitors to pursue Reginald Bunthome (Derek Hammond-Stroud), whose pose as a passionate poet is a sham. But Reginald rejects the maidens, for he loves the village milkmaid Patience (Sandra Dugdale).

THE SORCERER

Celebrating his marriage to Aline (Nan Christie), daughter of Lady Sangazure (Nuala Willis) Alexis (Alexander Oliver) son of Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre (Donald Adams), arranges for a dealer in magie and spells, the Sorcerer John Wellington Wells (Clive Revill), to administer a love potion to everyone in the village.

DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS JR. PRESENTS GILBERT & SULLIVAN'S TREASURED LIGHT OPERAS, WITH MUSIC BY THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND THE AMBROSIAN OPERA CHORUS.

RUDDIGORE

An ancient witch's curse binds each Lord of Ruddigore to commit a crime a day..

•or die! Sir Despard Murgatroyd (Vincent Price) discovers Robin Oakapple (Keith Michell) is really the Lord of Ruddigore. When Robin is exposed and forced into a life of crime, he loses his sweetheart Rose Maybud (Sandra Dugdale).

THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD

Phoebe Meryll (Claire Powell) is overwrought by the impending execution of Colonel Fairfax (David Hillman). But Sergeant Meryll (Geoffrey Chard) has a plan to help him escape involving Jack Point (Joel Grey), a professional jester, and his sweetheart, Elsie (Elizabeth Gale).

THE MIKADO

The Mikado (William Conrad) and Ko-Ko (Clive Revill) are keen for an execution.

He agrees that his fiancée Yum-Yum (Kate Flowers) can marry her true love, Nanki-Poo (John Stewart) - but only for a month. In return Nanki Poo agrees to be executed, leaving Ko-Ko to reclaim Yum-Yum.

PRINCESS IDA

King Hildebrand (Neil Howlett) and his son, Hilarion (Laurence Dale) keenly await the arrival of King Gama (Frank Gorshin) and his daughter Princess Ida (Nan Christie) who is hetrothed to Hilarion. But their impending marriage proves to be more challenging than most.

THE GONDOLIERS

With two handsome Gondoliers and 24 prospective brides, love gets competitive with Giuseppe (Tom MeDonnell) and Marco (Francis Egerton) attempting to sort things out. But one of them is believed to be the King of Barataria, who was wed in infancy to the daughter of a duke. Also featuring Keith Michell as Don Alhambra del Bolero.

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE

Frederic (Alexander Oliver) is a pirate with a crisis of conscience and is ready to dob his brothers in. But the arrival of a chorus of beautiful young women on a beach outing with their guardian, Major-General Stanley (Keith Michell) may yet change his mind.

G56.1.010524f