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Reviews
The Mikado (1983)
One of the best productions of Gilbert and Sullivan I've seen
I think that over the years, I've seen the Mikado about a dozen times, ranging from D'Oyly Carte with Martyn Green playing Ko-Ko to seeing Groucho Marx's role on television. While my memories of Martyn Green remain fairly fresh, it's his dancing in the "Here's a Howdy Do," that still brings a smile to my face. If you have access to the 1953 film called the Story of Gilbert and Sullivan starring Robert Morley and Maurice Evans or even better if you can see the 1939 Mikado with Kenny Baker as Nanki-Poo, you'll see what I mean. Be that as it may, however, this exuberant performance filmed at Stratford, Ontario will make a Mikado fan of you forever, even if you aren't one already. The role of Pooh Bah is brilliantly played by Richard McMillan and his movements belie his height. The rest of the cast is excellent and the staging is simple and effective. In short, both Gilbert and Sullivan would have been proud of this production
The Iceman Cometh (1960)
Without a doubt the best thing I have ever seen on television.
When this was shown on play of the week, my wife stayed up until 2 in the morning to see it. I saw it in two parts, each, as I remember it, two hours long. The cast is remarkable, from Jason Robards, Jr. as Hickey, to Robert Redford. Indeed, there wasn't a bad performance in the production. I have often cited this as what television could do if it wanted to. Great.
Random Harvest (1942)
I loved this film.
The more I see this film, the better I like it. I am certainly aware of the many parodies that have been done of the amnesia theme of this picture, including one by Carol Burnett, but the flawless performances of Ronald Colman and Greer Garson, kept me entranced for the length of the film. Each time that I've seen Random Harvest, I notice some small touch that I hadn't remembered from earlier viewings. I think my favorite moment is when Ronald Colman returns to the city where he had been in the asylum and, needing a cigarette, turns to his colleague and says, there's a tobacco shop just around the corner.
A warm feel-good movie, one that I could see time and again