The Pirates of Penzance

"I can explain in two words: we propose to marry your daughters"

After serving as the apprentice to the notorious Pirates of Penzance, Frederic (Smith) is turning 21. While his pirate comrades expect Frederic to join their band as a full fledged pirate, he has other plans. His apprenticeship was a mistake: he was to be the apprentice of a ship's pilot, but his nurse, Ruth (Lansbury), heard "pirate" so they joined the Pirate King (Kline) and his crew. Now that he is no longer bound to the pirates, he feels duty bound to destroy them.

The pirates convince Frederic to take Ruth ashore and marry her,

"What a terrible thing it would be if I were to marry this innocent person and find out that she is, on the whole, *plain*"
"Plain? Ruth? Ruth is very......well..."
"Well?"
"Yes. Very well"

But once they get to land, Frederic discovers the truth when he sees the young, beautiful Stanley sisters. He leaves Ruth, and falls for the prettiest of the sisters, Mabel (Ronstadt), who returns his affections. But the pirates are still around, and they seize the opportunity to find women of their own. However, the girl's father is a Major General (Rose). He keeps the pirates from marrying his daughters... but lies to keep his family safe. Soon it is up to cowardly policemen

"They come in force with stealthy stride. Our obvious course is now to hide!"

I have loved this show since I was in elementary school, when the local high school performed it. I discovered this film in middle school, and fell in love.

I don't know much about Gilbert and Sullivan and their other shows... From what I've read, this film is not a pure version of the show: there are elements of other G&S shows involved. This is a fun film... some of the lyrics, especially the Major General's song ("I am the very model of a modern Major General"), are ridiculous. The filmmakers capitalize on this feeling and let the characters charge over the top and embark on zany adventures.

The cast seem very comfortable with their roles, which makes sense since everyone but Angela Lansbury originated their role in the Broadway revival of P.o.P. Speaking of Lansbury, she is the weakest link in the film. I love her, and I know she's talented, but I'm not sure if she works with this film. Kevin Kline steals the show as the Pirate King. He is over the top, but you can't help but watch him in every scene. The other standout in the film is Tony Azito as the Sergeant. Despite being in the least amount of the film, he is the character you remember. His Sergeant glides across the screen in his two numbers, leading the policemen in their dance... I didn't know people could move like that. I look forward to his entrance. The young lovers, Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith, do o.k. but don't really stand out. And George Rose is memorable as everyone's favorite character: the Major General.

You'll be singing and dancing along!!

pictures from http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/pirates.htm

The Pirates of Penzance (1983) 112 minutes
Director: Wilford Leach
Starring: Kevin Kline as The Pirate King
Angela Lansbury as Ruth
Linda Ronstadt as Mabel
George Rose as Major General Stanley
Rex Smith as Frederic
Tony Azito as Sergeant