England Films "The Mikado"

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 220, 17 September 1938, Page 7 (Supplement)

England Films "The Mikado"

By--Joan Littleiield

Film Page

JHOUGH not a line of music is °' * W ° rd of "S m l J * Creen Version of lhe Mikado, now being made The p ne T° od "nder supervision of the British musician and Savoyard Geoffrey Toye. with Victor Schertzinger, Hollywood per . sonality who p Ut fi lm opera P on the map with One Night of Love, as director, should be something new in screen entertamment.

The Savoy tradition is strong, and so •8 not to antagonise Gilbert and Sullivan fans, Mr. Toye decided that instead irrr* C the P ro< l»ction fW tV, an air of fantasy, so that the artificiality of some of the speeches would not be out of place and value WO " ld be g ' Ven its full

«,,r vr v,^ >G sl,ot " in Technicolour, Mw. Natalie Kalmus has devised colour schemes that until now have been impracticable. The main colour themes S bee " inspired by old Japanese M »«" 1 Ver tfi»' settings and IT\Zo„ r hRVe a 'tertian touch

When I visited the studios thev were ih , C Mikado in h ' 9 Hall •f Judgment. The huge set wa« domin-

ated by his throne of "tongues of burnmhod flames and by the Mikado himself who, in the person of lift sin John Barclay, dad in kimono, troupers and jrreat flfoak of gold moire, whs truly magnificent. In the foreground rise tall, golden pillars, on which are depicted

battle and hunting scenes. At the back a large doorway reveals apple and cherry trees in full bloom.

Constance Willis, «« the dominating Katisha, wears deep, briprht colour*; the others are in shades of soft pastel. Yumum (.Tean Colin), exquisite in a dress of mauve and blue, Xanki-Poo (Kenny Baker), jrrave and handsome, in steelgrey silk, with a gold headdress tn denote his rank.

1 hoy are playing the scone whore Kati*ha learns that Xanki-PiMi is not (load, and when that young hero announces that he has married Yuin-Yiitn. there in 110 music; most of that h«s been recorded already, lmt the little -cene is. repeated a number of times and "shot" from many angle* l>eforo Kenny Baker wan free to come and talk to me.

This young American radio singer, with his good looks and his quiet, friendly way has become popular in the studio. His fans in the States would probably find it hard to recognise him in the dark curled wig he wears for his part. He says the studio officials don't recognise him as himself, «nd when he tried to get on the set in his ordinary clothes the other day they wouldn't let him.

Lnlike most visitors, he had no preconceived notions as to what England would be like.

I just didn't know," he said, "but I find it is different from anything we have in America. London, of course, ha* similarities with other biar cities, though I often get lost in it* winding street*; but it is the country I like. And the thing that has struck me most about England in its garden*. Everv row of tiny houses has it* own plot, full of flower*; of course, the gardens here are exquisite."

Mr. Baker is staying at the Pinewood Club, once a big private house, which has garden* cipial to any in this countrv.

"But when my wife and family come over. I want to rent <1 real old English hou*e, preferably with a thatched ""roof and a rose garden."

Neither Mr. Baker nor Jean Colin have appeared in Gilbert and Sullivan opera before; the others, recruited from the d'Oyley Carte company, are seasoned Savoyards, but thk is their first experience of filming. One of them is Gregory Stroud —Xew Zealanders and Australian* have seen him in more than one "G. and S." company.

"I don't know which of us find* it harder," said Mr. Baker. "This part will give me «. bigger chance than I have ever had in films, and I feel I am lucky to be directed by Mr. Soliertzinger. You see. I do rcallv want to learn to be an actor, and I think the l>est way to do it i* to put one*elf entirely in the hand* of a good director."

Mr. Baker is certainly modest. The first "rushes" of the film already sbow that he i* likely to make a "hit."

An important personality connected with the making of "The Mikado" i* Ernest Westmore, one of the famous brothers who have made themselves kings of make-up in Hollywood.

" This job i* one of the most interesting I have undertaken," he told me, "and I have had many problems to solve. The make-up must be right for the colour camera. It must also be sufficiently .Japanese and just a little fantastic. After hundreds of tests. I have evolved flesh tone* that have never been photographed before; they give the effect of porcelain. Before making the wig* for "The Mikado." I went to the British Museum, where I was allowed to photograph some of the wonderfu] collection of painting* by Japanese artists."