The Criminal Cried as He Dropped Him Down

[mlongpre100]

SNICKER SNEE / DOES THAT MEAN PENIS?

[locke284]

@mlongpre100 It's a large knife ROFL

[taylorofsoul]

@mlongpre100 it is his sword

[LdHighEverythingElse]

Sorry for reviving a v. old topic, but the Midsomer episode is Series 13, episode 2 'Not in My Back Yard'. It is pretty aged as posts go, but given my family have a set of the lot (I am no fan) I might oblige - incidentally, for what it is worth, I must second your compliment - she rather reminds me of V. Masterton in the 1960s D'Oyly Carte Mikado, and certainly 'looks the part', and in my private estimate is exceedingly beautiful, and as you say very elegant.

[GHvoiceover]

What happened to the trio rehearsal vid? I loved it, I bookmarked it (along with this one), and now it says "Private"! :( This is most upsetting.

[oboewizard]

Interesting comments about Grossmith. The fact is none of us living have ever seen him perform, so I think the criticism is unfair. Also, there was no drug problem - Grossmith struggled with nerves - especially on opening nights (so did Gilbert for that matter). Savage captures all of this brilliantly. So do the rest - Barrington, Bond, Temple, Lely are terrific in this film.

[MrPaulb1001]

Never has a song about chopping someone's head off sounded so good.

[LibbySingsMezzo]

The production done in 1982 for the BBC is actually quite good. Excellent cast, especially Anne Collins as Katisha. Copies are abundantly available on ebay. They did several of the shows. Patience is also wonderful.

[yadsik]

Why aren't there any real productions which look and sound this good?

[sarahmouse11]

@yadsik I really like the 1982 Stratford Festival production -- there are clips on YouTube, and I own it on DVD.

[oakwoodbank]

Very Good. I have been trying to find a D'Oyly Carte production video of this excerpt but have failed. I will be pleased if anyone can direct me to one.

[CaballeroCatalan]

One dislike... obviously Katisha made a youtube account.

[swallin19]

George Grossmith was treasured by WS Gilbert (despite reported comments about his singing abilities), because of his "smart" delivery and diction, reported as wonderfully clear and of course he was an experienced actor, and writer. He gave a performance... that was his art.....and Savage caught the character completely.

[oboewizard]

@swallin19 - Absolutely correct - not only that, but for some reason Grossmith was terribly nervous before going on as Ko-Ko and Savage captures that also. He does such an excellent job playing Grossmith playing these roles: Ko-Ko, Gama and Wells.

[Gight77]

this song helped with my depression

[MusicTheatre4Life]

Katisha is AMAZING in this movie

[Aussiemarco]

Ah, G & S - the best collaboration in western music? Its as if they were writing and composing as one person. Incredible to think of the brilliance they achieved under such a stressful working relationship.

[VValkyrie]

Love Koko's cimona. Martin Savage is awesome as Georgie.

[krogdog]

Martin Savage as "Grosmith"...awesome!!!

[isitfunthere1]

oldcremona: amen.

what a fun song -- it's just fun to watch it.

[oldcremona]

The actress that plays Jessie Bond!! Dorothy Atkinson!! My god, she is a vision of grace and beauty.

I have never been able to find any thing else she's in. Alas!

ps-"her taste exact, for faultless fact, amounts to a disease." Hilarious!!

[stillavril]

I know.

Isn't she wonderful?

[MrPaulb1001]

@oldcremona The first thing she was in was London's Burning in the early 1990's. She was very recently in an episode of Midsomer Murders, the one where the builder drowned in cement in his Range Rover

[Shamborn]

Great clip! But Grossmith? "A lamentable spectacle!"

[vivalaleta]

@Shamborn

Surely you jest?

Have you any knowledge of Grossmith and what his fame was due to? He was a real person, you know, and there was much written about him at the time. Singing, for example, was NOT his foremost claim to fame. Savage NAILED that part.

[Shamborn]

actually, I was quoting Barker's post-performance report to Gilbert.

His performance (Grossmith's, not Savage's) was lamentable because of his drug habit, the concern for which you can see written on Sullivan's face in this video.

[vivalaleta]

@Shamborn

The error is mine. Now I see your quotation marks. I just am obviously very touchy about Topsy-Turvey. I've had to take its side for several disgreements with tasteless critics....you understand..

[Shamborn]

I so understand that I uploaded my own fave clip from the movie: "Japanese No! Japanese Yes!"

(it's on the related video list to the right)

[neptuneskys]

@MalwareMike . . . your pathetic ASSertions on the NYC craigslist Rants & Raves?

TRuLY a lamentable spectacle

newyork.craigslistDOTorg/mnh/r­nr/2165879382DOThtml

[CaballeroCatalan]

his vertebreee... *mmm, yes*

And I also LOVE Pooh-Bah's line (that's Pooh-Bah in the end, right? "...it couldn't forget the reverence due to me"

[PeterPanDancer]

Yes, it's Poo-Bah.

[SPAG22]

I love the smackhead eyes. He plays that part very well!