Movie review - "The Cool Mikado" (1963) *

 A disaster. But fascinating. And in colour.

It updates The Mikado. It's set in Japan but never feels like it - it's clearly all shot in studio, there's hardly any Asians in it let alone Japanese. The songs are updated.

There's lots of people who are a little bit familiar but I think are more famous in England, like Tommy Cooper and Mike and Bernie Winter. Frankie Howerd has a role as Ko Ko, Stubby Kaye sings a few songs and rabbits on. There's some painful, painful comedy by soldiers. There's a romance. Lionel Blair does a dance. John Barry appears in his band. Dennis Price is in it, and Tsai Chin and Burt Kwouk.

I'm not familiar with the musical, but this was terrible.  There is movement and colour but it's the comedy that kills this.