It broke my heart to watch The Three Penny Opera. I always thought the great German actor Curd Jurgens should have played Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music; in this (yes, lousy) musical, audiences could hear the proof that he could have held his own against Julie Andrews.
Sammy Davis Jr. Starts the show singing an unusual rendition of "Mack the Knife", which most people don't know was actually written in 1928 for this musical. Then we delve into the story, of head criminal Curd seducing the beggar king's daughter while trying to outrun the law. It's a melodramatic story that calls for hammy acting, but audiences should be expecting that when they watch an opera. Curd gets to puff himself up and indulge in every ounce of sex appeal as countless women in the movie fall at his feet. In one scene, while his bride laments the great danger he's in and the long list of crimes he's accused of, he merely smirks and nonchalantly unlaces her blouse.
Yes, the direction is odd, the production values are terrible, and the only copy available to watch now is in bad condition. But I couldn't bear to turn it off, not with Captain Von Trapp playing the king of the thieves, Mack the Knife. The 1989 remake (with Raoul Julia and Richard Harris) is infinitely better. The only reason to sit through this one is if you're a die-hard Curd Jurgens fan, like I am. Sammy Davis Jr. Continues to intersplice the movie with his fourth-wall narration, but it's unnecessary and silly. Plus, since this is a German flick dubbed in English, the supporting characters are really lousy actors.
Sammy Davis Jr. Starts the show singing an unusual rendition of "Mack the Knife", which most people don't know was actually written in 1928 for this musical. Then we delve into the story, of head criminal Curd seducing the beggar king's daughter while trying to outrun the law. It's a melodramatic story that calls for hammy acting, but audiences should be expecting that when they watch an opera. Curd gets to puff himself up and indulge in every ounce of sex appeal as countless women in the movie fall at his feet. In one scene, while his bride laments the great danger he's in and the long list of crimes he's accused of, he merely smirks and nonchalantly unlaces her blouse.
Yes, the direction is odd, the production values are terrible, and the only copy available to watch now is in bad condition. But I couldn't bear to turn it off, not with Captain Von Trapp playing the king of the thieves, Mack the Knife. The 1989 remake (with Raoul Julia and Richard Harris) is infinitely better. The only reason to sit through this one is if you're a die-hard Curd Jurgens fan, like I am. Sammy Davis Jr. Continues to intersplice the movie with his fourth-wall narration, but it's unnecessary and silly. Plus, since this is a German flick dubbed in English, the supporting characters are really lousy actors.