ABSTRACT
The issue of copyright monopoly dominated the company’s experience of the visual media. Helen D’Oyly Carte prosecuted a company for exhibiting “singing pictures” in which a sound recording was synchronized to film footage of someone performing a song from G&S.
In 1926 Rupert DC allowed filming of the opera company. This was a silent newsreel advert promoting costume designs by Charles Ricketts. Only when an American company had made a sound film featuring songs from G&S did Rupert DC allow a sound film of The Mikado, not the complete opera but an adaptation using two opera company principals and guest singers.
Bridget DC was wooed by BBC television executives but to no avail. She allowed a feature film, The story of Gilbert and Sullivan, to be made for Coronation year by Alexander Korda but, despite brilliant scenes from G&S performances, this was a flop. Bridget dismissed any further ideas of television broadcasting, and the BBC was rather displeased to learn that the opera company appeared on television twice in the U.S.A.
In the 1960s the opera company had some share in the Halas and Batchelor Ruddigore, and there was a Patience broadcast by BBC2 performed by the company. And a faithful performance of D’Oyly Carte in The Mikado was made by British Home Entertainments. As relations with the BBC deteriorated the company turned to the independent ATV company to film H.M.S. Pinafore in the 1970s. All of these were one-off events.
In the meantime, the BBC screened other companies in G&S as well as studio adaptations with comedy actors. The film Chariots of Fire was the last to involve current members of the opera company. There was talk of opera company involvement in a series of Gilbert and Sullivan films for Brent Walker, but this was just talk.
