Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done


Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done is a 1975 British animated film musical, based on the 19th century comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. The comically convoluted plot, by Robin Miller and Leo Rost, with additional material by Gene Thompson and Victor Spinetti, is a pastiche of many of the operas in the Gilbert and Sullivan canon, particularly Trial by Jury, The Sorcerer, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, Patience, Iolanthe and The Mikado, in which the principal character, Able Seaman Dick Deadeye, is sent by Queen Victoria on a quest to recover the "Ultimate Secret" from the Sorcerer, who has stolen it. The music is borrowed from many Savoy operas, with new or modified lyrics by Robin Miller and orchestrations updated in a contemporary popular style by the soundtrack conductor, Jimmy Horowytz.
Animation and direction were by Bill Melendez, who produced the Charlie Brown television cartoons, based on character drawings by veteran cartoonist Ronald Searle. The film's release was accompanied by the original release of a deluxe-jacketed LP soundtrack recording and a colourful storybook by Jeremy Hornsby, with colourful Searle-inspired art.

Synopsis

sends Dick Deadeye, a sailor, to recover the "Ultimate Secret" from two thieves, the Sorcerer and his reptilian henchman, the Shameleon. They are trying to sell it to the Pirate King. At a military parade, Dick sees the Sorcerer speaking with the Pirate King. There, Nanki sees his evil twin brother Poo, who is picking pockets. Dick goes for backup to headquarters, the Hexagon, finding the Captain and the Major-General.
Dick then goes to the pirates' lair, "The Queen's Nose". There, Rose Maybud, the barmaid, wants to find "a man of pure evil", so she can reform him. She and Dick have a moment, but she loses interest, since he is good. The Sorcerer and his sidekick arrive. The Pirate King finalises the deal to buy the Secret for a modest sum of pirate booty, and the Sorcerer goes to get it, followed by Dick.
Dick arrives at the Sorcerer's shop and asks for a potion to make him handsome and makes a grab for the Secret, but it falls through the window into the basket of Little Buttercup, a buxom seller of ribbons, laces and marine supplies. Poo steals the basket, and everyone chases him, including three policemen, but they mistake Nanki for Poo and arrest him. The Judge at his trial flirts with Little Buttercup, ignores Nanki's evidence, sentences Nanki to 200 years in the Tower of London and leaves with Little Buttercup.
At the Tower, Nanki muses on his lot and lost love. The spirit of Yum-Yum is trapped in Nanki's shamisen and needs Nanki "to make me a whole woman". Poo is willing to return the Secret to the Sorcerer in exchange for learning his tricks, but the pirates drag them to "The Queen's Neck". The Secret in code, and the Sorcerer must decipher it. Since Poo is "the most evil man in the world", Rose decides her love for him and intends to reform him. Meanwhile, at the Hexagon, Dick sees the Rear-Admiral and his sisters and his cousins and his aunts. He gives the Captain command of the 'Pinafore' and allows Dick to recruit a crew from the prisoners, and at the Tower, Nanki sings for the prisoners, who nearly all enlist.
The Sorcerer and Poo are on the pirate ship. Rose Maybud, disguised as a pirate, sneaks aboard. Meanwhile, the Captain, accompanied by the Judge, Major-General, Rear-Admiral takes command of the 'Pinafore'. They pursue the pirate ship, assisted by two giant cherubs ; meanwhile Poo overfeeds the Sorcerer who gets seasick and hands over the Secret. When the two crews meet, they greet each other warmly. The Pirate King fights the Captain, but the King's trousers fall, and the strawberry birthmark on his backside is seen. Little Buttercup has a secret ; as a wetnurse, she mixed up the infant Pirate King and the Captain.
Poo sails to the nearby island of Utopia with the Secret, now pursued by everyone. He meets the Regent of Utopia, the Princess Zara and her court of show-girls. They all sing. Zara has Poo arrested. The Sorcerer regains the Secret and is chased by Dick and the Captain. They find that the Secret is in mirror-writing, and decipher it: "It's love that makes the world go round". Nanki and Poo combine into a person composed of both good and evil. The shamisen releases the spirit of Yum Yum. The Sorcerer falls in love with Little Buttercup, while Rose Maybud and Dick are reunited. Once the Secret is out, war and crime cease around the world and all live happily ever after.

Musical numbers

The following is the voice cast of the film, together with role played, and opera in which the role appears: