Warner Bros.
Directed by Peter Brook
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Archive Collection)
John Gay's 1728 "ballad opera" is adapted by Peter Brook for film. Laurence Olivier is the highwaymen and scoundrel whose weakness for women leads to his downfall. Much of the film takes place in Newgate prison: a dirty, filthy place littered with torture instruments. The poor inmates are entertained by the story told in the opera, written by its latest resident. It's a colorful, energetic performance, but some poorly matched back projection in the outdoor scenes does take one out of the picture at times.
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