Gasparone

This is one of the titles currently released on DVD by PTM Entertainment in beautiful picture quality which is common to their series of Johannes Heesters movies - probably to celebrate his 100th (!) birthday, which will take place early in 2003. This is one of the very best entries, a sparky musical / operetta, showcasing Marika Rökk, Europe's best tap-dancer/ballet dancer/acrobat/singer, who is about to celebrate her 90th birthday in 2003. It's by bits hilariously funny even by today's standards, well written, well directed and well acted. The musical numbers range from big production numbers to intimate outdoor renderings, and both Heesters and Rökk are top notch. There regrettably are no subtitles, but watching this fairy-tale about Gasparone, the anonymous and feared highwayman, is great fun, and if you can suppress your excitement during Marika Rökk's entrance number, you most probably are dead.