The Pirates of Penzance (1983 film)

The Pirates of Penzance is a 1983 musical film based on Gilbert and Sullivans comic opera of the same name. It stars Kevin Kline, Rex Smith, Angela Lansbury, George Rose, Linda Ronstadt, and Tony Azito. The cast also includes Timothy Bentinck, Louise Gold and Tilly Vosburgh.

Frederic Rex Smith was sent in the care of his nursemaid, Ruth Angela Lansbury, to be apprenticed to a pilot. But she misunderstood her instructions, being hard of hearing, and apprenticed him instead to a pirate Kevin Kline. Now he is turningyears old, and his service is finished, so he decides to leave the Pirates of Penzance. Ruth wants him to take her with him, but he soon meets some young maidens, the daughters of MajorGeneral Stanley George Rose, and realizes that Ruth is plain and old. Frederic quickly falls in love with one of them, Mabel Linda Ronstadt. He has a strong sense of duty and has vowed to lead a blameless life and to exterminate the pirates. Soon, however, the pirates return and seize the girls. Their father then arrives and lies to the pirates, telling them that he is an orphan. He knows that they are orphans themselves and never attack an orphan.After the pirates leave, General Stanley wrestles with his conscience, having told a lie. Mabel and Frederic try to cheer him up, and Frederic has engaged the constabulary to help him defeat the pirates. The police arrive, but they turn out to be timid. Then the pirate king and Ruth find Frederic alone. They have reviewed the fine print on his apprenticeship indenture and have discovered that he is still a pirate because he was born in leap year on February 29, and he will not be out of his indentures to the pirates until his 21st birthday. Mabel agrees to wait for Frederic until then. The Police return and, hearing the pirates approach, they hide. The pirates arrive and seize the still guiltridden MajorGeneral. The police are coaxed to battle the pirates, but they are defeated. However, the Sergeant of Police Tony Azito calls on the pirates to yield in Queen Victorias name. The pirates tearfully do so and release the MajorGeneral, surrendering to the police. However, Ruth reveals that the pirates are all noblemen who have gone wrong, and the MajorGeneral pardons them and invites them to marry his

Source: Wikipedia