Some things just shouldn't be filmed. I saw "Man of La Mancha" when it opened in 1965 at the ANTA Theater in New York. What made the show a hit was the inventive staging, in which the world of Don Quixote was created out of the imagination, making the whole experience reasonably magical. Film-wise, it made sense to open the story up and show real plains, horses, taverns and wenches, but at the same time there went the magic. It turns out that "Don Quixote" is not all that interesting, especially when told in such a plodding way and with such drab sets and costumes. When the knight of the woeful continence tilts at his first windmill and the intended humor falls flat, you know you're in for a long, dull show. A second salient point of the stage musical was the semi-operatic score, full of Spanish-sounding music that rose above the pedestrian lyrics and gave the show what little passion it has. Casting people who can barely sing in the starring roles was unwise. Peter O'Toole seems to sing some parts but is dubbed in others, and the effect is none too pleasing. Sophia Loren seems like obvious, perfect casting as Dulcinea, and she is amazingly beautiful, but sings in a low, tense voice that suggests nothing of inner fire. James Coco plays Sancho Panza in an awkward, sad and lifeless way. Coco started out as a star in "The Last of the Red Hot Lovers," and then his career sank as it became increasingly clear that his acting talents were limited. Lots of talents were used to no good purpose here.
Review of Man of La Mancha
