The Battle of the Sexes (1959)

Man-eating businesswoman, Angela Barrows is sent by her US company to Edinburgh to investigate export opportunities. She meets businessman Robert MacPherson en route and he persuades her to... See full summary »

Director:

Charles Crichton

Writers:

James Thurber (short story "The Catbird Seat"), Monja Danischewsky

Stars:

Peter Sellers, Robert Morley, Constance Cummings

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Sellers	...	Mr. Martin
Robert Morley	...	Robert Macpherson
Constance Cummings	...	Angela Barrows
Jameson Clark	...	Andrew Darling
Ernest Thesiger	...	Old Macpherson
Donald Pleasence	...	Irwin Hoffman (as Donald Pleasance)
Moultrie Kelsall	...	Graham
Alex Mackenzie	...	Robertson
Roddy McMillan	...	Macleod
Michael Goodliffe	...	Detective
James Gibson	...	Nightwatchman
Noel Howlett	...	Mr. White
Abe Barker	...	Mr. Meekie
Gordon Phillott	...	Mr. Munson
William Mervyn	...	Detective's Friend

Storyline

Man-eating businesswoman, Angela Barrows is sent by her US company to Edinburgh to investigate export opportunities. She meets businessman Robert MacPherson en route and he persuades her to help bring his company into the 20th century. The staff, lead by Mr. Martin, have other ideas and a battle between the old and new business methods breaks out.

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Plot Keywords:

gender clash | efficiency expert | scotland | battle of the sexes | rivalry | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 August 1960 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

A Batalha dos Sexos

Filming Locations:

Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Prometheus Film Productions Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In 1956 Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions announced plans to film James Thurber's "The Catbird Seat" with a screenplay from George Axelrod.

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Connections

Featured in The Unknown Peter Sellers (2000)

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Soundtracks

"All Things Bright and Beautiful"
(uncredited)
Lyrics by Cecil F. Alexander and music by William H. Monk
Sung by a choir on the television in Mrs Barrows' apartment

User Reviews

One of Sellers' funniest and finest

Peter Sellers could do just about anything and this film helped to prove that fact. With some white hair, a moustache, and spectacles, you thoroughly believe his transformation into Mr. Martin, a character at least twenty-five years older than the actor was at the time.

Although the title sounds like a sex romp, that's not the right description of this clever comedy with a somewhat dark theme. But BATTLE OF THE SEXES is about a power struggle between a man and woman. Martin is the faithful manager at the House of MacPherson, a Scottish firm that's been turning out tweed the same way for decades. When the new heir (Robert Morley) takes over, he brings in a domineering efficiency expert (Constance Cummings), an American no less, whose ideas threaten to ruin the company.

Martin is forced to act. While he seems like a quiet and unassuming sort, he actually has a lot of guile and cunning beneath his mild-mannered exterior. First he tries to get her fired, but when that doesn't work he decides that more drastic measures are called for - like murder. Martin comes up with what he believes is the perfect plan, and all he has to do is carry it out.

Do yourself a favor and watch it all unfold. Entertaining from start to finish, hilarious in several places, with a good supporting cast, and a plot that has a couple of surprises in store. Sellers proves yet again that he's a true comic genius. Three cheers for that, and four stars out of five for the film.