The Mouse That Roared (1959)

An impoverished backward nation declares a war on the United States of America, hoping to lose, but things don't go according to plan.

Director:

Jack Arnold

Writers:

Roger MacDougall (screenplay), Stanley Mann (screenplay),

Stars:

Peter Sellers, Jean Seberg, William Hartnell

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Peter Sellers	...	Grand Duchess Gloriana XII / Prime Minister Count Rupert of Mountjoy / Tully Bascombe
Jean Seberg	...	Helen Kokintz
William Hartnell	...	Will Buckley
David Kossoff	...	Doctor Alfred Kokintz
Leo McKern	...	Benter
MacDonald Parke	...	General Snippet
Austin Willis	...	United States Secretary of Defense
Timothy Bateson	...	Roger
Monte Landis	...	Cobbley (as Monty Landis)
Alan Gifford
Colin Gordon	...	BBC Announcer
Harold Kasket	...	Pedro

Storyline

The Duchy of Grand Fenwick decides that the only way to get out of their economic woes is to declare war on the United States, lose and accept foreign aid. They send an invasion force to New York (armed with longbows) which arrives during a nuclear drill that has cleared the streets. Wandering about to find someone to surrender to, they discover a scientist with a special ultimate weapon that can destroy the Earth. When they capture him and his bomb they are faced with a new possibility: What do you do when you win a war?

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Plot Keywords:

cold war | duchy of grand fenwick | scientist | invasion | satire | 

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Taglines:

The Hilarious Story of How the Duchy of Grand Fenwick Waged War on the U.S. - and Won

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Genres:

Comedy | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English French

Release Date:

November 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

El rugido del ratón

Filming Locations:

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$450,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Highroad Productions, Open Road Films (II)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastman Color by Pathé)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The New York invasion sequence was filmed in Manhattan on a Sunday morning, accounting for the city's empty streets.

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Goofs

During the Institute for Physics scene, Professor Kokintz addresses Tully as both "Grand Marshall" and "Mr. Constable", but nowhere in the preceding dialogue is Tully introduced as such. Prof. Kokintz couldn't have known his two titles.

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Quotes

United States Secretary of Defense: A fine thing, the United States and the Grand Duchy of Fenwick are at war, and it takes the F.B.I. to find out about it.

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Crazy Credits

The End. We Hope...

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Connections

Referenced in Mannix: The Mouse That Died (1970)

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Soundtracks

"Battle Hymn of the Republic"
(circa 1856) (uncredited)
Music by William Steffe

User Reviews

Hansel and Gretel Meet Dr. Strangelove

This comedy is riotous, ridiculous cold-war satire. Peter Sellers really shines in this comedy gem by playing multiple characters - The Prime Minister Count Montjoy, The Constable of the militia Tully Bascomb, and Her Royal Highness Grand Duchess Gloriana! The plot pokes fun at the wrangling of international politics and nuclear arms proliferation in a money-making scheme by the world's smallest country that goes horribly and laughably wrong. This satire leaves nobody unscathed - the Russians, Americans, British, Cinese and French all get jabbed. The action is fast-paced without getting too slapstick. It's not exactly brain-food, but it will leave you snickering.