The Mouse That Roared (1959)

Director:

Jack Arnold

Writers:

Roger MacDougall (screenplay) &
Stanley Mann (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

November 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | War

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Cold War | Invasion | Scientist | Satire | Duchy Of Grand Fenwick

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Wally Brown	...	Air Raid Warden in Physics Lab (uncredited)
Jacques Cey	...	Ticket Collector (uncredited)
Charles Clay	...	British Ambassador (uncredited)
Henry De Bray	...	French Ambassador (uncredited)
Guy Deghy	...	Soviet Ambassador (uncredited)
Bill Edwards	...	Army Captain (uncredited)
Richard Gatehouse	...	Mulligan (uncredited)
George Margo	...	O'Hara (uncredited)
Lionel Murton	...	American General at the Pentagon (uncredited)
Bill Nagy	...	U.S. Policeman (uncredited)
Robert O'Neill	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Stuart Saunders	...	Cunard Captain (uncredited)
Ken Stanley	...	Cunard Second Officer (uncredited)
Mavis Villiers	...	Telephone Operator (uncredited)

Directed by
Jack Arnold

Writing credits
Roger MacDougall		(screenplay) &
Stanley Mann		(screenplay)
Leonard Wibberley		(from the novel by)

Produced by
Jon Penington	....	associate producer
Walter Shenson	....	producer

Original Music by
Edwin Astley		(music composed by)

Cinematography by
John Wilcox		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Raymond Poulton

Art Direction by
Geoffrey Drake

Costume Design by
Anthony Mendleson

Makeup Department
Stuart Freeborn	....	make-up
Joyce James	....	hairdresser

Production Management
Leon Becker	....	production supervisor
James H. Ware	....	production manager (as James Ware)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Philip Shipway	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Red Law	....	sound
Richard Marden	....	sound editor
George Stephenson	....	sound

Special Effects by
Gerald Endler	....	mechanical effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Jack Cooper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nosher Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Austin Dempster	....	camera operator
John Winbolt	....	cameraman: second unit

Music Department
Edwin Astley	....	music conducted by

Other crew
Maurice Binder	....	title designer
Pamela Davies	....	continuity
Carl Foreman	....	presenter

Production Companies

• Highroad Productions (as A Highroad Picture)
• Open Road Films (II) (copyright owners)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (1959) (UK) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1983) (USA) (video)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Video Ltd. (1986) (UK) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Eastman Color by Pathé)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:G | Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-8 | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #19205) | West Germany:12 | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Highroad Productions

Trivia:

Among the musical quotations used by Edwin Astley in the film were excerpts from Felix Mendelssohn's "Hebrides Overture", "Rule Britannia", "A Life on the Ocean Waves", "Frankie and Johnnie", a number of American marches, including a number of passages from "Our Director" and Astley's own score for "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1955).

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the Queen Elizabeth encounters the ship carrying the Grand Fenwick troops returning from New York, the ship's officer calls "ship off the port bow." In the next shot, the troop ship is shown off the Queen Elizabeth's starboard bow.

Quotes:

Tulley Bascombe:Remember, men. There is nothing wrong with surrendering to overwhelming powers, as long as it is done in a military manner.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Who Do You Think You Are?: Martin Sheen (#3.1)" (2012)

Soundtrack:

Colonel Bogey March

Three Sellers equals one very funny film

THE MOUSE THAT ROARED was Peter Sellers' first starring film, and he would succeed beyond all expectations. This became a huge "sleeper hit" when it was shown in the States, and deservedly so. Its brand of satire still holds up today.

The story is about a miniscule European state, the duchy of Grand Fenwick, which sees a way out of bankruptcy by declaring war on the US (to be followed by a quick surrender, and rehabilitative aid from the generous victor). An invasion force, with 12th century chainmail and crossbows, is thereupon dispatched to New York. But by mistake, the commander captures the nuclear "Q-Bomb", along with its inventor and his beautiful daughter, and brings them back to Grand Fenwick.

Sellers plays three roles: Gloriana XII, the old reigning duchess (believe it or not); Baron Montjoy, the crafty prime minister; and Tully Bascomb, the inept army commander. For my money, the third role is the best. Absent any sort of disguise, except for a pair of glasses, Tully is the central character. The first scene of Grand Fenwick's part-time commander, and full-time gamekeeper, has him caught in a trap and unable to scare away the fox that just sits there looking at him. As the bumbling hero, he is funny in his own right, and we're all rooting for him to save the day at the end.

The one and only Sellers does a great job in all departments, the state of Grand Fenwick is expertly brought to the screen with a unique sense of humor, and this MOUSE still roars plenty loud even after forty some years. Four out of five stars.