The Rescuers (1977)

Two mice of the Rescue Aid Society search for a little girl kidnapped by unscrupulous treasure hunters.

Directors:

John Lounsbery, Wolfgang Reitherman,

Writers:

Margery Sharp (suggested by "The Rescuers" and "Miss Bianca" by), Larry Clemmons (story),

Stars:

Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor, Geraldine Page

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bob Newhart	...	Bernard (voice)
Eva Gabor	...	Miss Bianca (voice)
Geraldine Page	...	Madame Medusa (voice)
Joe Flynn	...	Mr. Snoops (voice)
Jeanette Nolan	...	Ellie Mae (voice)
Pat Buttram	...	Luke (voice)
Jim Jordan	...	Orville (voice)
John McIntire	...	Rufus (voice)
Michelle Stacy	...	Penny (voice)
Bernard Fox	...	The Chairman (voice)
Larry Clemmons	...	Gramps (voice)
James MacDonald	...	Evinrude (voice) (as James Macdonald)
George Lindsey	...	Rabbit (voice)
Bill McMillian	...	TV Announcer (voice) (as Bill McMillan)
Dub Taylor	...	Digger (voice)

Storyline

When a bottle containing a plea for help from a little girl named Penny makes its way to the Rescue Aid Society, a mouse organization in the basement of the United Nations building dedicated to the rescue and well-being of anyone in need, it is up to the brave mouse Miss Bianca and her chosen partner, the shy janitor Bernard, to rescue the girl. Searching for clues at her home at Morningside Orphanage in New York City, the two mice discover that the girl has been kidnapped by the evil pawn shop owner Madame Medusa and her companion Mr. Snoops. On the back of Orville the albatross, Miss Bianca and Bernard travel to the terrifyingly gloomy Devil's Bayou where they learn the shocking truth: the innocent young girl is being forced down into a dangerous, dark underground pirate's cave where she must find the Devil's Eye, the world's largest diamond and Madame Medusa's greatest obsession. Before returning safely home, Miss Bianca, Bernard, and Penny will have to combat Madame Medusa's two ...

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Plot Keywords:

rescue | little girl | bottle | mouse | bayou | 

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Taglines:

A girl in danger... A cry for help... And two marvelous mice who will risk anything to save her!

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Crime | Drama | Family | Fantasy | Mystery

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Disney

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 June 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bernardo y Bianca

Box Office

Budget:

$1,200,000 (estimated)

Gross:

SEK 11,076,382 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone Sound Recording) 3 Channel Stereo (original release)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Even though most of Walt Disney Productions' films during the early '60s and '70s were shown theatrically in the aspect ratio of 1.75:1 they were actually animated in 1.37:1. This is the first non-Scope release to be animated in another ratio (in this case, 1.66:1).

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Goofs

When Bernard climbs into the bottle, his rope hangs down inside, then it's gone, then it's back again.

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Quotes

Madame Medusa: At the next low tide I'm going to put her down there, myself, and keep her there, until she finds it. And it is as simple as *that*!

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits describe the journey of the girl's bottle through raging ocean waters. The entire scene is made up by still paintings.

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Connections

Referenced in The Great Mouse Detective (1986)

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Soundtracks

"For He's a Jolly Good Fellow"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Performed by the Disney Studio Chorus

User Reviews

Such a charming film!

I can't fault this movie at all, other than to say the video I have is a bit grainy. The film is undeniably charming, based on the books by Margery Sharp, which I haven't read.

The animation was just wonderful, right from minute one. It was dark and fluid, and reminded me of the masterpieces of Don Bluth like American Tail and Secret of NIMH. It matched the music perfectly, and none of the characters were drawn stereotypically. I loved the fact they made the protagonists mice, which shows a lot of originality. I was laughing so much at the swamp animals scene, as it looked so ridiculous. Another funny scene was the one with the crocs playing the pipe organ, and then Medussa starts shooting the place down.

The songs were outstanding, and beautifully sung by Shelby Flint. I've heard criticisms that the songs were lifeless and slow, but I strongly disagree. The song at the beginning "The Journey" was beautiful beyond words, as was "Someone's Waiting For You", the one with Penny crying on the boat deck. They were truly emotional and haunting, and often misunderstood by people.

The characters were really funny and engaging, especially the two crocodiles, and Orville(especially when he cries "Mayday, Mayday!")Bernard was brilliantly voiced by Bob Newhart, likewise Bianca by beautiful Hungarian actress Eva Gabor. Penny was really sweet, but the scene-stealer was Geraldine Page as Madam Medussa, who was such a convincing villainess, very sinister yet absolutely hilarious. She reminds me of Ursula from the Little Mermaid.

The script was both touching and funny, with the dialogue between Madame Medussa and Snoops sparkling like bubbles on top of a champagne glass and the story is compelling and beautifully told. All in all, I recommend this and the sequel (which isn't quite as good). 10/10.Bethany Cox