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 Penny's 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 ...

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Plot Keywords:

bayou | rescue | bottle | little girl | mouse | 

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Taglines:

THE PERFECT FANTASY... Two tiny agents take on the wickedest woman in the world!

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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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:

$7,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,111,582, 16 December 1983, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$71,215,869

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actor Phil Harris, who had played Baloo in Walt Disney's The Jungle Book (1967), Thomas O'Malley in The AristoCats (1970) and Little John in Robin Hood (1973), was almost brought in again for yet another comic role in this film. However, the dramatic nature of the film called for comic relief characters and humor gags to be toned down, so only the characters of Orville and Luke were left.

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Goofs

The shape of Miss Bianca's purple suitcase at the airport changes from a soft carpetbag type to a hard, square rectangle.

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Quotes

Miss Bianca: Poor Evinrude. Your carburetor is all pooped out.

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Crazy Credits

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

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Alternate Versions

On 8 January 1999, Disney issued a recall of 3.4 million copies of the home video version because two frames included an "objectionable background image", probably inserted without permission during production as an in-joke. The offending frames appear in a scene featuring a pan across an apartment: in one of the apartment windows, a picture of a topless woman can be glimpsed. This scene was intact for the original theatrical release in 1977. However, it was not in the 1992 video version because that was "made from a different print" according to a Disney spokesperson.

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Connections

References 101 Dalmatians (1961)

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Soundtracks

Rescue Aid Society
(1977)
Written by Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins
Performed by Robie Lester (uncredited), Bob Newhart (uncredited), and Bernard Fox (uncredited)
Reprised later by the Disney Studio Chorus

User Reviews

Adventurous rescue mission from Disney!

This is a rescue mission movie from Disney, a story about two mice named Bernard and Miss Bianca from the Rescue Aid Society out to rescue a kidnapped, orphaned girl named Penny from two devious treasure hunters, Madame Medusa and Mr. Snoops. They want to use Penny to help them find a gigantic diamond from an old Pirate's cave.

It is like a daring and fun detective movie, but with animals serving as the protagonists. It's non-stop adventure from Bernard and Miss Bianca looking for clues leading to Penny's whereabouts to them facing the notorious Madame Medusa and her two crafty pet alligators at their hideout in Devil's Bayou.

I love the songs in this movie: "Tomorrow is Another Day," sung while the two mice are riding Orville as he transports them to Devil's Bayou, is a very relaxing and optimistic song, reminding you that there is always a tomorrow giving you a chance to accomplish things. "Someone's Waiting for You" is a heartwarming and hopeful song, reminding you to always stay strong and keep your faith.

All the characters, especially the critters, are lovable and memorable. The subplot of Penny looking for adoptive parents is interwoven into the main plot very well, expanding on Penny's unfortunate, but courageous character.

This movie is probably the more obscure of Disney films as it does not utilize the fairytale method, but is nonetheless one of the more exciting Disney features that would sure delight an audience of all ages.

Grade A