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The Mouse That Roared (1959) More at IMDbPro »

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49 comments in total

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29 out of 33 people found the following comment useful :-
A British Comedy Classic, and A Relevant One- don't listen to the review above!, 16 July 2004

Author: paybaragon from Cheshire, CT

An Exercise in Cold War Absurdity.

This is a true classic, with one of the wittiest scripts ever written, and hilarious performances from a perfect cast.

It's not slapstick, which is perhaps why some people not acquainted with British humor (at least before Monty Python), have been turned off. It's also a bit sophisticated for children. It's a satire which relies for its laughs on an absurd plot, absurd dialogue, and hilariously absurd caricatures.

Although it's considered a harmless entertainment, 'The Mouse That Roared' is chock full of satiric jibes at the dirty politics, international relations, and paranoid culture of The Cold War- its just that the jokes are so quick and subtle that you might miss them if you blink (one of my favorite touches concerns a radio report of 'aliens'- actually the chain-mailed soldiers of Grand Fenwick- sighted in Central Park. Upon hearing the report amongst a crowd of shocked New Yorkers, one well-dressed, perfectly normal looking gent mutters about the supposed alien invasion: 'I knew it it HAD to come to this!' This is the filmmakers' fairly accurate portrayal of how far some Americans had descended, by this time, into Atomic, Cold War and Space-Crazed paranoia).

It should be said that the diplomatic relations between America and the World, as portrayed in this film, are even MORE RELEVANT now than they were during the Cold War; except that the American statesmen seem so virtuous and well-meaning in comparison to some of our current ones. Rent it and you'll see what I mean.

This is also, all things considered, probably the best Peter Sellers vehicle produced in Britain- all the rest, of varying quality, were much shorter on laughs (also of note, however, are 'The Naked Truth' and 'Only Two Can Play'). Tully Bascombe is not an outrageous or demonstrative character like Inspector Clouseau. Instead, Sellers takes a fairly normal, if a bit pathetic, Everyman and manages to make him quite funny in nearly every scene. And as the Grand Duchess he is absolutely hilarious- it's impossible to watch this performance for a moment without laughing.

As someone who is very well acquainted with British film comedies, I can say without hesitation that this is one of the very best, even in a decade which produced 'The Lavender Hill Mob' and 'The Ladykillers' (directed by Alex MacKendrick, who was a cousin to Roger macDougall, the ingenious screenwriter of 'Mouse That Roared.' Even if the film's plot and dialogue were not so consistently funny, its undoubted charm, and its magnificent triple performance by Sellers, are more than worth the price of rental.

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21 out of 24 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the classic subtle movies, 5 June 2003
Author: sneagle from Denver, Colorado

This is a delightful movie, my wife and I have enjoyed this one over the years. And each year it is better. The message is blunt, declare war on the U.S. and lose. However, it is the subtle background which is so good. One must just sit back and enjoy the movie and Peter Sellers. It is not often one gets to just watch a master of the arts at work. There is nothing heavy duty slapstick. Just a fun time.

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22 out of 26 people found the following comment useful :-
May be Peter Sellers' best performance., 2 December 1998

Author: David R. Schryer from Hampton, VA

In this hilarious film Peter Sellers plays three roles (one a duchess) and plays them superbly. I suppose one has to have a taste for understated British humor to fully appreciate this film, but I'm not British and I love it. If you like Peter Sellers -- or just good comedy -- please give this delightful film a try.

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20 out of 24 people found the following comment useful :-
Light, charming, 25 May 2002

Author: Oak Owl from San Francisco Bay Area

Yes, the "joke" is rather a truism: declare war on the US, lose and then collect the massive foreign aid we always send... Peter Sellers has fun in his several roles, along with a cast of strong supporting actors. The standard "pretty blonde" is Jean Seberg -- who seems not to know what she's doing in this role: comedy was not the lady's strongpoint.

Yet there is something very gentle and charming that moves this film along. I suppose that little something could very well be that the "bottom line" for the tiny country was world peace... Not a bad concept.

Worth watching.

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12 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Hansel and Gretel Meet Dr. Strangelove, 5 July 2005
Author: robinpoe from United States

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.

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12 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
A good, trim, well paced satire brimming with irony, 10 December 1999

Author: Alain Dominique Marie Gabriel Vaillancourt from Montreal, Canada

This little satire of the cold war has none of the smug reactionary stances that the original novel had. It takes aim at great powers and small no-powers, it skewers democracies (like the US and Britain) and aristocracies (like the grand duchy of Fenwick and Britain) and shows absolutely no mercy.

Done when Peter Sellers was in his "fat boy" period, this well cut little movie has to be placed in context in order to be appreciated fully. 40 years ago the world was quite different, and this movie reminds you of it. See something totally different from the same period, like Rear Window by Hitchcock to get you in the spirit of the times.

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11 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Three Sellers equals one very funny film, 2 March 2002
Author: grstmc

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.

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9 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
I guess that the threat of nuclear annihilation always made for some great comedy with Peter Sellers in multiple roles!, 27 September 2005

Author: Lee Eisenberg (eisenberg.lee@gmail.com) from Portland, Oregon, USA

Any film buff remembers Peter Sellers playing three roles in the Cold War comedy "Dr. Strangelove". Well, "The Mouse That Roared" was a sort of prequel to that.

A tiny, backwards nation on France's Mediterranean coast has no way of moving forward economically. So, the queen and prime minister (both played by Sellers) make a decision: the country will declare war on the United States, lose, and collect foreign aid. There's just one problem: when they arrive in New York, there's no one around - the threat of nuclear annihilation has driven everyone into hiding. The army decides that this calls for drastic measures - with hilarious results.

Some people might say: "If you've seen one zany comedy, you've seen 'em all." Be that as it may, you've still gotta see "TMTR". It's just so funny. And one scene that's likely to open any teenage boy's eyes is when Peter Sellers walks into Jean Seberg's room and she's...well, I won't spoil it for you, but I will assert that it seems like it would have been risqué for 1959. Classic.

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7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Pinot Grand Fenwick, 13 September 2006

Author: jotix100 from New York

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

In the tiny Duchy of Grand Fenwick, the proud producers of the Pinot Grand Fenwick, have learned how a cheap imitation of this great wine is being produced in America. Horror of horrors, a plan of action must be drawn. The Prime Minister, Count Rupert Mountjoy, has a clever scheme: Why not declare war to the Americans, figuring they will come with enough money for the reconstruction of the country. Even the monarch, the Great Duchess Gloriana admires the plan that has been put together.

Tully Bascombe, is asked to lead the invading force of about twenty soldiers, but not having its own air force, they must resort to take a French ship to New York, which happens to be deserted at the moment they disembark because of a drill being performed in the city. The force led by Bascombe ends up in Professor Kokintz lab, where he, and his daughter, who is his assistant, are taken prisoners when they mistake Kokintz's experiment with a bomb. The men, in triumph, take the same ship back to Fenwick.

This delicious fable, directed by Jack Arnold, is a satire on how even small person can stand to bigger and powerful ones and make a point while carrying on the quest for respect and acceptance. The film lives thanks to the wonderful acting of Peter Sellers, who plays three different roles and steals the picture with his amazing take on all the characters. He reminds us of another British actor, Alec Guinness, who also played multiple characters in "Kind Hearts and Coronets".

Not having seen the film in many years, we found the DVD transfer quite enjoyable and it still holds quite an impact thanks to Peter Sellers and the rest of the cast and the inspired direction of Jack Arnold.

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5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
not as funny as it thinks it is, even if it has its clever moments and silliness, 27 January 2007
Author: MisterWhiplash from United States

There's a danger with being too self-consciously silly, where on the other side of Monty Python a movie or TV show is almost too light and not sharp enough to connect well enough. Sometimes The Mouse That Roared relies on really dry humor to pull across its gags and one-liners, but curiously it's almost sort of dull and/or flat at times with what it tries to achieve. It has a premise loaded, and promising with wit, and apparently it's based on a (much better) book with more details in the Grand Fenwick's chronicles of war against the USA. The Grand Fenwick are the smallest country on Earth, and in order to save themselves from bankruptcy they decide that by declaring was on the US, and surrender, they'll be given lots of money in replenishing their funds (as seems to be the case whenever a country loses to the US after a war. But when the 20-man army of Fenwick steals a precious bomb, and its bomb-maker and daughter, along with some army and police, they have "won", and may have a larger crisis on their hands.

Promising, to be sure, and having Peter Sellers in multiple rolls sounds extra promising as well. Oddly though, Jack Arnold's direction and the screenwriters only give Sellers material enough for some sporadic laughs- often his stuff isn't irreverent in the right measure or given the right step in improvisation to make the characters really memorable (even when playing the grand duchess of Fenwick). And it's not that the filmmakers don't try for some clever bits amid the silly maps, the silly reactions (Martians?), the satirical jabs at the nuclear age and paranoia over who has the bomb. Actually, my favorite scene in the film- almost redeeming it from being a lesser movie- is when randomly we see an atomic explosion, and the narrator says "something like this might easily happen, and we thought we should put you in the proper mood. And now, back to our story." Or when it looks like Fenwick has "won" and is getting support, not necessarily from Red China, just the other one. And there happens to be a strange little fox in the woods that goes wacky at the right moment.

But much of the rest of the picture remains as a curious filler at points, like Sellers's nebbish, neurotic character Tully, who falls for Jean Seberg's character in a strange romantic courtship. The scenes like these are charming, up to a point, but it never garners any real laughs, at least from me. It's not even that the humor is too stupid for its own good, it's got too much of an original concept for that. It's just that the execution doesn't leave an incredible mark like other Sellers-lead movies ala Dr. Strangelove or Pink Panther. It's not even a lack of "getting" the British humor in it, because I got pretty much all of it- The Mouse That Roared has its moments of true likability and a touch or two of Sellers brilliance, but is also too slight for comfort- it almost didn't totally feel complete, being that it's an 80 minute adaptation.

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