Die Maus, die brüllte (1959) Online

1959 Peter Sellers Jean Seberg William Hartnell Jack Arnold

Original Title :: The Mouse That Roared
Genre :: Movie / Comedy
Year :: 1959
Directror :: Jack Arnold
Cast :: Peter Sellers,Jean Seberg,William Hartnell
Writer :: Roger MacDougall,Stanley Mann
Budget :: $450,000
Type :: Movie
Time :: 1h 23min
Rating :: 7.0/10

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

Die Maus, die brüllte (1959) Online

The Duchy of Grand Fenwick, the smallest country in the world, is nestled in the French Alps. Being as isolated as it is, its life is a throwback to olden days. It is a happy, peace-loving country. Its economy solely rests on export of its only wine, Pinot Grand Fenwick, to the US. When a California vintner starts producing and selling a knock-off of the Pinot Grand Fenwick at a lower price, the Grand Fenwick economy goes into a crisis situation, the country on the brink of bankruptcy. Three protests to the US go largely unanswered. Grand Fenwick's Prime Minister, Rupert of Mountjoy, believes the solution is to declare war on the US, and promptly lose the war in less than a day with no casualties on either side, after which the US, which it has historically done, will provide vast financial aide to rebuild the country. Grand Fenwick's monarch, the Grand Duchess Gloriana XII, ultimately supports this concept. The plan is to send an official declaration of war to the US, have a small ...

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 (as Macdonald Parke)
	Austin Willis	-	United States Secretary of Defense
	Timothy Bateson	-	Roger
	Monte Landis	-	Cobbley (as Monty Landis)
	Alan Gifford	-	Air Raid Warden
	Colin Gordon	-	BBC Announcer
	Harold Kasket	-	Pedro

Jack Arnold did not ask the studio's permission to make fun of the Columbia logo, convinced they would say no. At the film's opening, "Miss Columbia" discovers a mouse under her skirts and runs off screaming. At the end she returns to her pedestal. Studio executives first heard of the joke when they attended the New York previews, where it got a huge laugh. After that, there was no thought of cutting it, though it is absent from some television prints.

Peter Sellers made this film in part as a means of emulating his hero, Alec Guinness, by playing multiple roles in one movie.

Jack Arnold soon learned that Peter Sellers did his best work on the first take and was usually useless by take three. The actor, schooled in improvisation, couldn't keep the lines fresh if he had to say them over and over.

The Marseilles and New York harbor sequences were filmed in Southampton, UK. The presence of the Queen Elizabeth ocean liner there was a lucky coincidence.

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

The scenes in the ports of Marseilles and New York were both shot in Southampton. By luck, Queen Elizabeth was just landing there at the time, so Jack Arnold had extras on the Fenwick tugboat get as close to the luxury liner as possible and fire arrows at her. Later he added a scene with Stuart Sanders as the Queen Elizabeth's captain reacting to the attack.

The Grand Duchess' car is a 1913 Sunbeam 12/16.

Peter Sellers modelled the Grand Duchess on his grandmother. He also used shtick he had developed for the radio series Ray's a Laugh, in which one of the characters he played, was an eccentric old woman named Crystal Jollibottom.

Used to working with Otto Preminger, who would scream at her even before the first take to get the performance he wanted, Jean Seberg had trouble adapting to Jack Arnold's gentler directing style. It often took as many as 20 takes for her to get through a scene.

The palace band includes a double flageolet, a 19th century wind instrument.

Jean Seberg only had one line in the first scene shot, which she shared with Peter Sellers and Leo McKern. For the first several takes, she stepped forward for her line, then back when she was finished. When Arnold pointed this out to her, she said she didn't even know she was doing it. By the time she got her movements under control, she couldn't remember the line. After 25 takes, Arnold postponed the scene until a few days later.

While filming, Peter Sellers was acting on stage in the comedy Brouhaha, which also dealt with a mythical kingdom whose ruler develops an outlandish plot to secure U.S. aid. Five days a week, he had to be at the studio at 6:30 a.m. for makeup and wardrobe, then get himself to the theatre by 7 p.m. During location shooting, a driver picked him up at the theatre after the performance and he slept in the car on the way to the film shoot.

The invasion of Manhattan was shot in a section of London that had been completely rebuilt after being bombed heavily during World War II. The glass and concrete high rises provided a perfect stand-in for New York. Jack Arnold also filmed background shots on the streets of New York early one Sunday morning, when traffic was at a minimum.

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).

Although Jack Arnold and Walter Shenson thought the dailies were hilarious, Carl Foreman and Columbia's European head didn't get it. Their lack of response was so discouraging, Arnold stopped going to the daily screenings.

The castle of Grand Fenwick was a façade built on the back lot of England's Shepperton Studios. Jack Arnold also used the surrounding countryside as the forests of Fenwick.

Peter Sellers modelled The Prime Minister on Alec Guinness' interpretation of Benjamin Disraeli in The Mudlark (1950).

The AFI online Catalog reports the showing of this film to diplomats in Geneva, Switzerland on 23 May 1959. There is no mention of the circumstances of the showing.

Columbia previewed the film at two different New York theatres, the Trans-Lux, which was an art house, and Loew's 84th Street, which showed more popular entertainment. Both audiences roared with laughter. As a result, Foreman recalled the prints so the titles could be changed from "High Road presents" to "Carl Foreman presents."

One scene has diplomats playing a board game called Diplomacy, although the game more resembles Monopoly rather than the game Diplomacy.

As there is no actual mouse in the film, title designer Maurice Binder added one in a classic opening joke with the Columbia Pictures logo and a return of the mouse in the last scene.

The British and American prints of the film vary in their opening narration, using British and American voices respectively.

The tiny ship that transports the Grand Duchy's soldiers is the Paladin.

Duchess Gloriana XII has a personalised number plate on her car: G XII.

Grand Fenwick is ruled by Duchess Gloriana XII, said to be still in mourning for her consort "Count Leopold of Bosnia Herzegovina". The country of Bosnia and Herzegovina was at that time absorbed within the Republic of Yugoslavia, then under Communist rule. It is likely that many viewers thought "Bosnia Herzegovina" was as fictitious as Grand Fenwick. Bosnia and Herzegovina only became a sovereign nation again in 1992, after the Balkans conflict had resulted in the break-up of Yugoslavia.

Opening credits: All characters and events in this film are fictitious. Any similarity to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

User reviews

Abywis

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.

Manesenci

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.

Granigrinn

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.

Jube

Peter Sellers show with his particular talent playing three different and funny roles. Fun film with amusing screenplay by Roger MacDougall & Stanley Mann , from the novel by Leonard Wibberley , being well directed by Jack Arnold . The Hilarious Story of How the Duchy of Grand Fenwick , a tiny European nation devises a foolproof method of filling its depleted treasury as declaring war on the U.S. and winning , but collects reparations from generous Americans . An impoverished backward nation declares a war on the United States of America, hoping to lose, but things don't go according to plan . They send an invasion army to New York commanded by Tully Bascombe (Peter Sellers commander of their medieval force) which arrives during a nuclear drill that has abandoned the streets . In the megalopolis they discover a scientist , Professor Alfred Kokintz (David Kossoff), with a special ultimate weapon that can destroy the Earth and they capture him along with his daughter (Jean Seberg).

This is a funny and entertaining comedy with Peter Sellers as a real showman playing various characters . As Sellers acting as the scheming Prime Minister of Grand Fenwick, as the scheming Grand Duchess and as Tully Bascombe, commander of their medieval army . Sellers made this film in part as a means of emulating his intimate actor , Alec Guinness, by playing multiple roles in ¨Kind Hearts and Coronets¨ . Picture is a vehicle Peter Sellers , he's an authentic comic and real farceur . It's a pretty amusing farce with the master comic Sellers who displays efficiently his abilities. If you like Sellers's crazy interpretation ,you will most definitely enjoy this one . Colorful cinematography by John Wilcox , filmed in studios and on location as Marseilles and New York harbor sequences were filmed in Southampton, UK , the presence of the Queen Elizabeth ocean liner there was a lucky coincidence. The New York invasion sequence was filmed in Manhattan on a Sunday morning, accounting for the city's empty streets and good sets by production designer Geoffrey Drake . Atmospheric musical score by by Edwin Astley , among the musical quotations used in the film were excerpts from Felix Mendelssohn's "Hebrides Overture", "Rule Britannia", "A Life on the Ocean Waves", "Frankie and Johnnie", and a number of American marches . It is followed by a sequel ¨The mouse on the moon¨.

This well-edited motion picture is compellingly directed by Jack Arnold in his best foray into the comedy genre. He reigns supreme as one of the greatest filmmakers of 50s science , achieving an important cult popularity with classics as "The Creature from the Black Lagoon," and its follow-up titled "Revenge of the Creature" that was a nice sequel . "Tarantula" was likewise a lot of amusement and of course "The Incredible Shrinking Man" attained his greatest enduring cult popularity , it's a thought-provoking and impressive classic that's lost none of its power throughout the years . Arnold's final two genre entries were the interesting "Monster on the Campus" and the outlandish "The Space Children¨ . In addition to his film work, Arnold also directed episodes of such TV shows .

Flathan

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.

Mildorah

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.

Felolv

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.

Tygralbine

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.

Ceroelyu

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.

JoJolar

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.

Buge

This is one of the strangest movies of the 1950s--starting BEFORE the opening credits and lasting until the final seconds! Just plain weird! It seems the insignificantly small Duchey of Grand Fenwick is in crisis--the nation is nearly bankrupt and there appears to be no way out of their financial dilemma. Untimately they hit upon a plan--they will declare war against the United States and quickly surrender. Then, based on how the US treated its defeated foes after WW2, the US is sure to pour mountains of financial aid into Grand Fenwick! The first problem is they don't have an army. What they do have are some old medieval suits of armor and some bows and arrows, so with these they set off for America! What happens next, you'll just have to see to believe!

This movie is very interesting because Peter Sellars appears in the movie in many different roles (apparently the gene pool in Grand Fenwick is rather limited)--ranging from the hero of the story, Tully Bascombe to the conniving prime minister to even the queen! It reminds me very much of the Alec Guinness film KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS, in which Guinness played multiple roles.

The down side is that occasionally the plot lags and becomes a bit too silly. However, considering the risks they take and the overall weirdness and how funny the movie is in general, I think these lags can easily be over looked.

This movie had a sequel, MOUSE ON THE MOON, about the space race. I didn't particularly care for that--it was very silly but the magic just wasn't there.

Oso

This movie is about war.War in its funniest forms. Peter Sellers takes on three roles;Grand Duchess Gloriana X, Prime Minister Count Rupert of Mountjoy and Tully Bascombe.Each character is unique in its own way and none is despicable. Set in a world where nothing makes sense and lightly attached to reality,a small 15th century country declares war on the United States hoping to lose.This rather easy plan is thwarted when the country's naive field marshal wins the war. It's not quite a masterpiece,but if you're a fan of British comedy lead by its finest Peter Sellers,this movie is a great way to spend your evening and have a couple of laughs.

Oreavi

"The Mouse that Roared" is a very funny 1959 film starring Peter Sellers in three different roles, and he's brilliant in all of them. The supporting cast includes Jean Seberg and Leo McKern. A tiny, backward duchy's sole support is wine imported to the U.S. When a copycat comes in and destroys their income, the powers that be decide to wage war on the U.S. - well, they decide to declare war on the U.S. Then they plan to surrender. After all, after the U.S. is involved in a war, don't they come in with money, food and supplies to rebuild the country they were against? In their medieval costumes, armed with bows and arrows, the country's motley group of soldiers head for the U.S. via ship. Once there, unable to find anyone to surrender to - everyone's underground because of a bomb test - and those who see them take them for outer space aliens - they take the creator of the powerful Q bomb, his daughter, and some policemen hostage. With the bomb, which looks like a football, they then control the world.

It's a great concept, with two soldiers fighting over which one is going to get the Empire State Building ("I saw it first. It's mine."), and a display for the hostages on duchy soil that includes the orchestra playing "Frankie and Johnnie." Sellers' roles are that of Gloriana XII, the reigning duchess, Baron Montjoy, the prime minister, and Tully Bascomb, the shy, unwilling army commander who falls in love with the inventor's daughter (Jean Seberg). He creates three completely different characters, all totally believable.

Jean Seberg, who came to such a tragic end, is exquisitely beautiful but possibly one of the worst actresses ever to hit the screen. It's hard to believe someone gave her Joan of Arc - she could barely get through this. I remember her being much better in "Moment to Moment" and "Airport" and of course, she had a huge hit with "Breathless." Here, up against the talents of Sellers, she's just saying words with false emotion. However, she's so beautiful, you can't take your eyes off of her, so she certainly makes a successful object of Tully's affections.

All in all, a wonderful farce with a serious undertone. Highly recommended.

Faezahn

Watching this film in 2005 gives a retrospective view of the Cold War as a mad farce. Indeed, it reduces it to a silliness that involves petty jibes made by over sensitive politicians and military personnel acting like school children squabbling over a game.

I'm not being flippant when I say that Peter Sellers was a genius at acting, and no less in this film in which he illustrates his talent well. His comic timing is perfect in all of his films. However,it is in The Mouse That Roared that he particularly shines. In fact I don't think this film would have been the same without Sellers!

Overall an excellent film, with an interesting script, which is worth viewing.

Fenius

The film version of "The Mouse That Roared" was so funny and charming that, upon spying an old, used paperback edition of Leonard Wibberley's book and its two immediate sequels, I felt compelled to buy them. What an utter delight they are! The book is somewhat different from the film, in that Duchess Glorianna XII is a very sexy, young woman, who ends up marrying the heroic Tully Bascomb (who isn't as much of a dullard as he was portrayed by Peter Sellers). Perhaps the characters that are the closet in the film to their literary counterparts are Count Mountjoy and Professor Kokintz. In fact, Sellers truly nailed the sly, pompous Mountjoy to a tee in the film, even if the character isn't quite as odious in the novel. Wibberley's "The Mouse That Roared" is the only book in the "Mouse" series currently in print, but many libraries carry the others: "The Mouse on the Moon" (also filmed, in 1963), "The Mouse on Wall Street," "The Mouse That Saved the West," and the illustrated prequel, "Beware the Mouse."

shustrik

I was disappointed by the much-hyped "Dr. Strangelove" movie, which I found overlong, dreary, and unrealistic (as mentioned in my review of that movie). However, this movie, which also has Peter Sellers starring in three roles and is themed on the Cold War, is far better and far funnier.

A dinky European kingdom needs money, so it decides to send a group of chain-mail armored soldiers, armed with crossbows, on a boat the New York City with the idea that the soldiers would fight with the United States and lose, getting a heap of aid money as a result the way Western Europe did. But the residents of New York City happen to be hiding under the streets as part of a nuclear-attack drill, with only a few people above the streets, scuttling the original plan. On top of that, American scientists have invented a "Q-bomb" which can destroy most of America, and it falls into the invaders' hands. What to do?

The story, visuals, and acting are quite humorous, and the movie manages to skewer its targets. Definitely the better of the Cold War movie satires.

Celen

The Mouse That Roared is a delightful combination of Jonathan Swift like satire and Marx Brothers like anarchy. You can see traces of Gulliver's Travels and Duck Soup in this very funny film that was the first real starring roles for Peter Sellers.

The tiny Duchy of Fenwick founded by a British lord is buried deep somewhere in the Swiss Alps and it's the only spot in the geography of Switzerland where English is the primary language. Nothing much has changed since the 14th century there. In fact a lot of the natives look very much like Peter Sellers because Sir Roger Fenwick more than George Washington who by all accounts shot blanks was truly the father of his country. In fact if genetic science is true a whole lot of inbreeding should have made the populace look like the Deliverance cast.

Instead several look like Peter Sellers and Sellers does an incredible job playing the Grand Duchess, the Prime Minister, and the Field Marshal of Fenwick. Sellers is magnificent in all three roles and all three roles are distinct characters, he's not just doing variations on himself.

Fenwick has a one crop economy, its special blended wine and some California outfit like Gallo is putting out an ersatz imitation and the economy is going to tank. The solution declare war on the USA and apply for the foreign aid that they missed after World War II when so many countries got it from Uncle Sam.

Field Marshal Sellers puts together a Fenwick Army of about two dozen or so and they take a French freighter from Marseilles and invade America. They are armed with the latest state of the art weaponry and uniforms from the 14th century, longbows and chain mail armor. And through a wild combination of circumstances they capture the ultimate weapon the Q Bomb and its inventor David Kossoff and his daughter Jean Seberg and take it back to Fenwick where Fenwick assumes status of a superpower.

I have to make mention of William Hartnell who spent more times in the British barracks as a tough sergeant major that he should have qualified for veteran's benefits. He takes that same character he perfected and transforms it to medieval times. Hartnell is good, he has to be because Field Marshal Sellers isn't exactly the most military of men.

I do so love the recreation of the Duchy of Fenwick, the makers of this film actually anticipated some kind of Renaissance Fair that later caught on and have become so popular.

With satire that holds up so well today, The Mouse That Roared can be seen and enjoyed for centuries into the future.

Skilkancar

This is a totally absurd comedy, with many silly humor in it, that in a way makes this a little irresistible movie.

The movie features Peter Sellers in an early role. He plays three different characters in this movie, just the way he always liked it, including one female character. Sellers always had the power to play several different characters in the same movie, just as convincing and also let them convincingly interact with each other. Something other comedians impersonate but never succeeded at it as good as Peter Sellers. In a way it really is Sellers that makes this movie work. I can't imaging how this movie would had been without him. The answer is probably bad, very, very bad.

For "The Mouse That Roared" is far from a good or clever comedy. It instead is a simple and silly one. The story is incredibly simple and the comical premise of the movie gets underused. It relies too heavily on its silly comical situations and silly characters, rather than its story or wittiness.

The idea of the movie sounds really promising. Having a little bankrupt country, somewhere in the French Alps, who's still living somewhere in the 14th century, declaring war on 'modern' America, in the hope that they will loose, so they will receive foreign aid. They head off to New York, with a couple of longbow-men. What they don't know is that New York is abandoned due to a nuclear weapon test. To everybody's surprise they succeed in capturing a new super-bomb and take some hostages with them back to Grand Fenwick, making them the victorious party of the war, to their own government's dismay.

The movie is obviously a satire of the Cold War and the story also shows some indirect references to the later and inferior movie "The Producers (1968)".

However not all comical potential gets fully taken advantage off. The invasion of New York and the cultural difference between the two completely different worlds, could had been used better, to full comical potential. The movie is very short and that shows in the movie and its story- and its build up. It's filled with missed opportunities and not well enough developed comical situations. It makes "The Mouse That Roared" a sort of a lacking comedy, that could and should had been great but just isn't.

Surely the movie entertains and some of the absurd moments are hilarious, so it still in its core remains a movie that is worth watching for a couple of laughs.

Weirdest thing about the movie is that it is directed by Jack Arnold. A man who in the early '50's mostly got fame for directing some (classic) B-monster movies and science-fiction. It was like he was thinking; Hey the '50's are almost over, lets find another genre to direct in. That's mostly how "The Mouse That Roared" feels; a comedy experiment from a director who wasn't fully comfortable with the genre.

Oh and by the way; Jean Seberg can't act! Highly annoying and distracting from the story.

See if for its silliness and an early Peter Sellers, in good form.

6/10

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Xig

Very cute, very funny farce has fictional European country, the Duchy of Grand Fenwick (billed as "the smallest country in the world") facing a financial crisis after the United States drops their main export (wine) for a lower-priced imitation. Hoping to derive sympathy bonds for their efforts, the powers that be declare war on the U.S., but things don't go as planned. Wonderful British film put Peter Sellers on the map stateside, and deservedly so (he's terrific in three different roles, one in drag as Grand Fenwick's bosomy Duchess). Love-interest Jean Seberg also good as the daughter of the famous scientist responsible for creating the new Q-Bomb. Clever, amusing picture runs a little long but is nevertheless a high time. *** from ****

Mazuzahn

The tiny Duchy of Grand Fenwick, in the French Alps, is the smallest country of the world and its economy is supported by the exportation of their wine Pinot Grand Fenwick. When the producers from California fake Grand Fenwick's wine and sells a knock-off at a lower price, the country becomes bankrupt. The Prime Minister Count Rupert of Mountjoy (Peter Sellers) sends three protests to the United Stated that are not answered. Then he proposes that Grand Fenwick declares war upon the United Stated and immediately surrender since the Americans historically support defeated nation after war to rebuild the country. Grand Duchess Gloriana XII (Peter Sellers) and the government supports the idea and the clumsy forest ranger Tully Bascombe (Peter Sellers) is promoted to Field Marshal and sails to New York with a twenty-men army armed with bow and arrow. Meanwhile the American government is testing the "Q-Bomb", which is more powerful than any nuclear weapon and capable to destroy the world, and the New Yorkers are hidden in shelters as part of the drill. Tully and his men arrive in a desert New York and accidentally stumble upon the bomb and its creator, Doctor Alfred Kokintz (David Kossoff), and his gorgeous daughter Helen Kokintz (Jean Seberg) and Tully abducts them together with a general and four police officers. Now Grand Fenwick government has a huge problem since many countries are offering their support to the tiny count to have the "Q-Bomb". What will they do?

"The Mouse That Roared" is a comedy with a hilarious satire to the Cold War. Peter Sellers has an amazing performance in different roles, since the inhabitants have the same family tree. Most of the situations are funny and the film is funny since the very beginning with a Columbia logo joke with a mouse on the pedestal. This mouse will appear again in the very end. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Rato Que Ruge" ("The Mouse That Roars")

Wymefw

A fey, light-hearted frolic that almost floats away on its own marshmellowy charm, "The Mouse That Roared" served to introduce American audiences to the man who would reshape film comedy in the 1960s much the way his countrymen the Beatles did with pop music.

Yes, that's Peter Sellers making what amounted to his debut as an over-the-title star, playing not one but three roles. First, he's Count Rupert Mountjoy, prime minister of the tiny nation of Grand Fenwick, who hatches the scheme of declaring war on the United States in order to quickly surrender and reap Marshall Plan-style aid. Then he's Tully Bascombe, the nearsighted leader of the Fenwick expeditionary force, who stumbles upon a weapon to force an American surrender. Finally, he's the Grand Duchess Gloriana, ruler of Grand Fenwick and very keen on war so long as no one gets hurt.

With that premise, and Sellers in the driver's seat, you expect more than "Mouse That Roared" delivers. Not that it's bad, or unentertaining. But after a rousing opening 20 minutes spent basking in Fenwick's goofy ambiance and establishing the daring plot, the film loses steam; first moving the action to an unconvincing Manhattan setting, then inserting a romantic subplot between Tully and an American girl (Jean Seberg) which features neither actor to good effect. The comedy is never sharp, but over time it becomes forced, recovering a bit only at the end.

It's a shame because the premise, as said, offers much, and director Jack Arnold, while no Kubrick, seems to appreciate both Sellers' gift for light comedy and the kind of film which suits that best. At times, especially with some inspired breaks from the action, "The Mouse That Roared" feels more like an Ealing comedy than the Ealing comedy Sellers actually made four years before, the far darker "Ladykillers."

"Mouse" has an edge to it, regarding the folly of mutually assured destruction and American hegemony, yet it manages to couch this very cleverly by emphasizing how essentially good the U.S. really is. You try selling the idea of a film showcasing a successful sneak attack against New York, in which the attackers are presented as the good guys. Yet "Mouse That Roared" was a monster hit, and for that Arnold and his team deserve credit.

"Only an imbecile could have won this war, and he did!" complains Mountjoy of Bascombe, seeing no good in holding America hostage with a football-shaped explosive device 100 times more powerful than an H-Bomb.

Sellers is distinctive if not a laugh magnet in his three roles, but the film suffers from poor supporting work around him. Except for Leo McKern, playing Mountjoy's scheming ally, no one distinguishes him- or herself around Sellers, and a couple of key performances are gratingly bad. The humor of the Fenwickians being mistaken as spacemen by Manhattanites is beaten to the ground, as is the "comedy" of Tully's gang peppering the QEII with arrows as it passes them on the ocean.

History favors the big battalions, but comedy loves the underdog. Here you are presented with a vehicle for an underdog who would prove every bit as worthy of our favor as Chaplin or Keaton, though it would take better films to make that point.

Yojin

When they made The Mouse That Roared in 1959, the last thing they were worried about was what someone would think of the movie in 2011. Citizen Kane, this ain't. This was meant to be a fun movie, a little silly, a little immature, but with enough sophisticated jabs to work on several levels. And it succeeded. It was a huge hit at the time, and entered the cultural lexicon for many years, much as Wag the Dog did more recently.

The irony that it could be a good thing to be defeated by the U.S. was a concept that stayed in the public consciousness for many years. If given a chance, America did try to provide aid to many countries it went to war with, or simply poorer countries. But this formula for peace eventually stopped working, particularly with Iraq.

Many people today, lacking an understanding of history, would not understand the context of the humor, and so it would fall flat. The audience at the time got it, and it is an example of Americans laughing at themselves. Most of all, they laughed at Peter Sellers. This was his first starring role, and his first time playing multiple characters, following in the footsteps of Alec Guinness. While the performances are not as hilarious as his later works, they are delivered quite skillfully, and demonstrated his talent as a chameleon, which we would see in later movies. If you were to look at this movie, and compare it to later works, you might not believe they were the same actor.

I don't wish to deliver a history lesson on the Marshall Plan, the Cold War, the development of nuclear weapons, the UFO scare of the 50s, etc. But I would like to point out an amusing detail: the bomb shaped like a football-toaster hybrid. We don't see until the very end why it had the toaster slots. But the football shape was a reference to the Secret Service's code name for the briefcase they carried for the President containing the nuclear war codes, which was called "the football." I don't think the general public knew this until decades later, though.

There are some cinematic connections, such as The Marx Brothers' Duck Soup and the nation of Freedonia. The NYC cops lend an element of Keystone Kops to the story, though not much. Woody Allen would have done a better job with this material. Actually, his Bananas may have been influenced by this movie.

If you don't find this funny, or at least entertaining, perhaps you don't have a sense of humor. To be fair, the movie is dated in subject matter and style. But it is of interest in terms of film history. And it embodies the 1950s cinematic innocence and style, which often was intended to please children, as well as adults, because with the baby boom, there were lots of children, who often accompanied their parents to movies. In fact, I remember seeing this in the theater as a young child, and liked it, even though I could not have understood all the references.

So don't be too hard on this movie. Try to watch it when you are in the right mood. It is also a good family movie, and it would be interesting to see how young children respond to it today.

huckman

Sort of "Dr. Strangelove" without the deep, dark edge.

Peter Sellers, brilliant as always - plays three roles (including a Duchess) as the smallest country in the world decides to declare war on the US, because a California company is imitating the prize wine of Grand Fenwick. Their express intent of losing the war instantly, and then get rebuilding funds from the US, as the Germans and Japanese did after WWII. But through a series of slightly creaky co-incidences, the Duchy of Grand Fenwick ends up winning, not losing.

A genial and funny film, with some witty things to say about global politics, but also just a touch dopey at times.

Minha

This is actually one of the first comedy films I can remember seeing, my dad being a Sellars fan and having brought it home once. As a child of course I couldn't understand all the satirical elements here, but I did understand the basic set-up of having them invade the USA to get reparations and then winning the war, a premise I found amusing then at the age of 6 or 7 and that I still find very amusing.

There aren't really a lot of belly laughs in this one for me.... but nonetheless it's always watchable. Sellars is great in all 3 roles, really a bit of a case study in his technique. As the Grand Duchess Gloriana, he's the image of a strong woman. Her countrymen sometimes think she's just a fool, but she knows more than Mountjoy and Buckley in some ways. My favorite scene with her is when she's on the harpsichord and singing along. His count Rupert is a good example of the Sellars villain, in this case a very self-disciplined man who looks down on absolutely everyone else in the world. Tully Bascombe is a bit of a loser and a nerd, who everyone (again) thinks is a fool but who actually knows how to seize an opportunity when he sees it, whether it's a chance to conquer the USA or Jean Seberg. Speaking of Seberg, she is just entrancing in this film, though her character has little of substance to do.

The film was directed by Jack Arnold, more famous for his 50s monster films including "Creature from the Black Lagoon" and his later lagoon adventures with Gilligan and the Skipper. In the 60s Arnold parlayed his success with Gilligan into this film and several films with Bob Hope. This is the jewel of the bunch as far as what I've seen, probably Arnold's best film after he left Universal.

Recommended to fans of political humor and Peter Sellars.

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