User Reviews

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 .

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 ****

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.

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.

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.

Who would think it was funny to write a movie about a bomb and the fools to get it? Peter Sellers stars and plays several role including the Duchess of Grand Fenwick (A small independent country) in Europe. The country is upset with the United States and declares war. The laughter continues along the way with Peter Sellers, playing a willing soldier to surrender to the United States if possible. When the Fenwick soldiers arrived in New York City, the streets are deserted because there is a an air raid drill going on and everybody's underground. Peter Sellers is brilliant and fantastic in many roles. Jean Seberg is fine as the love interest. Her character's father developed a bomb stronger than the atomic bomb. There is plenty of dark humor but also an equal amount of light humor as well. To think a small country could invade the United States and win by circumstance is funny. Please watch if you love Dr. Strangelove as well.

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.

A small, Middle Age-like nation, whose inhabitants look like Peter Sellers, faces an economical crisis. Their solution? Declare a war on the USA and, once defeated, receive economical help from them. But things go surprisingly wrong when their 'army' 'invades' New York and end up capturing a scientist and his prototype Q-bomb (stronger than the H-bomb), putting them on a winning position on the war.

The movie satirizes the Cold War, using as its driving point the economical help the USA gave to the other countries after WWII (the Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine, for example). It also pokes quite fun on the USA/USSR rivalry during the time, as well as war in general.

If not entirely funny, it at least has a funny premise and a interesting development. The film's visual is a showing of its lighthearted tale, and Peter Sellers steals the show, even though he's not as funny as usual. He is one of the few who could successfully pull off multiple roles in a single movie (unfortunately Eddie Murphy is not one of these few, but seems to refuse to realize this).

Its comedy never really works to me, at least not in the 'laughing-out-loud' department; but then, most British comedies tend to have that effect on me (Monty Python being the exception). However, I can see how many would find it very funny, plus it is never boring and always interesting to watch.

It warrants a recommendation; moreover, if you are a fan of British style comedies like the original 'The Ladykillers' then this movie is definitely for you.

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.

A post-Ealing comedy perhaps, well, perhaps not, as it's hard to imagine the Boulting Brothers making such a politically specific modern-day satire as this, but nevertheless the irreverence, charm and humour are all very definitely there.

Of course, adding to the Ealing feel is Peter Sellers doing an Alec Guinness with a multi-part role as the dim but determined Everyman Tulley Bascombe of the Duchy of Grand Fenwick, chosen to lead the invasion force to the United States, its rascally Prime Minister Count Rupert and its droll dowager ruler, the Grand Duchess Gloriana. I think old Obe Wan would have been proud of his disciple's very different but very good performances.

The film makes astute and still relevant political points, particularly about America invading countries and then afterwards cleaning up the mess by showering foreign aid on them as well as wider points about the preposterousness of the whole weapons of mass destruction argument.

The humour is sparkling, right from the spoof opening and end title sequence featuring a live "Miss Columbia" hitching up her dress and vacating her plinth and continues on in fine style from there. My favourite scenes included the Grand Fenwick mother literally locking up her daughter at the sight of the four American policemen in their midst, the mock-serious A-bomb interlude, the US and Russian envoys playing a board game called "Diplomacy" (although "Monopoly" itself would have been more apt) and a sub-title joke that was years ahead of Woody Allen in "Bananas".

Sellers, as I said, acts the three best parts in the film with his already established versatility and comic timing, but Leo McKern as the collaborating and conspiring leader of the opposition, future Doctor Who William Hartnell as the stern first officer and David Kossof as the perhaps too stereotypical potty professor inventor of the bomb, also shine while Jean Seberg, with her modern, boyish hair-cut is delightful as the latter's dutiful, beautiful daughter.

My only real complaint would be the simpering, docile part played by women in the film, including Seberg's part, but I guess times and attitudes to females were different then and maybe I should make some allowances. On the whole though this was an ace British comedy, quirky, topical and above all, funny.

The more you know about the aftermath of World War Two, the funnier this film is. It was a very timely satire, making fun of the Marshall Plan, American shirt advertising, the price of agricultural goods (a very important issue in the '50s). It makes fun of "The World, the Flesh, and the Devil" and "The Bridge Over the River Kwai" British misunderstanding of baseball, American military men romancing British women when the Americans were stationed there. There are echoes of the great radio show Sellars appeared in-- The Goon Show. The movie is in no way obscene or dirty, but sexuality is a strong current all through it in that way in which Freudianism sexualized nearly everything in the popular mind back then. Jean Seberg in her prime is of the first rank of all beautiful women in human history. I saw a bit of this on black-and-white TV, and color adds a great, great deal to this film-- more than I expected. It's an excellent satire-- better if you know '50s history. It made me laugh out loud.

I can't quibble with the performance offered by Peter Sellers in this movie. Much as in "Dr. Strangelove," he plays three parts (the Duchess, Prime Minister and Field Marshall of the tiny fictional country of Grand Fenwick) and he plays them superbly. Having said that, I also have to say that, in spite of Sellers' fine performance, I just didn't find this movie to be particularly funny. The story has huge comedic potential. Grand Fenwick is supposedly the tiniest country in the world (obviously somebody forgot about The Vatican, which is far smaller than Grand Fenwick was described as being.) It's also extremely backward, with an army equipped with bows and arrows and suits of armour, and its entire economy is dependent on wine exports, which have gone into the tank, so to speak, and so the PM (Sellers) hatches a plan: declare war on the United States, lose and receive massive amounts of U.S. foreign aid. The invasion of New York City is placed in the hands of the incompetent Field Marshall Tully Bascombe (also Sellers), but he's so incompetent that he actually wins the war he's supposed to lose by capturing a physicist who's invented the most powerful bomb ever made. What's Grand Fenwick to do once the United States has surrendered?

It sounds so good - but I just didn't find it that funny. Maybe it's the British style of comedy, but I've seen other British comedies and enjoyed them; I've seen Sellers in other movies and enjoyed them. For whatever reason, this one just didn't work for me.