The Mouse and His Child (film)
1977 American–Japanese animated film
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The Mouse and His Child is a 1977 animated film[7][8] based on the 1967 novel of the same name by Russell Hoban.[9][10]
Fred Wolf[1]
Carol Monpere
| The Mouse and His Child | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Charles Swenson Fred Wolf[1] |
| Written by | Russell Hoban (novel) Carol Monpere |
| Produced by | Walt deFaria |
| Starring | Peter Ustinov[2] Cloris Leachman Sally Kellerman Andy Devine |
| Music by | Roger Kellaway |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Sanrio[3] |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 83 minutes[4] |
| Countries | United States Japan[5] |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.6 million[6] |
Plot
The mouse and his child are two parts of a single small wind-up toy, which must be wound by a key in the father's back. After being unpacked, they discover themselves in a toy shop where they befriend a toy elephant and toy seal. The child mouse proposes staying at the shop to form a family, which the other toys ridicule.
They accidentally fall off the counter and end up in the trash. Once transported to the dump, they become enslaved by Manny the rat, who runs a casino and uses broken wind-up toys as his slave labor force. With the aid of a psychic frog, the mice escape and meet other animals on a quest to become free and independent self-winding toys.
They rediscover the elephant and seal, who are somewhat broken down. Together they manage to form a family and destroy the rat empire.[11][12]
Cast
| Character | English[13] | Japanese |
|---|---|---|
| Manny the Rat | Peter Ustinov | Ichirō Zaitsu |
| The Elephant | Joan Gerber | Masumi Harukawa |
| The Seal | Sally Kellerman | Shinobu Ôtake |
| The Frog | Andy Devine | Kinba Sanyûtei |
| The Crows | Frank Nelson | Gorō Naya |
| Cliff Norton | ||
| The Clock | Regis Cordic | Joji Yanami |
| Euterpe | Cloris Leachman | Yukiji Asaoka |
| Iggy | Neville Brand | Osamu Katō |
| Muskrat | Bob Holt | Kazuo Kumakura |
| Jack in the Box | Robert Ridgely | Ichirō Nagai |
| Teller | Maitzi Morgan | Keiko Han |
| Starlings | Yumi Nakatani | |
| Iris Rainer | Chiyoko Kawashima | |
| Paper People | Fuyumi Shiraishi | |
| Charles Woolf | Makio Inoue | |
| Bluejay | Kaneta Kimotsuki | |
| The Mouse | Alan Barzman[14] | Hiroshi Sakamoto |
| The Mouse Child | Marcy Swenson | Atsuko Sakamoto |
| Ralphie | Mel Leven | Shunji Fujimura |
Additional English voices
- John Carradine (The Tramp)
- Cliff Osmond (Serpentina)
Home media
Reception
Janet Maslin of The New York Times praised the direction, writing and music score, but criticized the darker elements and stated that "83 minutes is a long time for an adult to think about mice".[19]
Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide rated the movie BOMB (his lowest rating) out of four stars. He says "Boring animated film. Talk, talk, talk, and no action."[20]