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]
| 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 | Murakami-Wolf Productions
|
| 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 Cliff Norton | Gorō Naya |
| The Clock | Regis Cordic | Joji Yanami |
| The Tramp | John Carradine | Unknown |
| Euterpe | Cloris Leachman | Yukiji Asaoka |
| Iggy | Neville Brand | Osamu Katō |
| Muskrat | Bob Holt | Kazuo Kumakura |
| Jack in the Box | Robert Ridgely | Ichirō Nagai |
| Starlings | Iris Rainer Maitzi Morgan | Chiyoko Kawashima Yumi Nakatani |
| Paper People | Iris Rainer Charles Woolf | Fuyumi Shiraishi Makio Inoue |
| The Mouse | Alan Barzman[14] | Hiroshi Sakamoto |
| The Mouse Child | Marcy Swenson | Atsuko Sakamoto |
| Ralphie | Mel Leven | Shunji Fujimura |
| Teller | Maitzi Morgan | Keiko Han |
| Serpentina | Cliff Osmond | Unknown |
| Bluejay | Charles Woolf | Kaneta Kimotsuki |
Home media
The film was first released on RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video on VHS in 1983 [15] and re-released in 1985[16] in the United States. A DVD version has yet to be released in the United States,[17] but it was released on DVD in Japan.[18]
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]
