| Mousey | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Daniel Petrie |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | John Peacock |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Ron Grainer |
| Cinematography | Jack Hildyard |
| Edited by | John Trumper |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by |
|
Release date |
|
Running time | 89 minutes[1] |
Mousey (released as Cat and Mouse in theaters and on UK television)[2] is a 1974 Canadian thriller action drama film directed by Daniel Petrie,[3] and starring Kirk Douglas, Jean Seberg and John Vernon.[4]
Although made for television, it was released theatrically outside of the U.S. In London, it was shown as part of a double feature with Craze.[5][6]
Plot
In Halifax, Novia Scotia, biology teacher George Anderson (Douglas) earns the nickname "Mousey" from his students when he is unable to dissect a frog. However, when he learns that the child that his pregnant wife (Seberg) is expecting is not his, he follows her to Montreal, where he plans to kill her and her lover.[7][8][1]
Cast
- Kirk Douglas as George Anderson
- Jean Seberg as Laura Anderson / Richardson
- John Vernon as David Richardson
- Bessie Love as Mrs. Richardson
- Beth Porter as Sandra
- Sam Wanamaker as Inspector
- James Bradford as Private Detective
- Suzanne Lloyd as Nancy
- Stuart Chandler as Simon
- Valerie Colgan as Miss Wainwright
- Mavis Villiers as Martha
- Elliott Sullivan as Harry
- Bob Sherman as Barman
- James Berwick as Headmaster
- Margo Alexis as Miss Carter
- Robert Henderson as Attorney
- Louis Negin as Couturier
- Jennifer Watts as Party Guest
- Tony Sibbald as Workman
- Don Fellows as Foreman
- Francis Napier as Engineer
- Roy Stephens as Hotel Receptionist
- Elsa Pickthorne as Concierge
- John Corbett as Pawnshop Customer
Production
Mousey was filmed on location in Montreal, Canada and at Pinewood Studios in England. Filming commenced in November 1973.[6]
Reception
The film received mixed reviews. Steven H. Scheuer was negative, saying that, "It's complicated and not very interesting;"[9] and the Los Angeles Times wrote that "Mousey seems to have been doomed from the start."[8] Leonard Maltin, however, reviewed it positively, calling it "tightly made" and praising Douglas as "wonderfully sinister,"[10] and Amis du film called it "a good 'suspense' film," although noting a lack of originality in its plot.[11] Monthly Film Bulletin called it "a thriller with some pretensions to psychological depth."[1]
Legacy
Mousey has since been re-shown on television and released on VHS, resulting in blogs noting the film's rising cult status.[12][13]
References
- Citations
- ^ a b c Raisbeck, John (January 1, 1974). "Cat and Mouse". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 41 no. 480. London. p. 122.
- ^ Coates-Smith & McGee 2014, p. 184
- ^ Roberts, Jerry (5 June 2009). Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors. Scarecrow Press. p. 444. ISBN 978-0-8108-6378-1.
- ^ Lentz III, Harris M. (24 October 2008). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2005: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture. McFarland Publishing. p. 378. ISBN 978-0-7864-5210-1.
- ^ Allon, Yoram; Cullen, Del; Patterson, Hannah (2000). The Wallflower Critical Guide to Contemporary North American Directors. Wallflower. p. 355. ISBN 978-1-903364-10-9.
- ^ a b Coates-Smith & McGee 2014, p. 186
- ^ Thomas, Tony (1991). The Films of Kirk Douglas. Citadel Press. p. 283. ISBN 978-0-8065-1217-4.
- ^ a b Thomas, Kevin (Mar 9, 1974). "Kirk at the Breaking Point in 'Mousey'". Los Angeles Times. p. B3.
- ^ Scheuer, Steven H. (1977). Movies on TV. p. 487.
- ^ Maltin, Leonard (1989). Leonard Maltin's TV Movies and Video Guide. p. 742.
- ^ Coates-Smith & McGee 2014, p. 185
- ^ "The Tie That Binds – Rediscovering 'Mousey' (US/UK 1974–86 mins)". Tina Aumont's Eyes. January 26, 2015.
- ^ "Cat and Mouse (1974)". Ninja Dixon. August 10, 2011.
- Bibliography
- Coates-Smith, Michael; McGee, Garry (January 10, 2014). The Films of Jean Seberg. McFarland Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7864-9022-6.
External links
- Mousey at IMDb
- Mousey at AllMovie
- Mousey at the TCM Movie Database
- Cat and Mouse at the British Film Institute
- Mousey at AlloCiné (in French)