The Mouse on the Moon
Directed by Richard Lester
Written by Michael Pertwee from the novel by Leonard Wibberley
1963/UK
Walter Shenson Films
First viewing/Amazon Instant
[box] [repeated line] Grand Duchess Gloriana XIII: It’s that nasty tin thing again![/box]
This was possibly more hilarious in 1963 than it is now.
The setting is The Duchy of Grand Fenwick as introduced in 1959’s The Mouse That Roared. The duchy is still presided over by Grand Duchess Gloriana XIII (Margaret Rutherford) but Rupert Mountjoy (Ron Moody) has taken over as Prime Minister. Mountjoy has determined that the tiny duchy needs new plumbing and once against plots to get the money out of the US. This time the plan is to announce that Grand Fenwick needs cash for its space program. This will give the Americans the chance to show “international cooperation” with a country that cannot really compete.
In the meantime, a scientist has in fact dreamt up a low-tech way to get to the moon and the US and USSR can’t risk coming in second … or third. With Terry-Thomas as a birdwatcher.
This lost me shortly after it began. There are some funny moments but the humor is perhaps too topical … and too British …to really work for this viewer at this late date.
