The Great Mouse Detective facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Great Mouse Detective |
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Original theatrical release poster
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| Directed by |
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| Produced by | Burny Mattinson |
| Story by |
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| Starring |
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| Music by | Henry Mancini |
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| Distributed by | Buena Vista Distribution |
| Release date(s) | July 2, 1986 |
| Running time | 74 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $14 million |
| Money made | $38.7 million |
The Great Mouse Detective is an animated mystery film made by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures in 1986. It is the 26th Disney animated movie. The film was directed by Burny Mattinson, David Michener, John Musker, and Ron Clements. Musker and Clements later directed famous movies like The Little Mermaid (1989) and Aladdin (1992).
The movie was also known as The Adventures of the Great Mouse Detective when it was shown in theaters again in 1992. In some countries, it was called Basil the Great Mouse Detective. The main characters are all mice and rats who live in London during the Victorian era.
The story is based on the children's book series Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus. It is inspired by the famous detective Sherlock Holmes. The main mouse hero acts a lot like Sherlock Holmes. Eve Titus named the character Basil after the actor Basil Rathbone, who was well-known for playing Holmes in movies. Rathbone's voice, taken from an old recording, was even used for Holmes in this film, many years after he passed away.
The Great Mouse Detective came out in theaters on July 2, 1986. It received good reviews and made a lot of money. This was a big change from Disney's previous animated movie, The Black Cauldron (1985), which did not do well. The success of this film helped Disney's animation department become strong again, leading to a period known as the Disney Renaissance.
Plot Summary
The story begins in London in June 1897. A young mouse named Olivia Flaversham is celebrating her birthday with her father, Hiram, who is a toymaker. Suddenly, a bat with a hurt wing and a peg leg breaks into their workshop and kidnaps Hiram.
Olivia goes looking for the famous Great Mouse Detective, Basil of Baker Street, but she gets lost. A kind doctor named David Q. Dawson, who has just returned from serving in Afghanistan, finds Olivia. He takes her to Basil's home.
At first, Basil doesn't seem interested in helping. But when Olivia describes the bat with the peg leg, Basil realizes it must be Fidget. Fidget is a helper for Professor Ratigan, a bad guy Basil has been trying to catch for years.
It turns out that Ratigan kidnapped Hiram. He wants Hiram to build a clockwork robot that looks exactly like the Queen of the Mice. Ratigan plans to use this robot to take over England. Hiram doesn't want to help, but he agrees when Ratigan threatens Olivia. Ratigan then tells his helpers that he plans to get rid of the Queen and become the "supreme ruler of all mousedom."
Meanwhile, Fidget appears outside Basil's window, and they chase him. Basil, Dawson, and Olivia use Toby, Sherlock Holmes's pet Basset Hound, to follow Fidget's smell. They find him in a toy shop, stealing parts for clocks and toy soldier uniforms. Fidget tricks Olivia and kidnaps her. Basil and Dawson try to follow, but they get stuck and fall behind.
While searching the shop, Dawson finds Fidget's list of stolen items. Basil uses science tests to figure out that the list came from a riverfront area near the River Thames. Basil and Dawson dress up like sailors and go to a tavern called the "Rat Trap." They find Fidget there and follow him to Ratigan's secret hideout.
However, Basil and Dawson walk into a trap set by Ratigan. Ratigan ties them to a mousetrap connected to a complicated machine designed to kill them. Ratigan then leaves for Buckingham Palace, where his helpers kidnap the real Queen. Basil quickly figures out how to escape the trap, and he, Dawson, and Olivia get free just in time.
At Buckingham Palace, Ratigan forces Hiram to make the toy Queen work. The real Queen is taken away to be given to Felicia, Ratigan's pet cat. The toy Queen announces that Ratigan is the new ruler of all mice. Ratigan then shares his mean plans for his new "subjects."
Basil, Dawson, and Olivia save Hiram and the real Queen. They also tie up Fidget and Ratigan's other helpers. Basil takes control of the robot Queen, making it say that Ratigan is a fake and a bad ruler, and then breaks it into pieces. The crowd of mice, angry at Ratigan's actions, turns against him.
Ratigan escapes on his airship with Fidget, holding Olivia hostage. Basil, Dawson, and Hiram quickly build their own flying machine using a matchbox and some small helium balloons, held together by the Union Jack flag. To make his airship lighter, Ratigan throws Fidget overboard. He then tries to fly the airship himself. Basil jumps onto the airship to fight Ratigan, causing it to crash into the Big Ben clocktower.
Inside the clocktower, Basil manages to get Ratigan's cape caught in some gears. He saves Olivia and safely gives her back to Hiram. Ratigan breaks free and attacks Basil, eventually knocking him onto the airship. When the clock strikes 10:00, the loud bell rings, and Ratigan falls to his death, pulling Basil with him. However, Basil grabs a piece of Ratigan's airship and saves himself.
Back at Baker Street, Basil and Dawson talk about their exciting adventure. After the Flavershams leave, a new client arrives, looking sad and needing Basil and Dawson's help. Basil tells the client that Dawson is his trusted partner, and Dawson decides to stay and help Basil.
Characters and Voice Actors
- Barrie Ingham as Basil, a smart detective who is based on Sherlock Holmes. His main goal is to catch Professor Ratigan and save Olivia Flaversham's father. He also wants to stop Ratigan from harming the Queen. In the movie, Basil plays the violin very well.
- Vincent Price as Professor Ratigan, Basil's biggest enemy. He is based on Professor Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes stories. Ratigan plans to take over the British monarchy. He and Basil have been enemies for a long time. In the movie, he says he is not a rat, even though he looks like one. At the end of the film, he falls from Big Ben after a big fight with Basil, similar to a Sherlock Holmes story.
- Val Bettin as Major Dr. David Q. Dawson, a doctor who used to be in the Queen's army. His character is based on Dr. John H. Watson from the Sherlock Holmes stories. Dawson is often amazed by Basil's clever thinking. He becomes Basil's helper, friend, and writes down their adventures. Dawson also tells the story of the movie.
- Susanne Pollatschek as Olivia Flaversham, an eight-year-old mouse from Scotland. She asks Basil for help to find her toymaker father.
- Candy Candido as Fidget, Ratigan's clumsy bat helper. He does the dirty work for his boss. He has a hurt wing and a peg leg, so he cannot fly. Ratigan throws him off his flying machine near the end of the movie, and he falls into the River Thames.
- Frank Welker as Toby, Basil's loyal basset hound dog. He actually belongs to Sherlock Holmes, who lives above Basil.
- Alan Young as Hiram Flaversham, Olivia's loving father from Scotland. He works as a toymaker. Fidget kidnaps him to make the Queen Mousetoria robot for the evil Ratigan.
- Frank Welker as Felicia, Ratigan's big and proud pet cat. Ratigan rings a special bell to call her when he wants to get rid of anyone who makes him angry. Royal Guard Dogs chase Felicia during the movie's exciting ending.
- Diana Chesney as Mrs. Judson, Basil's housekeeper. She cares a lot for Basil but gets annoyed when he shoots his pistol at her good pillows. She is based on Mrs. Hudson.
- Eve Brenner as Queen Mousetoria, the mouse queen of England. Ratigan tries to remove her from power. She is a funny version of Queen Victoria, and the movie takes place around the time of the real Victoria's special celebration.
- Melissa Manchester (uncredited) as Miss Kitty Mouse, a singer at a rough tavern called The Rat Trap.
- Barrie Ingham as Bartholomew, one of Ratigan's helpers. He meets a bad end early in Ratigan's song when he calls his boss a rat. Ratigan gets angry, throws him outside, and calls Felicia, who takes him away.
- Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes, the famous human detective who lives above Basil. His voice is taken from an old recording of a Sherlock Holmes story.
- Laurie Main as Dr. Watson, Sherlock Holmes's medical partner who also lives above Basil.
- Wayne Allwine, Tony Anselmo, Walker Edmiston and Val Bettin as the Thug Guards.
See also
In Spanish: The Great Mouse Detective para niños
