The Great Mouse Detective
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The Great Mouse Detective (first released on July 2, 1986), known as Basil, the Great Mouse Detective in the United Kingdom, is the 26th animated film produced by the Walt Disney Company.
Based on the children's story Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus, it draws heavily on the tradition of Sherlock Holmes with a heroic mouse who consciously emulates the detective; Titus named the main character after actor Basil Rathbone, who is best remembered for playing Holmes in film (and whose voice, sampled from the Red-Headed League[1] (http://www.basilrathbone.net/faq.htm#used), was the voice of Holmes in this film, 19 years after his death). The main characters are all mice and rats, who are living in London, England.
The movie is notable for its early use of computer generated imagery (CGI): for a chase scene that takes place in the interior of a clock, the movements of the clock's gears were produced as wire-frame graphics on a computer and traced onto animation cels. The characters were then animated by hand over these cels and the characters' completed cels placed on top of them. The Great Mouse Detective is sometimes cited as the first animated film to use CGI, but that honour actually goes to 1985's The Black Cauldron.
A series of comics based on the film were released, but were available only in Finland, Sweden, and Germany.
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Other Names
- The Adventures of the Great Mouse Detective (re-issue)
- Basil, the Great Mouse Detective (United Kingdom)
- Basil, el ratón superdetective (Spain)
- Basil, détective privé (France)
- Basil, der große Mäusedetektiv (Germany)
- Basil l'Investigatopo (Italy)
- オリビアちゃんの大冒険 (Olivia-chan no dai bouken (romaji)) (Japan)
- Basil Hiiri, mestarietsivä (Finland)
- Wielki Mysi Detektyw (Poland)
- Mästerdetektiven Basil Mus (Sweden)
English Cast
- Barrie Ingham - Basil of Baker Street/Bartholomew
- Val Bettin - Dr. David Q. Dawson/Thug Guard
- Vincent Price - Professor Ratigan
- Candy Candido - Fidget
- Alan Young - Hiram Flaversham
- Susanne Pollatschek - Olivia Flaversham
- Diana Chesney - Mrs. Judson
- Eve Brenner - The Mouse Queen
- Melissa Manchester - "Kitty" (Bar-room Mouse)
- Shani Wallis - Lady Mouse
- Ellen Fitzhugh - Bar Maid
- Basil Rathbone (recording from Red-Headed League; uncredited) - Sherlock Holmes
- Laurie Main - Dr. John H. Watson
- Walker Edmiston - Citizen/Thug Guard
- Wayne Allwine - Thug Guard
- Tony Anselmo - Thug Guard
- Frank Welker (uncredited) - Toby/Felica/Royal Guard Dogs
Memorable Quotes
Ratigan: Oh, I love it when I'm nasty.
Ratigan: Fidget, you delightful little maniac!
Dawson: The scoundrel's quite gone.
Basil: Ah, but not for long, Miss Flamhammer!
Olivia: Flaversham!
Basil: Whatever.
Basil: Miss Flamchester!
Dawson and Olivia: Flaversham!
Basil: Whatever.
Olivia: Goodbye, Basil. I'll never forget you.
Basil: Nor I you, Miss...Miss Flangerhanger.
Dawson: *chuckles* Whatever.
Fidget: Here you are, sweetheart.
The Mouse Queen: Have you been with us...long?
Basil: Ratigan, no one can have a higher opinion of you than I have, and I think you're a slimy, contemptible sewer rat!
Dawson: Now wait just a moment. How the deuce did you know I was a doctor?
Basil: A surgeon to be exact. Just returned from military duty in Afghanistan. Am I right?
Dawson: Why, ha, ha, yes. Major David Q. Dawson. But how could you possibly...?
Basil: Quite simple, really. You've sewn your torn cuff together with a Lambert stich, which, of course, only a surgeon uses. And the thread is a unique form of cat-gut, easily distinguished by its peculiar pungency, found only in the Afghan provinces.
Dawson: Amazing!
Basil: Actually, it's elementary, my dear Dawson.
Basil: *enraged* Ratigan, so help me, I'll see you behind bars yet!
Ratigan: You fool! Isn't it clear to you the superior mind has triumphed? I've won! *laughs evily*
Fidget: We have to lighten the load!
Ratigan: Oooh. You want to lighten the load. Excellent idea! *grabs Fidget and tosses him overboard*
Fidget: No! Not me! Wait, I can't fly! I can't fly!
Basil: There's always a chance, Doctor, as long as one can think.
External links
- The Great Mouse Detective: Disney's Underappreciated 26th Animated Film (http://www.geocities.com/escottish140/index.html) (fansite)
- 221½ Baker Street (http://www.geocities.com/chibijaime/gmd/) (fansite)
- *Cheese Crumpet* (http://www.geocities.com/cheesecrumpets/index.html) (fansite)
- Basil the Brilliant (http://www.geocities.co.jp/Hollywood-Cinema/9512/) (Japanese fansite)
- The GMD Deviantart Community/Club (http://gmd.deviantart.com/) (fan club)