The Battle of the Sexes (1960) Reviews

• One of Sellers' funniest and finest

  grstmc2002-08-16

  Peter Sellers could do just about anything and this film helped to prove that fact. With some white hair, a moustache, and spectacles, you thoroughly believe his transformation into Mr. Martin, a character at least twenty-five years older than the actor was at the time. Although the title sounds like a sex romp, that's not the right description of this clever comedy with a somewhat dark theme. But BATTLE OF THE SEXES is about a power struggle between a man and woman. Martin is the faithful manager at the House of MacPherson, a Scottish firm that's been turning out tweed the same way for decades. When the new heir (Robert Morley) takes over, he brings in a domineering efficiency expert (Constance Cummings), an American no less, whose ideas threaten to ruin the company. Martin is forced to act. While he seems like a quiet and unassuming sort, he actually has a lot of guile and cunning beneath his mild-mannered exterior. First he tries to get her fired, but when that doesn't work he decides that more drastic measures are called for - like murder. Martin comes up with what he believes is the perfect plan, and all he has to do is carry it out. Do yourself a favor and watch it all unfold. Entertaining from start to finish, hilarious in several places, with a good supporting cast, and a plot that has a couple of surprises in store. Sellers proves yet again that he's a true comic genius. Three cheers for that, and four stars out of five for the film.

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• Cultural and progress clashes lead to war in the Tweed business

  foordie1999-01-01

  A delicious mix of dry comments, cultural clashes and devious expressions. Sellers is excellent as the mouse-like Mr Martin shocked to the core by the brash Miss Barrows and driven by his devotion to the family to protect tradition at all costs ! The bumbling uncertainty of the head of the Tweed empire could only be achieved by Morley whose portly figure towers over his frail employees as they await his next disastrous decision. Great examples of new not always being better (or not allowed to be !) form the key of the battle until the final hilarious showdown between the American and Scottish way of thinking. Every second is a film treat - should be on everyone's shelves !

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• One of Peter's best pre-Hollywood outings.

  gregcouture2003-04-14

  This one is a lot of fun, wryly funny, not over-produced and, of course, impeccably cast. Sellers was often sabotaged once Hollywood purloined him but here he's in fine form and gives one of his cleverest performances. Robert Morley lends just the right level of support and Constance Cummings makes a formidable opponent to Sellers's mild-mannered Scot. She's extremely funny without being allowed to go too "over the top." Looks like this one is not available on video so catching it on TV will reward those who keep a sharp eye on the broadcast listings.

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• Thurber's THE CAT BIRD'S SEAT - moved to Scotland

  theowinthrop2006-07-30

  Just like the criticism from feminists that Laurel & Hardy rarely paint a realistic picture of a wife, girlfriend, or woman in their films (Mae Busch is certainly one tough customer against them), the writer - cartoonist James Thurber was also accused of misogyny. His female characters are eccentric, blasé about the worst tragedies that befall male characters (a woman confronts a hippopotamus in the jungle, and we see the remains of a man's clothing and property on the ground - "Just what did you do with Dr. Millmoss?" she asks waving her finger in the hippo's face, like she is a kindergarten teacher), and frequently fully ready to do battle to the death for domination of their male counterparts. So women do have a point, but Thurber is equally critical about the men who inhabit his planet too. All too frequently they are cowardly - witness his greatest fictional character, "Walter Mitty", who retreats into fantasy to survive a dreadful life. Thurber did a series of cartoons entitled "The War Between Men and Women" that traces a genuine war between the sexes. It does end with a male victory (femenists please note). But he also wrote this short story, "THE CAT BIRD'S SEAT" which is like an expanded version of an earlier tale called "THE UNICORN IN THE GARDEN". In both, a Walter Mitty type man is confronted by a dominating wife or woman, and manages to turn the table on her by "proving" to the people who matter that the woman is crazy. "THE UNICORN IN THE GARDEN" was actually a Thurber fable, and it has been made into several films or television episodes (one was on MY WORLD AND WELCOME TO IT). THE CAT BIRD'S SEAT is a little different. It turned out to be made into a film only once - in 1959, and in Great Britain - not the United States. It's stars are Peter Sellers, as a meek Scotsman working in a century old textile firm in Edinburgh. It's current owner is Robert Morley, who has more money than sense. Morley has spent most of his time in London, so he has forgotten that the great capital of the North is a slower, more traditional place than the hated southern capital. Morley has met Constance Cummings, an energetic American businesswoman, who has depressed the morale of the American firm she has been working for. In fact, when the film begins, Cummings is told (rather cruelly by a drunken Donald Pleasance) that he was told to accompany her to London not for business conferences, but to unceremoniously dump her as she was boarding a train. Her male counterparts (including Pleasance) are entirely upset at her showing them up by her superior abilities and energy. Hence the way they drop her. Morley is too fatuous to understand what a danger this woman will be to his staff. He is just impressed at her stroking his ego, and her big ideas about expanding business by modernizing equipment and processes that have stood the test of time. Sellers, the business manager when Morley is usually away, watches with horror as a complicated inter office intercom system is put in for the staff to use to contact each other (rather than just walking over to each other's desk). The wisdom of this development is shown to Morley when one of his employees (while trying to get a cup of tea) pushes the wrong button and says something insulting about Morley in his hearing. Other innovations are coming, and Morley is certainly under Cummings' thumb. Sellers comes up with the idea of killing the American, and goes to her apartment. But at the last moment he just can't bring himself to do it. Instead, Cummings unwittingly gives him a better idea. Who'd believe he would ever visit her at night at her apartment? Taking advantage of this, he starts telling her his wild "plan" to get rid of Morley and take over the firm with Cummings as his partner lover. He convinces her that he means business, and she tries to warn Morley, who has shown up for dinner. But Sellers, Morley, and Cummings (in a well choreographed sequence) keep missing each other in the apartment, so that the next day Sellers can deny he ever was there. Which may lead to Cummings leaving the firm. Or will it? As a follow - up to THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY and THE MALE ANIMAL, THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES is worthy to be watched with them. Despite the expansion of the story to give it the Scottish atmosphere, and Morley's fatuous boss, everything works. And as with WALTER MITTY, after you've seen this read THE CAT BIRD'S SEAT to see what was the original tale like.

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• Many a battle has been won without striking a blow.

  Spikeopath2010-11-11

  The Battle of the Sexes is directed by Charles Crichton (The Lavender Hill Mob/ The Titfield Thunderbolt) and it stars Peter Sellers, Robert Morley & Constance Cummings. It's based on the short story The Catbird Seat written by James Thurber, with the script written by Monja Danischewsky. The grand House of MacPherson in Scotland has been supplying genuine Scottish tweeds for many years. Tho Woven out in the sticks by the professionals, the tweeds are sold out of the Macpherson HQ in Edinburgh. When Old MacPherson (Ernest Thesiger) dies, his son, Young MacPherson (Morley), takes over but is hardly blessed with business acumen. Things start to get dicey when he brings in Angela Barrows (Cummings) as an efficiency expert, an American lady he met on the train. The ageing staff, led by Mr. Martin (Sellers), is horrified as she starts updating the methods of running a business. To their minds a woman is for making the tea and cleaning up, not for doing away with hundreds of years of tradition with new fangled contraptions and ideas. However, Mr. Martin hatches a plan to rid the company of this meddlesome modern tyrant. Something of an unknown British comedy featuring the great Peter Sellers, The Battle of The Sexes sees him teamed with Crichton to deliver a smart and very funny piece. The film is dealing in cultural clashes and the battle is not just of the sexes, but also a poignant conflict between the advent of time and its impact on business'. Arcane traditionalists versus the forward thinking modern capitalist: or if you like? British custom versus American progress. Both played superbly by Sellers; as the calm and unhurried Mr. Martin; and Cummings as the get up and at em quickly Angela Barrows. Danischewsky's script is very impressive given that the source was very slight, and Crichton has done wonders to not let the film descend into slapstick or out of place screwball. Much like Mr. Martin, the comedy is very sedate, unhurried or forced. There's some farce in there, with one chase sequence in Angela's apartment wonderfully constructed, but the film never gets out of control and it's all the better for it. As the two rivals try to outwit each other, this brings Morley's (great as usual) oblivious Young Mac into play. The result is a three pronged character piece deserving of a bigger audience. 8/10

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