Mousey

This article is about the 1974 Canadian thriller film. For the American jazz drummer, see Mousey Alexander.

See also: Mousie (disambiguation)

Mousey (released as Cat and Mouse in cinemas and on UK television)^[2] is a 1974 Canadian thriller film directed by Daniel Petrie,^[3] and starring Kirk Douglas, Jean Seberg, and John Vernon.^[4]

Mousey
Directed by	Daniel Petrie
Written by	John Peacock
Produced by	Beryl Vertue Aida Young
Starring	Kirk Douglas Jean Seberg
Cinematography	Jack Hildyard
Edited by	John Trumper
Music by	Ron Grainer
Production companies	Associated London Films Universal Television
Distributed by	American Broadcasting Company Anglo-EMI Film Distributors Alliance Films MCA/Universal Pictures MTC Video New Gold Entertainment VTI Home Vídeo Warner Home Video
Release date	March 9, 1974 (1974-03-09) (US)
Running time	89 minutes[1]
Country	Canada
Language	English

Although produced for television, the film was released theatrically outside Canada and the United States. In London, it was shown as part of a double feature with Craze.^[5][6]

Plot

In Halifax, Nova Scotia, biology teacher George Anderson (Douglas) is nicknamed "Mousey" by his students after he fails to dissect a frog. When he learns that his pregnant wife (Seberg) is carrying another man's child, he follows her to Montreal, where he intends to kill both 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 called it "complicated and not very interesting",^[9] and the Los Angeles Times wrote that it "seems to have been doomed from the start".^[8]

Leonard Maltin reviewed the film more favourably, calling it "tightly made" and praising Douglas as "wonderfully sinister".^[10] Amis du film described it as a "good 'suspense' film", though noted a lack of originality in its plot.^[11] The Monthly Film Bulletin called it "a thriller with some pretensions to psychological depth".^[1]

Legacy

Mousey has been re-aired on television and released on VHS, with several film blogs noting a developing cult following.^[12][13]