Man-eating businesswoman, Angela Barrows is sent by her US company to Edinburgh to investigate export opportunities. She meets businessman Robert MacPherson en route and he persuades her to help bring his company into the 20th century. The staff, lead by Mr. Martin, have other ideas and a battle between the old and new business methods breaks out.



viewer's comments:


- Peter Sellers plays tweedy little man with a plan.

British comedy where mild-mannered character played by Sellers is moved to murder when the company he's given his life to is taken over by brash American woman. Due to make-up, Sellers looks the same age as when he played all those Pink Panther movies in the 70's. Cute ending, too.



- Sellers sublime

This well-cast adaptation of a classic James Thurber story relocates the action to Edinburgh and offers Peter Sellers one of his best roles as a timid bureaucrat who turns into a man of action when the crusty family firm he works for is threatened by an "efficiency expert" (and a female one at that!). His bumbling attempts to resolve the situation at the climax are a delight whilst co-star Robert Morley is perfect in the sort of role that he was born to play.

There's some fine location work, beautifully shot in black-and-white by Oscar-winning cinematographer Freddie Francis and a late screen appearance by "Doctor Praetorius" himself, the sepulchral Ernest Thesiger.



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

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.



- Great adaptation of Thurber's story

I read Thurber's short story, "The Catbird Seat" as a part of my English course in school, and thoroughly enjoyed it then. Seeing the film version (years later) was a real treat. Peter Sellers was very good as the shy and sneaky Mr. Martin, but Constance Cummings reduced Miss Barrows to a caricature. Her breakdown at the end of the film comes across as contrived - she makes it look as if Miss Barrows is pretending to cry to get sympathy. Other than that, it is a thoroughly enjoyable film to watch.



- One of Sellers' funniest and finest

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.



Directed by
Charles Crichton

Writing credits
James Thurber (story The Catbird Seat)


Monja Danischewsky


Cast (in credits order) verified as complete
Peter Sellers .... Mr. Martin
Robert Morley .... Robert MacPherson
Constance Cummings .... Angela Barrows
Jameson Clark .... Andrew Darling
Ernest Thesiger .... Old MacPherson
Donald Pleasence .... Irwin Hoffman (as Donald Pleasance)
Moultrie Kelsall .... Graham
Alex Mackenzie .... Robertson
Roddy McMillan .... MacLeod
Michael Goodliffe .... Detective
James Gibson .... Night watchman
Noel Howlett .... Mr. White
Abe Barker .... Mr. Meekie
Gordon Phillott .... Mr. Munson
William Mervyn .... Detective's friend
Norman Macowan .... Jock Munro
MacDonald Parke .... C.J.
Patricia Hayes .... Jeannie MacDougall
Eric Woodburn .... Wine shop proprietor
Donald Bisset .... Tobacconist
Althea Orr .... American wife
Sydney Keith .... American husband
Meadows White .... Deliveryman
Fred Griffiths .... Porter #1
Glyn Houston .... Porter #2
Robert Crewdson .... Policeman
Anne Sharp .... Usherette
Sam Wanamaker .... Narrator (voice)



Runtime: USA:84 min
Country: UK
Language: English
Color: Black and White
Sound Mix: Mono (RCA Sound System)
no cover art. plain packaging