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Battle Of The Sexes
on DVD (1959)
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Brief synopsis of Battle Of The Sexes
THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES is a witty black comedy from Ealing comedy director Charles Crichton. The House of MacPherson has been supplying Scottish tweeds for years--its weavers make the tweed in their homes on the Scottish islands, and the staff sells it in the company's Edinburgh premises. When Old MacPherson (Ernest Thesiger) dies, his son, Young MacPherson (Robert Morley), takes over and brings in an efficiency expert. That's bad enough, but worse, the expert is a woman and, even worse than that, she is an American woman. Horrors. The staff, led by Mr. Martin (Peter Sellers), is aghast. The expert Angela Barrows (Constance Cummings) begins to organise, to streamline, and to make plans to update the company's manufacturing methods. Young MacPherson is entranced--seduced by the idea of becoming famous for his soon-to-be-implemented revolutionary manufacturing methods. However, the ever-deferential Mr. Martin discovers unexpected levels of cunning as he pits his wits against the brash American. THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES is crisply directed by Charles Crichton, with a witty script by Monja Danischewsky, based on a James Thurber story. And Peter Sellers gives a fine performance as the shy, inhibited Mr. Martin, who turns out to be an extraordinary schemer.
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Critics Reviews
Radio Times
This comedy contains one of the most under-rated performances by Peter Sellers. He plays a Scottish accountant doing battle with American efficiency expert Constance Cummings, who wants his firm to get rid of old-fashioned impedimenta like him. There's an industrial message that's still relevant today, though director Charles Crichton never seems to be in control enough to make it matter. Perhaps he was too overawed by Sellers's accent, which makes Billy Connolly sound almost English!
Halliwell's Film Guide
Sub-Ealing black comedy which tends to misfire despite effort all round.
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