'' (also known as '''''The Adventures of the Great Mouse Detective''''' for its US reissue and '''''Basil, the Great Mouse Detective''''' in some countries) is the twenty-sixth
Animated Feature in the
Disney Animated Features Canon . It was produced by
Walt Disney Feature Animation , and originally released to
Movie Theaters on
July 2 ,
1986 by
Walt Disney Pictures and
Buena Vista Distribution . The film was directed by Burny Mattinson, David Michener, and the team of
John Musker and
Ron Clements , who later directed Disney's hit films ''
The Little Mermaid '' and ''
Aladdin ''.
Based on the children's story '' and
Rat s living in
London .
The movie is notable for its early use of . The movements of the clock's gears were produced as wire-frame graphics on a computer, traced onto animation cels, and 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
1985 's ''
The Black Cauldron '' has this distinction.
This film did fairly well in the box office and got warm reviews from critics (especially a "two thumbs up" from popular critics
Siskel And Ebert ), a welcome change after the previous Disney flop
The Black Cauldron . But it wouldn't compare to the big success of ''
The Little Mermaid '', released three years later, which signaled a renaissance for Walt Disney Productions.
- - The great detective himself, based on fictional sleuth Sherlock Holmes. His main goal is to get Professor Ratigan behind bars and rescue Olivia Flaversham's father while simultaneously preventing an royal assassination. There are a few differences between Basil in the book series and in the film version, such as mercurial moods in the latter. He also plays the violin rather well in the movie, whereas the book series stated Basil's violin playing was atrocious-- instead, Basil played the flute.
- - Previously of the Queen's 66th Regiment in Afghanistan . His character is based upon Dr. Watson from the Sherlock Holmes stories. The chemistry between him and Basil mimics that of Watson and Holmes, as Dawson is constantly is amazed by Basil's deductions. He eventually becomes Basil's associate, friend, and personal biographer. In the film, the animators modeled the character after Nigel Bruce in both appearance and character. As a result, Dawson is essentially a fat bumbler who is redeemed by his good heart.
- - A small girl mouse of Scottish descent who seeks Basil's help in finding her toymaker father. Basil carelessly mangles her surname several times when speaking to her, and gets the surname correct only once when speaking to Olivia's father, Hiram. Her surname is most likely based on Flora and Fauna Flaversham from the Basil of Baker Street book series.
- - Basil's arch enemy. Based on Professor Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes stories, this character plots to seize control of the British monarchy. He and Basil have a long-established adversarial relationship. In the book series, it is revealed his given name is Padraic and that Ratigan is in fact, a mouse. This could be the reason why Ratigan in the movie (who is a rat; hence he has four fingers while the other mice have three fingers) takes offense from being referred to as a rat.
- - Ratigan's evil henchman.
- 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
- "The World's Greatest Criminal Mind" performed by Vincent Price (Professor Ratigan)
- "Let Me Be Good to You" performed by Melissa Manchester ("Kitty")
- "Goodbye So Soon" performed by Vincent Price (Professor Ratigan)
- This film was re-released theatrically on February 14 , 1992 . It was then released under the Walt Disney Black Diamond Classics video series in the summer of 1992. It was then re-released to video again in the summer of 1999. Finally in 2002, it was released to DVD .
- Darkwing Duck has a statue of Basil in his living room which he uses to get to his crime fighting lair in the television show of the same name.
- Basil, Dawson, and Ratigan have also made a few appearances in the cartoon show '' for this series.)
