The Battle of the Sexes (1960)

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(96 ratings)

In this 1959 comedy, Robert MacPherson (Robert Morley) inherits his family's textile business in Edinburgh, Scotland, then hires American efficiency expert Angela Barrows (Constance Cummings) to bring the business into the modern age. The House of MacPherson has long been known as a manufacturer of… More In this 1959 comedy, Robert MacPherson (Robert Morley) inherits his family's textile business in Edinburgh, Scotland, then hires American efficiency expert Angela Barrows (Constance Cummings) to bring the business into the modern age. The House of MacPherson has long been known as a manufacturer of fine Scottish tweed, and the company's mild-mannered head clerk, Mr. Martin (Peter Sellers), worries that the no-nonsense Barrows will ruin everything with her new-fangled ideas and eventually replace him and his co-workers with automatons. So after she installs the latest labor-saving devices, including intercoms and noisy adding machines, he sabotages them in a gradually unfolding scheme to persuade MacPherson that the old Scottish ways are still the best, that true craftsmanship requires a human touch. By this time, however, MacPherson has taken a fancy to Barrows romantically, and she can do no wrong. Then, horror of horrors, Barrows proposes that the company make synthetic tweed -- mass-produced synthetic tweed -- in an all-out effort to Americanize the Scottish firm. That's the last straw for Martin, and he thinks there is only one option left for him: to murder Barrows. Of course, meek Mr. Martin isn't exactly a natural-born killer, and he botches one attempt after another in a sequence of scenes that keep the action moving briskly along. But Martin has pluck and plenty of persistence, and he eventually hatches another plot to undo the meddlesome Barrows. The film, loosely based on a James Thurber story entitled The Catbird Seat, was directed by Charles Crichton, the same man who directed the highly successful Lavender Hill Mob. ~ Mike Cummings, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 28 min.
Directed By: Charles Crichton
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Dec 1, 1959 Wide

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Cast

            Peter Sellers as Mr. Martin

            Robert Morley as Robert MacPherson

            Constance Cummings as Angela Barrows

            Jameson Clark as Andrew Darling

            Ernst Thesiger as Old MacPherson

            Donald Pleasence as Irwin Hoffman

            Moultrie Kelsall as Graham

            Alex Mackenzie as Robertson

            Michael Goodliffe as Detective

            James Gibson as Night Watchman

            Noel Howlett as Mr. White

            Abe Barker as Mr. Meekie

            Gordon Phillott as Mr. Munson

            MacDonald Parke as C.J.

            Patricia Hayes as Jeannie MacDougall

            Eric Woodburn as Wine Shop Owner

            Donald Bisset as Tobacconist

            Aletha Orr as American Wife

            Sydney Keith as American Husband

            Fred Griffiths as 1st Porter

            Glyn Houston as 2nd Porter

            Norman Macowan as Jock Munro

            Roddy McMillan as Macleod

            William Mervyn as Detective's Friend

            Sam Wanamaker as Narrator

            Anne Sharp as Usherette

            Robert Crewdson as Policeman

            R. Meadows White as Delivery Man
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