Just as topical today as it was in 1959, the sharp political satire The Mouse that Roared brings forth some of Peter Sellers“ best work. The film will finally get a proper release from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment this fall.

This is the outlandish, sidesplitting tale of the fortunes of the Duchy of Grand Fenwick, a mythical land on the verge of bankruptcy because its one export, a fine wine, has been undercut by a U.S. company. Grand Fenwick’s Prime Minster (Sellers) and female monarch (Sellers) cook up a scheme to solve the problem – they will declare war on the States, lose, then collect lots of American post-war aid. Their only mistake is not telling their invasion force leader (Sellers) that he’s supposed to lose. Sellers lands in New York City during an air raid drill and finds the streets empty. Wandering about to find someone to surrender to, he discovers a brilliant scientist and his ultimate new weapon that could destroy the Earth. When they capture him and his bomb, Sellers” cast of characters are faced with a new possibility – what do you do when you win a war?

The DVD doesn’t contain much in the way of features save for a theatrical trailer and an anamorphic widescreen transfer.

On July 8th, Grand Fenwick declares war again. The suggested list price is $24.95.