The Great Mouse Detective

The Great Mouse Detective (known as Basil, the Great Mouse Detective in the United Kingdom) is the twenty-sixth film in the Disney animated features canon. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, and originally released to movie theatres on July 2, 1986 by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution.

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - Disney animated feature - Walt Disney Feature Animation - Movie theatres - July 2 - 1986 - Walt Disney Pictures - Buena Vista Distribution

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Based on the children's story Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus, it draws heavily on the tradition of Sherlock Holmes with a heroic mouse who consciously emulates the detective; Titus named the main character after actor Basil Rathbone, who is best remembered for playing Holmes in film (and whose voice, sampled from the Red-Headed Leaguehttp://www.basilrathbone.net/faq.htm#used, was the voice of Holmes in this film, 19 years after his death). The main characters are all mice and rats, who are living in London, England.

Related Topics:
Basil of Baker Street - Eve Titus - Sherlock Holmes - Basil Rathbone - Mice - Rat - London - England

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The movie is notable for its early use of computer generated imagery (CGI): for a chase scene that takes place in the interior of Big Ben, the movements of the clock's gears were produced as wire-frame graphics on a computer and traced onto animation cels. 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 that honour actually goes to 1985's The Black Cauldron.

Related Topics:
Computer generated imagery - Big Ben - 1985 - The Black Cauldron

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A series of comics based on the film were released, but were available only in Finland, Sweden, and Germany.

Related Topics:
Comics - Finland - Sweden - Germany

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Basil, Dawson, and Ratigan have also made a few appearances in the cartoon show House of Mouse. Their first appearance comes from "Donald's Lamp Trade". In this appearance, Basil stops Dawson from eating a piece of cheese that he claims is obviously a trap. Soon after, Ratigan reveals himself and says "Curses!" (Note: Basil and Ratigan have different voice actors for this appearance. Basil is voiced by Maurice LaMarche. Ratigan's voice actor is the classic suspense actor Vincent Price.

Related Topics:
House of Mouse - Maurice LaMarche - Vincent Price

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