The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn (also known as Gone Goon) is a 1956 British short comedy film directed by Joseph Sterling and starring Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Dick Emery.[2] It was written by Harry Booth, Jon Penington and regular Goon show co-writer Larry Stephens, from a story by Stephens, with additional material by Sellers and Milligan.
| The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn | |
|---|---|
 Cover of DVD release | |
| Directed by | Joseph Sterling |
| Written by | Larry Stephens (original story and screenplay) Harry Booth (screenplay) Jon Penington (screenplay) Peter Sellers (additional material) Spike Milligan (additional material) |
| Produced by | Harry Booth Michael Deeley Jon Penington |
| Starring | Peter Sellers Spike Milligan Dick Emery |
| Cinematography | Gerald Gibbs |
| Music by | Edwin Astley |
| Distributed by | Archway Film Distributors |
Release date |
|
Running time | 27 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £4,500[1] |
| Box office | £45,000[1] |
Plot
editSupposedly filmed in "Schizophrenoscope" ("the New Split-Screen"), it concerns Superintendent Quilt of Scotland Yard's attempts to retrieve a "Mukkinese Battle-Horn'" stolen from a London museum. Along the way he meets characters not dissimilar to Eccles, Henry Crun and Minnie Bannister from The Goon Show.
Cast
edit- Peter Sellers as Inspector Quilt/Henry Crun/Sid Crimp et al.
- Spike Milligan as Sergeant Brown/Eccles/Minnie et al.
- Dick Emery as Nodule/Maurice Ponk
- Doug Robinson as waiter
- Pamela Thomas
- Bill Hepper
- Wally Thomas
- Gordon Phillott
Production
editThe budget of £4,500 was raised from Archway Film Distributors (£1,500); Peter Weingreen, who worked with Michael Deeley and Harry Booth on The Adventures of Robin Hood (£1,500); and Joseph Sterling, who wanted to direct (£1,500). Peter Sellers was paid £900.[1]
Emery replaced Harry Secombe, who was too expensive for the film's low budget.[citation needed]
Release
editThe film was unable to secure a release in the US but screened widely as a supporting short in British cinemas. Michael Deeley says it remains the most profitable film he was ever associated with, returning its cost ten times over.[1]
Critical reception
editKine Weekly wrote: "Its players work hard, but its humour, pretty crude, is mainly addressed to the lowbrows."[6]
The New York Times wrote: "It is a good thing Mr. Sellers and his helpers didn't try to stretch it for longer than a half hour. But within that time and with reservations ... it makes a lively little lark."[7]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Michael Deeley, Blade Runners, Deer Hunters and Blowing the Bloody Doors Off: My Life in Cult Movies, Pegasus Books, 2009 p 17-20
- ^ "The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
- ^ Scudamore, Pauline (1985). Spike Milligan: A Biography. London: Granada. ISBN 0-246-12275-7. p.173. Scudamore states the film was made by Richard Lester, but it is not clear from other sources that this was the case
- ^ Lewis, Roger (1995). The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. London: Arrow Books. ISBN 0-09-974700-6.
- ^ Bevan, Clifford (2000). The Tuba Family (2nd ed.). Winchester: Piccolo Press. p. 120. ISBN 1-872203-30-2. OCLC 993463927. OL 19533420M. Wikidata Q111040769.
- ^ "The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn". Kine Weekly. 468 (2540): 31. 19 April 1956 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Crowther, Bosley (31 July 1962). "Screen: British 'Coming-Out Party':Comedy on Prisoners of War at the Plaza". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
External links
edit- The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn at IMDb
- The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn at AllMovie
- Entire script for The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn
- The Goons films at The Goon Show website (archived)
- The Goons films at The Telegoons website