''A Rat's Tale'' () is a 1997 fantasy film directed by Michael F. Huse, based on the 1985 children's book ''A Rat's Tale'' by

Tor Seidler Tor Seidler (born 1952 in Littleton, New Hampshire) is an American author of children's literature. Many of his books feature anthropomorphic animals. ''Mean Margaret'' was nominated for a National Book Award, ''The Wainscott Weasel'' was named a ...

. The film features marionette work by German theater group

Augsburger Puppenkiste The Augsburger Puppenkiste (German for: Augsburg Puppetchest) is a marionette theater in Augsburg, Germany. It is located at the former Heilig-Geist-Spital in the historic center of Augsburg. Since 1948, the "Augsburger Puppenkiste" had been pro ...

, along with state-of-the-art visual effects, and the live action human cast include

Beverly D'Angelo Beverly Heather D'Angelo (born November 15, 1951) is an American actress who starred as Ellen Griswold in the '' National Lampoon's Vacation'' films (1983–2015). She has appeared in over 60 films and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for ...

Jerry Stiller Gerald Isaac Stiller (June 8, 1927 – May 11, 2020) was an American comedian and actor. He spent many years as part of the comedy duo Stiller and Meara with his wife, Anne Meara, to whom he was married for over 60 years until her death in 20 ...

Lauren Hutton Lauren Hutton (born Mary Laurence Hutton; November 17, 1943) is an American model and actress. Born and raised in the southern United States, Hutton relocated to New York City in her early adulthood to begin a modeling career. Though she was ini ...

, and the German actor Josef Ostendorf. The film was released in Germany on March 27, 1997, by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

under their

Family Entertainment ''Family Entertainment'' is the second album by the British progressive rock band Family, released in March 1969. The cover of the album was a takeoff from the sleeve of the Doors' second album, '' Strange Days'', as Family admitted. Backgrou ...

label. It received a limited release in the United States on March 20, 1998, by Legacy Releasing.

Plot

Cast

Live-action cast

* Josef Ostendorf as Mr. Lou Dollart **

Danny Wells Jack Westelman (April 7, 1941 – November 28, 2013), professionally known as Danny Wells, was a Canadian actor. He was best known for his role as Charlie, the bartender on ''The Jeffersons'', as well as his role as Luigi in the live-action/ani ...

voices Mr. Lou Dollart in the English version. *

as Mrs. Dollart *

as Prof. Plumpingham *

as Evelyn Jellybelly * Jonathan Kinsler as Architect Stressback * Steffen Wink as Assistant Nick McRafferty ** Scott Weil voices Assistant Nick McRafferty in the English version. * Andreas Herder as Assistant Tom O'Dooley ** Nicholas Benson voices Assistant Tom O'Dooley in the English version. *

Jack Recknitz Jack Recknitz (born Hans-Joachim Recknitz; 1931-2013) was a German and Polish actor. Born 25 May 1931 in Baden-Baden to a family of actors: Hans-Joachim Zinke senior and Katharina Recknitz. Early in his youth he started working for the Leipzig Rad ...

as Mr. Adams *

Natja Brunckhorst Natja Brunckhorst (born 26 September 1966) is a German actress, screenwriter, and director. Brunckhorst was 13 years old when she was selected by director Uli Edel for the leading role as Christiane F. in the critically acclaimed 1981 dramatis ...

as Mrs. Lucy * Yoshinori Yamamoto as Futon San

German voice cast

Philipp Moog Philipp Moog (born August 29, 1961 in Munich, Germany) is a German television actor, Novelist, Teleplay-author, Audiobooknarrator and voice actor. He is the German voice of Neil Patrick Harris, Ewan McGregor and Owen Wilson. Career In 1983, havin ...

as Monty Mad-Rat Jr. (Monty Spinnerratz) * Carmen Plate as Isabella Noble-Rat (Isabella Nobelratz) * Klaus Havenstein as Old Monty (Monty Senior) * Gudo Hoegel as Rudi Rake-Rat (Rudi Raffratz) * Donald Arthur as Jean-Paul Canalligator (Knaligator Charon)

English voice cast

Dee Bradley Baker Dee Bradley Baker (born August 31, 1962) is an American voice actor. Much of his work has consisted of vocalizations of animals and monsters. Baker's roles include animated series such as '' Adventure Time'', ''American Dad!'', '' Avatar: The Las ...

as Monty Mad-Rat Jr. *

Lynsey Bartilson Lynsey Marie Bartilson (born July 1, 1983)Martin, Patti (May 6, 2003)"'She's Grounded; Lynsey Marie Bartilson, Who Plays Lily Finnerty on 'Grounded for Life,' Got Her Start in Musical Theater'" ''Asbury Park Press''. May 6, 2003. p. 41. Retri ...

as Isabella Noble-Rat *

Raymond Guth Raymond John Guth (May 29, 1924 – December 17, 2021) was an American film, stage and television actor. Early years Guth was born on May 29, 1924, in Oil City, Pennsylvania. He studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse while supporting himsel ...

as Old Monty *

Scott MacDonald Scott may refer to: Places Canada * Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec * Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380 * Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Sas ...

as Rudi Rake-Rat * Donald Arthur as Jean-Paul Canalligator

Production

Filming took place in New York and an abandoned steelworks site in Duisburg. The interior sets were shot at

Warner Bros. Movie World Warner Bros. Movie World is a theme park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. Owned and operated by Village Roadshow Theme Parks, the park opened on 3 June 1991. It is part of a entertainment precinct, with the ...

in Bottrop.

Release

Home media

The film was released in the United States and Canada on VHS by

Warner Home Video Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, Inc. (doing business as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment; formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the American home video distribution ...

on May 12, 1998.

References

External Links

* * * 1997 films 1990s German-language films 1997 fantasy films German fantasy films 1990s English-language films English-language German films Films about mice and rats Films set in New York City Marionette films Warner Bros. films {{1990s-US-film-stub