The Battle of the Sexes: Peter Sellers in a tour de force performance

By Albert Ohayon

The Battle of the Sexes (1960 United Kingdom, Charles Crichton)

Synopsis: An American business efficiency expert goes to Scotland to help modernise a firm specializing in the production of tweeds. When she decides that absolutely everything must be changed, the meek chief accountant concludes that he must get rid of her at all costs in order to save the company.

This pre-Pink Panther Peter Sellers film is easily one of the best he made before his turn as Inspector Clouseau catapulted him into world stardom. Here, he plays Mr. Martin, the meek, polite, loyal chief accountant at Macpherson Tweeds, a company that has been in existence for almost 200 years. This company appears to employ only older men who work in near total silence. The arrival of Angela Burrows (the efficiency expert) into their midst is the equivalent of a hurricane descending upon a quiet meadow.

You see, the men who work at Macpherson Tweeds are all loyal to the older Macpherson owner. He unfortunately dies, leaving the business to his son (Robert Morley) a man who is more interested in seeing the world than making tweeds. When the younger Macpherson meets the beguiling Mrs. Burrows (she’s divorced), he is fascinated by her no-nonsense business approach and her incredible charm. She suggests he make big changes to his business in order to bring him into the 20^th century. As he knows nothing about business and is smitten by her, he agrees.

At first, the changes are quite reasonable. There is Mr. Martin’s convoluted filing system that is first to go. Then, adding machines are purchased to more accurately invoice customers. The first major problem arrives with the installation of an intrusive intercom system.

Throughout these changes, Mr. Martin remains calm and accepts that there are bound to be positives from some of the changes. He starts to rebel when Mrs. Burrows suggests that the 700 weavers that the firm employs (all living and working remotely in the Hebrides) be sacked and a centralized factory be built. Then she suggests that the firm start making synthetic fibres instead of the wool ones to cut costs.

This is the final straw. Martin decides that she must be eliminated at all costs. So begins the transformation of the conservative, teetotaling Martin into a diabolical, scheming genius.

Sellers is absolutely wonderful in this film. He was only 35 when this film was made but plays a man at least 25 years older. His scenes with Constance Cummings (Mrs. Burrows) are hilarious. He NEVER loses his cool, even when he attempts to eliminate her. He has put together a detailed plan on how to fix the problem and attacks it with resolve.

Now this is a comedy, so it is obvious that no one will be hurt but the fun lies in seeing how the situation will unfold. Even though the title hints at a battle between men and women, this is more about conflicting business ideals: The simple, respectful business model where everybody wins or the greedy, exploit-everyone-to-make-lots-of-money model. I give you one guess as to which one triumphs.

There are some very funny scenes in this movie but the one where Martin sabotages the intercom is a standout.  Cummings and Morley are terrific in this but Peter Sellers puts in a tour de force performance. In my opinion, this is one of his top 5 performances ever. The film is based on the James Thurber short story The Catbird Seat, an expression (unknown to me) that is explained in the movie.

This film is a must see. I give it 5 efficiency experts out of 5.

(at the time this article was published, the film was available to stream on YouTube and on the Internet Archive)