Don Bluth's Manxmouse

Don Bluth's Manxmouse is based on the book by Paul Gallico. This hand-drawn Animation Adaption would be directed by Don Bluth alongside fellow animators Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy. This is a two part feature.

Part One
On a spring day in the fictional town of Buntingdowndale, England, A ceramicist who specializes in making realistic mouse figurines, with His friends, the mice, who live in His home and give the Ceramicist inspiration, just completed His 9,998th and 9,999th creations, to be given to the bride and groom at a wedding. Once the wedding reception was over, the Ceramicist, drunk from having too much to drink, is given a few pounds of blue moon clay by an elderly man to make something very special. After returning home, drunk from drinking too much cider, The Ceramicist returns home to make His 10,000th creation, as the mice watch in bewilderment. The next morning, the ceramicist, who barely remembers the night, realizes He created another mouse figurine and checks the kiln, and to His surprise and disappointment, He created an unusual mouse figurine. A Blue ManxMouse with orange ear innards, a body of an opossum, the front paws of a monkey, ears of a rabbit, feet of a kangaroo, no tail, and with no expression of timidity. The Ceramicist, who couldn't bring Himself to smash His failed project, decides to keep it, as a reminder not to drink too much at night.

Then, one autumn night, on a full moon, the light of the moon, shines on the figurine as the town clock struck thirteen, waking the ceramicist, as the figurine started to move, and then became flesh and blood. The ceramicist shed tears of joy, knowing that one of His works came to life. but, the ceramicist, knowing that He can't keep the Manxmouse a secret from the town, takes him to a forest where He can live in peace and safety, as the mice give a send-off. The Manxmouse thanked the Ceramicist for giving Him life as the latter returned to His home village. The Manxmouse, thinking there might be others like him, goes to search for them. Hours later, the Manxmouse encounters a shapeshifting ghost-like monster called a Boggart, said to turn into whatever its victims fear the most. but to the Boggart's shock, the Manxmouse walks through the forest without being scared. even though He turned into any animal that preys on mice, including a weasel, wolf, fox, snake, and cat. however, the Boggart is determined to scare the Manxmouse, even if it took the rest of His afterlife, but before leaving, the Boggart gave a grueling message, "Beware the Manx Cat", making the Manxmouse wonder what a Manxcat is, as the sun rose.

Miles later, The Manxmouse enters the village of Nasty, known for its four cottages surrounded by nature. The Manxmouse enters one of the cottages and goes to find food until He is spotted and chased by a kitten, but managed to escape, as the mother cat scolded Her kitten for chasing a potentially poisonous mouse, due to its blue fur. Safe from harm, the Manxmouse goes to another cottage but is attacked by a street cat, called One-Eye. who intends to eat Him, but stops when He realizes that He caught a tailless mouse, and apologized, saying only manxcats eat manxmice. As night began to fall, The Manxmouse goes to a pond to get himself clean, however, as He was done with his pond bath, Manxmouse is caught by a hawk, but, the Manxmouse enjoys the bird's-eye view of the environment, to the hawk's bewilderment. Soon, the hawk spots a rare cloud called a Cumulonimbus, but Manxmouse, feeling queasy from the high height, falls off but the hawk catches Him before falling to the ground. before saying goodbye, the hawk envies the mouse's ignorance of true fear, and it can be a great help in the future if He encountered the Manx Cat.

Days later, At a country club, Manxmouse rests on a rotting stump, until He hears the horn of Fox Hunters, and a large group of bloodhounds chasing a fox, who hides inside the tree. Manxmouse, who saw this, tossed acorns at the attacking bloodhounds, tripping them up as He tells the fox to make a run for the forest, which He does. With the fox hunt ruined, the hunters scolded the bloodhounds for their failure, until they spotted the manxmouse, and they order the dogs to capture it. but, thanks to the mouse's quick thinking, and despite not being able to climb a tree, the Manxmouse jumps on the fox’s back, without being seen by the dogs and hunters. After the ordeal, the fox, knowing His wife and His kits would not understand a fox having a mouse for a friend, as foxes eat mice and not wanting to be forced to eat His new friend, the fox said goodbye to Manxmouse, who goes west. As the fox wished the tailless mouse a safe journey, despite the Manxcat.

Dozens of miles later, with Winter approaching, Manxmouse started to get hungry and noticed an area with many unusual buildings, owned by Flicker Studios. As he was ready to go inside, He noticed a security guard keeping watch for my intruders. Starving, the Manxmouse, knowing He can’t dig under the gate, crawled through a hole in the fence, while getting shocked in the process. Once inside, the Manxmouse was intrigued by the many unusual things and buildings, but, as intriguing as they are, the Manxmouse needed food and noticed a catering truck, complete with a lot of food. As He was eating, the Manxmouse spotted an elephant eating hay and goes to say hello. However, one of the workers notices the Manxmouse and tries to swat it, thinking it’s a rat, but the tailless mouse dodges the attacks, climbs the elephant, and stops at the back of her neck. The elephant, whose name is Nelly, uses her nose to grab who’s on her neck and picks up the Manxmouse. Surprisingly, the elephant observes the Manxmouse and does not panic, even though She’s deathly afraid of mice. Manxmouse says to Nelly why She’s here at a movie studio. The elephant responded that since Her circus home was bankrupt, She has been trying to break into show business, She also said if She can’t complete the scenes within a week, Her career will be finished. Manxmouse, not wanting to see Nelly’s dream smashed, Helped her with the scenes, whispering instructions while hiding from the people. Days later, Nelly became more comfortable and listened to Manxmouse’s words. But in the last scene, where Nelly is to run away from a fireworks warehouse explosion, the director noticed something blue and has the workers check, unaware that the scene had started, and as the fireworks shot from all directions, scaring the Manxmouse out of the Studio, as Nelly ran after him. With the scene successful, the director thanked Nelly, and her owner, for such a great scene, as Nelly sadly trumpeted goodbye, and to take caution with the Manxcat.

Hours later, after running, the Manxmouse went inside a private school at night, where He finds shelter in a kitchen, ate some food, then fell asleep. the next morning, Manxmouse found some food in a kitchen but had to escape to avoid being detected by the disdaining Miss Martinet, the English Teacher, determined to punish who made the kitchen very messy. While hiding, Manxmouse met a kindly girl named Wendy H. Troy, who helps Him exit the school undetected. at Her home, Wendy introduces Herself, and after learning that Manxmouse has no first or middle name, She decides to let the Manxmouse stay for the winter, and gave Him a name, Harrison G. Manxmouse, named after Her favorite Uncle. Wendy taught Him plenty of what She learned in school, including the game of Chess, as She said that Her dream is to be an artist, but Her parents didn’t approve since artists don’t make much money. Harrison said that if being an artist is her dream, She should go for it. Wendy after hearing these words, thanked him.

In the credits, We see shapes forming Harrison, and replacing it is an outline of Harrison, then is colored fully.

Part Two
Winter had passed, and with Spring Break over, Wendy plays a game of chess with Harrison, which brought some unwanted attention from her next-door neighbors, including Miss Martinet, who spots Manxmouse and goes to tell the other schoolteachers. Minutes later, as Harrison is getting ready for bed, the teachers arrive, demanding to know where the mouse is hidden. Wendy refuses to stand aside as Miss Martinet pushes her aside to search her house. During that time, Harrison feeling hungry goes into the forest to look for food. Minutes later, after the teachers fail to find the mouse, Miss Martinet demanded Wendy tell her where she hid the mouse, and as Miss Martinet was about to strike Wendy, the Poetry teacher, Mr. Marrow, told Her to stop, as Corporal Punishment isn't allowed whether in or out of school. As the other teachers went home, Mr. Marrow apologizes to Wendy for all that’s happened and talks to her about what to do about the Manxmouse. Later, as Harrison returned to Wendy’s house, Mr. Marrow with a heavy heart, told Wendy that She can't have Harrison as a pet, because bad people like Miss Martinet will exploit or destroy Him as He is destined to be eaten by the Manx-Cat. With that, Wendy said goodbye to Manxmouse, as Mr. Marrow said that Wendy's right about good friends that are hard to find. Then, in private, Harrison asked Mr. Marrow if there were any manxmice, but the teacher said that in the tale, Harrison’s species were decimated by the manxcats. Harrison, after hearing this, run off while crying.

After a week passed, Harrison travels by truck to London, eating crackers sorrowfully during the trip, while he can’t stop thinking about the manxcat. Harrison exits the truck and encounters a big cat covered in mud, which happens to be the escaped tiger. Miles away, hunters are preparing themselves to shoot the tiger, despite the tiger’s trainer’s protests. Manxmouse seeing that there’s too many people for the tiger to sneak in without being seen, has a plan. Harrison goes inside a circus tent, scaring the elephants, distracting the hunters long enough for the tiger to return. The tiger thanked Harrison for saving his life. Later that night, Harrison asked the tiger about where the manxmice are at, and the tiger said that the Manxmice went extinct many years ago. Hearing this, Harrison left the circus in despair, but, a shady man named Mr. Smeater approached the sorrowful mouse saying that there’s a way to save Harrison’s species. Hesitant, Harrison takes up the man’s offer and goes with him to London.

Seconds after arriving in London, Mr. Smeater, owner of a pet shop, and displays Him to potential buyers at His shop, complete with rare animals, including birds, snakes, hamsters, mice, rats, rabbits, ferrets, cats, and dogs, all of them smuggled from other countries, After Smeater displays the rare mouse in his shop, customers come and buy the other animals. But, earning the jealousy of the other mice. realizing that the animals adopted by customers didn’t care about the animals’ well-being and that the animals miss their homelands, Harrison escapes the shop and frees all of Smeater's animals, and after a chase through London's streets, hides out in Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, closed for the night. Having lost Smeater and the buyers, Harrison goes into the basement of the museum, and sleeps well, unaware that the place had exhibits that would normally scare people. minutes before dawn, Harrison wakes and encounters a wax replica of Himself. In a heart-to-heart talk, the wax replica says the Manxmouse exists for a reason. minutes after the museum opens, Smeater and the buyers locate Harrison, as the mouse runs for His life and hides in a newspaper kiosk, where He hears two people talk that Manx Cats live in the Isle of Man. Harrison then collects some coins and asks the kiosk owner, where the Manx Cat lives. the owner says that to reach Manx Cat's house, He must go to the Isle of Man. by taking a train to Liverpool, and board the S.S. Manxbelle. And that's just what Harrison did. Just as Smeater is arrested for smuggling and the buyers for purchasing smuggled animals.

Arriving at the Isle of Man, by boat leaving Liverpool, Harrison goes to search for the Manx-Cat. after getting directions from a man (the same man who gave the ceramicist the magic Clay) Harrison finds the Manxcat at the Point of Ayre Lighthouse, the Manx-Cat spots Harrison, but calmly and politely welcomes the Tailless mouse to the Isle of Man. The Manx-Cat introduces Himself as Thomas N. Manx-Cat, and introduces His wife Margery, who will have her second litter of kittens on the final day of June, which is Tomorrow. Thomas lets Harrison in the house and He makes seafood and some fresh water, as He sadly said it will be His last meal, because tomorrow, on account of a book called the Book of Premonitions, predicted and written by a prophet. Manxmouse, after hearing about the book, instead of running away, asks Manx-Cat more about the Book, which Manx-Cat read on, reading the history of the warring tribes of the Manx Mice and Manx Cats from 5,000 years ago. After the story, Harrison sorrowed that there was no other manxmice on the island or anywhere on earth.

Tomorrow came, as Thomas and Harrison prepare to go to the site of the Manxmouse's death, Harrison sadly said goodbye to Thomas’ three kittens. (one is tailless, one has a stumpy tail, and one has a long tail) at Castle Rushen. where the Island's Cats and Mice watch. along with every person Harrison encountered in his adventure, (including the Ceramicist) and the policeman from London offering to be a referee to the event. as the proceedings started, Thomas started to hesitate and shed tears, saying, that He can't bring Himself to eat Harrison without resistance, even though the Book of Premonitions says to. Thomas asks Harrison if he wants to fight for his survival, but Harrison refused, at first. But, at the urging of the other mice, Harrison decides to take a stand, ready to fight for his survival. Then, a representative from the Wax Museum, arrives at the castle. saying that in the book, "If the Aforesaid tailless mouse takes a firm stand, ready to fight for survival, all future events in the book of Premonitions will be null and void. as the Manxmouse and Manxcat will live in peace."

Harrison and Thomas celebrated as every witness cheered. Then, Thomas realizing there was some time left, ran home to witness the birth of his second litter, much to the delight and relief of Margery. Later in the day, Harrison watched the sky, saddened by the fact there are no manxmice, and wished that he was a true mouse with a tail. After hearing this, the man whom Manxmouse asked for directions, placed two mouse figurines (one is a tailed mouse, the other a tailless female mouse) in front of Harrison. the moonlight bathed the figurines which became flesh and blood. (A part of the manxmouse representing Harrison’s desire to be a normal mouse, went into the tailed figurine. With Harrison acknowledging him as His little brother) The man said that the figurines were created by the ceramicist, days after Manxmouse was born. Days later, Harrison and the female manxmouse married, and after a few months, the manxmice were blessed with many children, (those with or without a tail), and the manxmice and manxcats look forward to a bright future where they Manxmice and Manxcats can coexist in peace and harmony.

In an epilogue, the ceramicist retired and learning that children wanted to have a manxmouse of their own, decided to teach them about creating ceramic mouse figurines. The Boggart still haunts the moors of Buntingdowndale, but still waited to scare Harrison if he ever returned. In the village of Nasty, One-Eye the cat is adopted by an elderly couple. Captain Hawk’s rank has been promoted since going inside a cumulonimbus cloud and telling stories to his younglings about a mouse who feared nothing, especially predators, The fox kept his promise to Harrison by sparing the next mouse he caught, and after the country club was closed down, the fox’s family lived there in safety. Nelly the Elephant and her owner, are living the life of Luxury as She hopes to work with mice in a future movie. Wendy H. Troy, after the incident, went to another school to study art, at the urging of Mr. Marrow. Smeater’s smuggled animals returned to their places of origin, except the mice who decide to live in Liverpool. And Manxmouse’s little brother romanced one of the town’s mice. As for the Manxmouse and Manxcat Families, they look at the night sky, knowing their future is brighter than any star in the sky.

Transcript
Don Bluth's Manxmouse (Transcript)