Cat Ballou (1965)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Elliot Silverstein

Writers:

Roy Chanslor (novel)
Walter Newman (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

24 June 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Western

Tagline:

A gen-u-ine movie first! A way-out whopper! A funny movie? YOU BET IT IS...!

Plot:

A woman seeking revenge for her murdered father hires a famous gunman, but he's very different from what she expects.

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | Minstrel | Artificial Nose | Bathtub Scene | Drunk

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 10 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Jane Fonda	...	Catherine 'Cat' Ballou
Lee Marvin	...	Kid Shelleen / Tim Strawn
Michael Callan	...	Clay Boone
Dwayne Hickman	...	Jed
Nat 'King' Cole	...	Shouter (as Nat King Cole)
Stubby Kaye	...	Shouter
Tom Nardini	...	Jackson Two-Bears
John Marley	...	Frankie Ballou
Reginald Denny	...	Sir Harry Percival
Jay C. Flippen	...	Sheriff Cardigan
Arthur Hunnicutt	...	Butch Cassidy
Bruce Cabot	...	Sheriff Maledon
Burt Mustin	...	Accuser
Paul Gilbert	...	Train messenger

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Finland:K-8 | Norway:12 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Buckskin Joe Frontier Town & Railway - 1193 Fremont County Road 3A, Canon City, Colorado, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Like several other Columbia releases of the Sixties (Bye Bye Birdie, Strait-Jacket) includes a spoof of studio logo, in this case with the Torch Lady doffing robes in animation and turning into cartoon cowgirl.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: At the beginning of the train robbery sequence, a (relatively) modern signal box is visible beside the tracks.

Quotes:

Sir Harry Percival: A little wine with music...
[Sir Harry winds his gramophone]
Sir Harry Percival: ...a little Nineteenth Century science, Stone Age atmosphere, Cave Man passion...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in L'hôtel de la plage (1978)

The only reason Fonda got top billing is because it was called "Cat Ballou"

Let's face facts -- Fonda was OK in this movie, but Lee Marvin was in his glory as over-the-hill gunslinger Kid Shelleen. Add to that his second role as as the noseless Tim Strawn. Toss in the matter-of-fact way the Kid reveals that he and Tim had been brothers.

And leave us not forget my favorite scene -- the "suiting up" of the Kid prior to the ultimate showdown. It's almost like the investiture of an ancient high priest, down to the acolyte-like functioning of Jackson Two-Bears (played to perfection by Tom Nardini). Absolutely no dialogue, and set, as I recall, to music reminiscent of the Spanish corridas.

If anyone draws up a list of Lee Marvin's best films, they'd have to be nuts to not put this in the top three. His "Best Actor" Oscar for this film was well-deserved.

And equally high marks to whomever did the stunt work for Marvin. The antics on horseback during the last scenes, with a "drunken" Kid Shelleen in the saddle, have to be seen to be believed.

By all means, see this movie. Be ready to cheer for the "bad guys" as they seek revenge against the "badder guys". But do NOT, under any circumstances, think for a minute that the movie as shown on TNT is complete. The last time they aired it, they actually CUT part of the above-mentioned dressing scene -- an unforgivable sin of omission, in my book. Rent (or buy) the video or DVD instead.