That Darn Cat!

Director: Robert Stevenson Robert Stevenson

Overview

Though overlong even for a Hayley Mills vehicle, That Darn Cat is an expert blend of laughs and suspense. The eponymous feline is D.C., a Siamese belonging to sisters Hayley Mills and Dorothy Provine. One evening, D.C. comes flouncing home with a lady's wristwatch attached to her neck. The watch contains an unfinished plea for help scribbled on its back, written by Grayson Hall, a bank teller held captive in a neighboring house by robbers Neville Brand and Frank Gorshin. Mills and Provine contact the FBI, who send agent Dean Jones (who's allergic to cats) to investigate. In their efforts to locate and rescue Hall and capture the crooks, Jones and the two sisters embark upon a series of slapstick misadventures involving an unending stream of top character actors. The highlight is a lengthy sequence at the drive-in movie theatre managed by ulcerated Richard Deacon. That Darn Cat is based on Undercover Cat, a somewhat more serious suspense novel by The Gordons.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/03/2005
UPC:	0786936279528
Original Release:	1965
Rating:	G
Source:	Walt Disney Video
Region Code:	1
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:56:00
Sales rank:	4,019

Special Features

Closed Caption;Dolby Digital mono sound; French language track; Full screen (1.33:1)

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Hayley Mills	Patti Randall
Dorothy Provine	Ingrid Randall
Dean Jones	Agent Zeke Kelso
Roddy McDowall	Gregory Benson
Neville Brand	Dan
Frank Gorshin	Iggy
Elsa Lanchester	Mrs. MacDougall
Tom Lowell	Canoe
William Demarest	MacDougall
Richard Eastham	Supervisor Newton
Grayson Hall	Margaret Miller
Ed Wynn	Mr. Hofstedder
Richard Deacon	Drive-in Manager
Iris Adrian	Landlady
Liam Sullivan	Graham
Don Dorrell	Spires
Gene Blakely	Cahill
Karl Held	Kelly
Ben Lessy	Candy Man
Larry Blake	Police Officer

Technical Credits

Bill Walsh

Gordon Gordon

Robert Stevenson	Director
Eustace Lycett	Special Effects
Ron Miller	Producer
Bill Walsh	Producer,Screenwriter
Gordon Gordon	Screenwriter,Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

That Darn Cat is a typical Hayley Mills-Disney comedy. Some may find that a turn-off, but Cat is actually an enjoyable and engaging piece of fluff. Part of the appeal is the set-up; the gimmick of an ordinary cat being used to find a pair of kidnappers is fairly unusual. This being Disney, there's never a doubt that the hostage might be killed, but there's still some real tension, and Neville Brand provides legitimate menace as the rougher of the villains. Robert Stevenson directs with a sure hand. There's nothing experimental about what he does, but there is a faint but identifiable style to his work. While some of the comedy is obvious, he does blend the comic and more serious aspects of the film rather smoothly. Mills is engaging as always, and Dean Jones does yeoman work as the agent, but it's the supporting cast that stands out. Ed Wynn goes a bit too far this time around, but Elsa Lanchester, William Demarest and Richard Deacon are right on the money. Even Tom Lowell, stuck with the kind of boy friend role that can be annoying, comes off well. Lighthearted and entertaining, Cat is a most pleasant diversion.