IMDb > The Cat's-Paw (1934)

The Cat's-Paw (1934) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

User Rating:
6.9/10   439 votes
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Director:
Sam Taylor
Writers:
Clarence Budington Kelland (story)
Sam Taylor (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Cat's-Paw on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
7 August 1934 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy more
Tagline:
Everything new but these [eyeglasses]
Plot:
Naive Ezekial Cobb, brought up by his missionary father in China returns to America to seek a wife.... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
User Comments:
Harold speaks.... Chinese... sort of... more (21 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Harold Lloyd ... Ezekiel Cobb
Una Merkel ... Petunia Pratt / Cobb
George Barbier ... Jake Mayo
Nat Pendleton ... Strozzi
Grace Bradley ... Dolores Doce
Alan Dinehart ... Mayor Ed Morgan
Grant Mitchell ... Silk Hot McGee
E. Alyn Warren ... Tien Wang (as Fred Warren)
Warren Hymer ... Spike Slattery
J. Farrell MacDonald ... Shigley
James Donlan ... Red, the Reporter

Edwin Maxwell ... District Attorney Neal
Frank Sheridan ... Dan Moriarity, Police Commissioner
Fuzzy Knight ... Stuttering Gangster
Vince Barnett ... Wilks, a Gangster
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
102 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | Cantonese | German
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:
Portugal:M/6 | UK:PG
Company:
The Harold Lloyd Corporation more

Fun Stuff

Quotes:
Ezekiel Cobb: A cordial greeting, my worthy friend! more
Soundtrack:
The Stars and Stripes Forever more

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User Comments

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful.
Harold speaks.... Chinese... sort of..., 3 September 2009
5/10
Author: sterling-6 from the heartland

We hear so much about how the coming of sound ruined careers. This doesn't seem to be the case for Harold Lloyd, who smoothly makes the transition to talkies in 'The Cat's Paw' (1934). The story has Lloyd as missionary's son Ezekiel Cobb raised in rural China. On return to America Cobb becomes a patsy for a political machine, but to everyone's surprise gets elected mayor.

The story is entertaining even though most of the jokes fall flat. It does contain a lot of racial stereotypes and epithets, but is good natured and pretty equal-opportunity in it's treatment of various ethnic groups making it at least honest in it's portrayal of life in Depression era U.S.A.

Modern audiences may find the use of caucasian actors in Chinese roles, and the dubbing of Lloyd when he speaks Chinese in 'The Cat's Paw' as much more blatantly obvious than did audiences of the time. And while it's not as groundbreaking as Lloyd's silent film work, and there are admittedly better films from the mid 30s, as mentioned, it's entertaining and fast moving, and worth checking out if for no other reason than to see Una Merkel as savvy cigarette girl Pet and to see Lloyd transition from sight gags to speaking.

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