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 | Vengeance | Murder Of Father | Beautiful Woman

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:

The film's horse trainer told Elliot Silverstein that the scene where a horse leans against a wall with its front legs crossed could not be shot because horses don't cross their legs, then that it might be possible if he had a couple of days. Silverstein invoked his rank as director and gave him an hour. The trainer plied the horse with sugar cubes while repeatedly pushing its leg into position, and they were able to get the shot.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Cat is in the jail cell prior to her hanging, the bars on her cell's window appear and disappear between shots.

Quotes:

Sir Harry Percival: [shows her the bedroom on the train] This is the master bedroom. Do you approve?
Cat: Oh, it's swell. A regular Tintoretto!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Legend of Zorro (2005)

Lee Marvin deserved the Oscar!

I watched Cat Ballou again the other day after a gap of over 35 years. A spoof western, definitely. That Lee Marvin should not have won the Oscar? No way. It is far more difficult to carry off a role in what is obviously a pastiche than to excel in a serious dramatic part. Lee Marvin plays it to perfection. Watch his face in the bar scene in the hole in the wall, desperately trying to catch the moment to propose a toast - "I'll drink to that!". It's brilliant. This film has to be watched in the context of its time. It is no good trying to compare it to today's special effects dominated blockbusters or Pixar animations. The semi-musical format was innovative, and remains so today. Cat Ballou is a perfect example of 60's "cool".