The AristoCats (1970)

Director:

Wolfgang Reitherman

Writers:

Larry Clemmons (story) and
Vance Gerry (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

24 December 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Music

Tagline:

Meet the cats who know where it's at...for fun, music and adventure!

Plot:

With the help of a smooth talking tomcat, a family of Parisian felines set to inherit a fortune from their owner try to make it back home after a jealous butler kidnaps them and leaves them in the country.

Plot Keywords:

Butler | Cat | Mouse | Dog | 1910s

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Phil Harris	...	O'Malley (voice)
Eva Gabor	...	Duchess (voice)
Sterling Holloway	...	Roquefort (voice)
Scatman Crothers	...	Scat Cat (voice)
Paul Winchell	...	Chinese Cat (voice)
Lord Tim Hudson	...	English Cat (voice)
Vito Scotti	...	Italian Cat (voice)
Thurl Ravenscroft	...	Russian Cat (voice)
Dean Clark	...	Berlioz (voice)
Liz English	...	Marie (voice)
Gary Dubin	...	Toulouse (voice)
Nancy Kulp	...	Frou-Frou (voice)
Pat Buttram	...	Napoleon (voice)
George Lindsey	...	Lafayette (voice)
Monica Evans	...	Abigail (voice)
Carole Shelley	...	Amelia (voice)
Charles Lane	...	Lawyer (voice)
Hermione Baddeley	...	Madame (voice)
Roddy Maude-Roxby	...	Butler (voice)
Bill Thompson	...	Uncle Waldo (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ruth Buzzi	...	Frou-Frou (singing voice) (uncredited)
Robie Lester	...	Duchess (singing voice) (uncredited)
Peter Renaday	...	Milkman / Le Petit Cafe Cook (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Wolfgang Reitherman

Writing credits
Larry Clemmons		(story) and
Vance Gerry		(story) &
Ken Anderson		(story) and
Frank Thomas		(story) &
Eric Cleworth		(story) and
Julius Svendsen		(story) &
Ralph Wright		(story)
Tom McGowan		(based on a story by) &
Tom Rowe		(based on a story by)

Produced by
Winston Hibler	....	producer
Wolfgang Reitherman	....	producer

Original Music by
George Bruns

Film Editing by
Tom Acosta

Production Design by
Ken Anderson

Production Management
Don A. Duckwall	....	production manager (as Don Duckwall)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dan Alguire	....	assistant director
Edward Hansen	....	assistant director (as Ed Hansen)

Sound Department
Robert O. Cook	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Dick N. Lucas	....	effects animator (as Dick Lucas)
Dan MacManus	....	effects animator

Animation Department
Eric Cleworth	....	character animator
Basil Davidovich	....	layout artist
Al Dempster	....	background artist
Don Griffith	....	layout artist
Fred Hellmich	....	character animator
Ralph Hulett	....	background artist
Ollie Johnston	....	directing animator
Milt Kahl	....	directing animator
Hal King	....	character animator
Eric Larson	....	character animator
Bill Layne	....	background artist
John Lounsbery	....	directing animator
David Michener	....	character animator (as Dave Michener)
Sylvia Roemer	....	layout artist
Walt Stanchfield	....	character animator
Julius Svendsen	....	character animator
Frank Thomas	....	directing animator
John Emerson	....	layout artist (uncredited)

Music Department
Evelyn Kennedy	....	music editor
Walter Sheets	....	orchestrator
Edmundo Santos	....	lyrics: Spanish version (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Walt Disney Productions

Distributors

• Buena Vista Distribution Company (1970) (USA) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Buena Vista International Finland (1971) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Gaumont Buena Vista International (GBVI) (1994) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Suomi-Filmi (1971) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Walt Disney Productions (1971) (France) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• Gativideo (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Gativideo (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (special edition)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

78 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Portugal:M/6 | New Zealand:G | Netherlands:AL | South Africa:A | Peru:PT | Sweden:Btl (cut) (1971) | Singapore:G | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Canada:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Iceland:L | Sweden:Btl (uncut) (1994) | UK:U | USA:G (Approved No. 23634) | West Germany:o.Al.

Filming Locations:

Walt Disney Studios, 500 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

The character of Scat Cat was designed to be voiced by Louis Armstrong. The character's look was modeled after Armstrong - the way he played his trumpet, his roly-poly physique, right down to the prominent gap between his teeth. However, at the last moment, for unknown reasons, Armstong quit the film without recording a single line. His replacement, Scatman Crothers, was directed to "Pretend you're Satchmo."

Goofs:

Continuity: In the first shots of the milk delivery truck driving down the road no crank handle is seen on the front bumper area. However, after O'Malley stops the truck, the driver gets out and restarts the truck with the crank which is now visible.

Quotes:

Napoleon:[listening] You're not gonna believe this, but it's a one wheel hay stack!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Disney Family Album: Voice Actors (#1.12)" (1985)

Soundtrack:

She Never Felt Alone

Sweet, Romantic and Completely Underrated!

This is NOT the masterpiece that is Snow White, Cinderella, or Bambi, but it IS a very sweet, enjoyable, romantic, well-done Disney animated feature.

There are, of course, lessons included herein for the kiddies, and some very appropriate kiddie-cheek, but there is plenty herein for the adults, as well.

While this is somewhat of a regurgitation of the Classic Disney RomCom Adventure, it still holds some elements, which solely belong to the AristoCats. O'Malley is the "tramp" and Dutchess is the "lady," but Dutchess has several kittens and they are all trying to get home.

Phil Harris is our tomcat O'Malley. You may recognize his voice, as he also furnished the voice of Baloo the Bear in the Jungle Book, and Little John in Disney's Robin Hood. Eva Gabor lends her silky sweet voice to Dutchess.

Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, who directed, or worked on, every Disney animated film worth mentioning until his death in 1985.

This is among my very favorite of the Disney animated feature films, and belongs in any Disney collection. The 2-Disk Special Edition Is Due Out This Summer (2007).

This rates an 8.4/10 from...

the Fiend :.