"Great Performances" Cats (1998)

Director:

David Mallet

Writer:

T.S. Eliot (book)

TV Series:

"Great Performances" (1972)

Original Air Date:

5 October 1998

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Music | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

The World's Best-loved Musical - The Memory will Live Forever

Plot:

"Jellicle" cats join for a Jellicle ball where they rejoice with their leader, Old Deuteronomy. One cat will be chosen to go to the "Heavyside Layer" and be reborn. The cats introduce themselves. |

Plot Keywords:

Cat | Broadway | Based On Musical | Lifting Person In Air | Independent Film

Cast

Elaine Paige	...	Grizabella the Glamour Cat
John Mills	...	Gus the Theatre Cat
Ken Page	...	Old Deuteronomy
Rosemarie Ford	...	Bombalurina
Michael Gruber	...	Munkustrap
John Partridge	...	Rum Tum Tugger
Aeva May	...	Demeter
Geoffrey Garratt	...	Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat
James Barron	...	Bustopher Jones
Jo Gibb	...	Rumpleteazer
Drew Varley	...	Mungojerrie
Susie McKenna	...	Jennyanydots the Gumbie Cat
Jacob Brent	...	Mr. Mistoffelees
Susan Jane Tanner	...	Jellylorum
Phyllida Crowley Smith	...	Victoria

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Germany:o.Al.

Filming Locations:

Adelphi Theatre, Strand, London, England, UK

Company:

Really Useful Films

Trivia:

The words "Jellicle cat" came from when T.S. Eliot's niece tried to say "dear little cat" and the words "Pollicle dog" came from when she tried to say "poor little dog."

Goofs:

Continuity: During 'Old Deuteronomy', Mungojerrie can been see in the background lying in front of Rumpleteazer with his head on her lap. The film then cuts to a close up, in which Mungojerrie is now lying *behind* Rumpleteazer, propped up on one elbow. When the film goes back to a long shot, Mungojerrie is back to his original position.

Quotes:

Mungojerrie: It was... Mungojerrie!
Rumpleteazer: And Rumpleteazer!
Mungojerrie: And there's nothing at all to be done about that!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Six Degrees of Separation (1993)

Soundtrack:

Journey to the Heaviside Layer

Highly Enjoyable Musical-to-Video

Something for all ages; my children (3 and 5) get a huge kick out of this, and have the lyrics memorized. Unlike some movie musicals (JC Superstar, A Chorus Line), it really doesn't try to adapt to "being" a movie, but settles for being (mostly) just filming folks on stage performing in a musical. Some of the movie-style cuts are, IMO, a bit disconcerting (Rum Tug Tugger to Grisabella's entrance, Theater Cat to Shimbleskanks), and I'm not familiar enough with the musical itself to know if the cuts are part of the original or were bad edits unique to the video itself. You do get any number of close-ups to admire the costuming and make-up, and the casting is superb. Enjoyable for audiences of all ages if you like musicals.