J. Edgar Hoover must have been put out by That Darn Cat. He must have had a few words with Walt Disney producing a film that made his FBI agents
look like idiots. That was one big no-no when Hoover was alive even an innocuous Disney film.
I also could not figure out why bank robbers Neville Brand and Frank Gorshin took bank teller Grayson Hall hostage. I would think that would slow up a planned getaway. But on one of his nocturnal prowlings the cat owned by sisters Dorothy Provine and Hayley Mills wanders into the boardinghouse of Iris Adrian where Brand and Gorshin are keeping Hall. Hall slips her wristwatch on the cat in place of a flea collar. She takes it back to home and hearth and Hayley who gets on the case like Nancy Drew.
Mills takes it to the FBI who assigns agent Dean Jones to lead a team to get back the stolen loot, the crooks, and Hall. Needless to say they make a botch of it at first. Mills's brain dead boyfriend Tom Lowell gets caught up, nosy neighbor Elsa Lanchester gets involved against the advice of her husband William Demarest and finally another neighbor Roddy McDowell has threatened to shoot the cat on sight for stealing his dinner.
One thing about the Disney films starting in the 60s. They gave work to a lot of familiar character players you rarely got to see on the big screen any more. That cast list is reason enough to watch That Darn Cat. If that isn't enough add Ed Wynn in a funny bit as a jewelry store owner and Richard Deacon as a much put out drive-in theater manager.
Not the greatest of Disney films, but should satisfy for good family entertainment.
I also could not figure out why bank robbers Neville Brand and Frank Gorshin took bank teller Grayson Hall hostage. I would think that would slow up a planned getaway. But on one of his nocturnal prowlings the cat owned by sisters Dorothy Provine and Hayley Mills wanders into the boardinghouse of Iris Adrian where Brand and Gorshin are keeping Hall. Hall slips her wristwatch on the cat in place of a flea collar. She takes it back to home and hearth and Hayley who gets on the case like Nancy Drew.
Mills takes it to the FBI who assigns agent Dean Jones to lead a team to get back the stolen loot, the crooks, and Hall. Needless to say they make a botch of it at first. Mills's brain dead boyfriend Tom Lowell gets caught up, nosy neighbor Elsa Lanchester gets involved against the advice of her husband William Demarest and finally another neighbor Roddy McDowell has threatened to shoot the cat on sight for stealing his dinner.
One thing about the Disney films starting in the 60s. They gave work to a lot of familiar character players you rarely got to see on the big screen any more. That cast list is reason enough to watch That Darn Cat. If that isn't enough add Ed Wynn in a funny bit as a jewelry store owner and Richard Deacon as a much put out drive-in theater manager.
Not the greatest of Disney films, but should satisfy for good family entertainment.