Cat Ballou (1965)

A woman seeking revenge for her murdered father hires a famous gunman, but he's very different from what she expects.

Director:

Elliot Silverstein

Writers:

Walter Newman (screenplay), Frank Pierson (screenplay) (as Frank R. Pierson)

Stars:

Jane Fonda, Lee Marvin, Michael Callan

Won 1 Oscar. Another 9 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lee Marvin	...	Shelleen / Strawn
Jane Fonda	...	Cat Ballou
Michael Callan	...	Clay Boone
Dwayne Hickman	...	Jed
Nat 'King' Cole	...	Shouter / Sunrise Kid (as Nat King Cole)
Stubby Kaye	...	Shouter / Sam the Shade
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

Storyline

Cat(herine) Ballou's family farm is being threatened by the Rail Road. She sends for Kid Shelleen, finding him to be the drunkest gunfighter in the west. When her father is killed by the rail road magnate's gunman, she vows to fight on. Shelleen manages to ride sideways in several scenes, while minstrels sing the ballad of Cat Ballou in between scenes.

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Plot Keywords:

confession | threat to murder | mirror | looking at oneself in a mirror | hanging | 

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Taglines:

It's That Way-Out Whopper Of A Funny Western...A She-Bang To End All She-Bangs!

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 June 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cat Ballou - Hängen sollst du in Wyoming

Filming Locations:

Buckskin Joe Frontier Town & Railway - 1193 Fremont County Road 3A, Canon City, Colorado, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$20,666,667

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation,Harold Hecht Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastman Color)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Modern-day audiences regard Lee Marvin's Oscar win for a raucous comedy with puzzlement, especially given the heavy-hitting dramas released the same year, such as Darling (1965), Doctor Zhivago (1965) and Ship of Fools (1965). At the time, however, Marvin's over-the-top portrayal of two total-opposite brothers was a revelation following a career playing one-note heavies. The actor had never had an opportunity to show his lighter side, and audiences loved what they saw -- to the point where Marvin's nomination that year was for Cat Ballou (1965) rather than the far more prestigious and dramatic Ship of Fools (1965).

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Goofs

When Clay is holding back the Sheriff he says "Hit him!" three times. The first time his mouth is not moving.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Professor Sam The Shade, The Sunrise Kid: [singing] Well now friends just lend an ear for you're now about to hear the Ballad of Cat Ballou.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits are shown on the pages of a large book; an uncredited pair of hands turn the pages in time with the music.

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Connections

Referenced in Halloween II (2009)

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Soundtracks

Happy Birthday to You
(uncredited)
Written by Patty S. Hill and Mildred J. Hill
Performed by Lee Marvin

User Reviews

Tour de force performance by Marvin makes this a hit!

Jane Fonda plays Cat Ballou, back in the days when she was not only acting but also accepting sexy kittenish roles, a rancher's daughter out to avenge the murder of said rancher by the bad guys who run the town. Yep, it's a sex Western, one that gives us the one-of-a-kind performances of Fonda and of Lee Marvin, who has two roles - an alcoholic gunslinger who's supposed to be Cat's saving and a mean, dastardly hit man with a prosthetic nose - and who won himself an Oscar for his delightful work. But it's not just the lighthearted performances of the actors that floats this film, it's also the riveting, uproarious script. The pace is never dull - there are some Westerns that'll slow things down to kind of add mood to a story, but not this one. This would make a nice double-bill with another of Fonda's sexy early roles, "Barbarella."