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:

death of father | character name in title | confession | mirror | looking at oneself in a mirror | 

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Taglines:

Cat Ballou Is All A Ball!

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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

Lee Marvin previously wore the same hat (or an identical one) in The Twilight Zone (1959) episode, "The Grave" in 1961.

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Goofs

When we first see her in the train, Cat Ballou's hands, holding her book, change position from one shot to another.

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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

Featured in Biography: The Fondas (2004)

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Soundtracks

The Ballad of Cat Ballou
(uncredited)
Written by Mack David and Jerry Livingston
Performed by Stubby Kaye & Nat 'King' Cole

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."