Movie Type: Family-Oriented Comedy, Comedy Thriller
Main Cast: Hayley Mills, Dean Jones, Dorothy Provine, Roddy McDowall, Neville Brand
Release Year: 1965
Country: US
Run Time: 115 minutes
MPAA Rating: G
Plot
Though overlong even for a Hayley Mills vehicle, That Darn Cat is an expert blend of laughs and suspense. The eponymous feline is D.C., a Siamese belonging to sisters Hayley Mills and Dorothy Provine. One evening, D.C. comes flouncing home with a lady's wristwatch attached to her neck. The watch contains an unfinished plea for help scribbled on its back, written by Grayson Hall, a bank teller held captive in a neighboring house by robbers Neville Brand and Frank Gorshin. Mills and Provine contact the FBI, who send agent Dean Jones (who's allergic to cats) to investigate. In their efforts to locate and rescue Hall and capture the crooks, Jones and the two sisters embark upon a series of slapstick misadventures involving an unending stream of top character actors. The highlight is a lengthy sequence at the drive-in movie theatre managed by ulcerated Richard Deacon. That Darn Cat is based on Undercover Cat, a somewhat more serious suspense novel by The Gordons. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
That Darn Cat is a typical Hayley Mills-Disney comedy. Some may find that a turn-off, but Cat is actually an enjoyable and engaging piece of fluff. Part of the appeal is the set-up; the gimmick of an ordinary cat being used to find a pair of kidnappers is fairly unusual. This being Disney, there's never a doubt that the hostage might be killed, but there's still some real tension, and Neville Brand provides legitimate menace as the rougher of the villains. Robert Stevenson directs with a sure hand. There's nothing experimental about what he does, but there is a faint but identifiable style to his work. While some of the comedy is obvious, he does blend the comic and more serious aspects of the film rather smoothly. Mills is engaging as always, and Dean Jones does yeoman work as the agent, but it's the supporting cast that stands out. Ed Wynn goes a bit too far this time around, but Elsa Lanchester, William Demarest and Richard Deacon are right on the money. Even Tom Lowell, stuck with the kind of boy friend role that can be annoying, comes off well. Lighthearted and entertaining, Cat is a most pleasant diversion. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Carroll Clark - Art Director, William Tuntke - Art Director, Bill Thomas - Costume Designer, Joseph L. McEveety - First Assistant Director, Robert Stevenson - Director, Cotton Warburton - Editor, Robert F. Brunner - Composer (Music Score), Richard M. Sherman - Songwriter, Robert B. Sherman - Songwriter, Pat McNalley - Makeup, La Rue Matheron - Makeup, Edward Colman - Cinematographer, Ron Miller - Producer, Bill Walsh - Producer, Hal G. Gausman - Set Designer, Emile Kuri - Set Designer, Eustace Lycett - Special Effects, Bill Walsh - Screenwriter, Mildred Gordon - Screenwriter, Mildred Gordon - Book Author, Gordon Gordon - Book Author
