By Lydia Browne
The title That Darn Cat is a bit confusing and intriguing. When this movie was recommended to me by a friend, I could not imagine what the movie could be about. Perhaps, the story would involve a cat that always gets into messes. Or maybe it was an entire movie about a cat wreaking havoc on a town? And, in a way, it is. But this is a very special cat that turns out to be more intelligent than one would think.
That Darn Cat was released in 1965, directed by Robert Stevenson, who is known for movies like 1964’s Mary Poppins and 1957’s Old Yeller. Though not as well known, this movie certainly doesn’t fall beneath the expectations such a director carries throughout his work.
The titular cat is quite a free spirit. Called D.C., which stands for Darn Cat, by the Randall family, he wanders around the neighborhood every night, exploring nearby yards and houses while stealing meat when he can. One night, soon after a bank robbery, D.C. follows a man from the butcher to his apartment. We soon find out that this man is one of two crooks who are holding a woman who works at the bank captive. Thinking D.C. to be harmless, the crook lets the cat into the apartment. The woman, desperate to escape, replaces D.C. ‘s collar with her watch, only managing to scratch half of the word “help” on the back. After the other crook throws the cat out of the apartment, he returns to the Randall family’s house, where Patti Randall, played by Hayley Mills, finds the watch. What follows is a hilarious and gripping FBI investigation with a cat as its informant.
If you like movies from the 60’s, or love mystery mixed with comedy, you will love this movie. It is lovably witty and entertaining, infused with a plot similar to a less intense version of a crime drama. The actors are all wonderful, particularly the always amazing Hayley Mills as the younger Randall sister, who also starred in many other Disney classics, such as The Parent Trap and Pollyanna. It also stars Dean Jones as FBI Agent Zeke Kelso, the agent assigned to the case who happens to be allergic to cats. If you are a cat person, your favorite character may just be D.C. He’s a very clever animal who is seen in almost every scene, and he helps contribute to the investigation into the crime—like a mini-detective.
This is certainly one of Disney’s better but less well known live-action movies. However, you may see a few familiar faces because it shares a couple actors with other popular Disney movies, such as Mary Poppins.
Like many 60’s Disney movies, this film is lighthearted and humorous, with both lovable and wacky characters, making it a great movie for people of all ages. Still, it doesn’t shy away from mature storylines, incorporating a quite interesting crime storyline. Though this movie is not your typical modern crime drama, it has a good balance between the more suspenseful aspects of the crime and the more comical parts. All of these qualities together make That Darn Cat a wonderfully entertaining movie.
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