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  Directed by
  Starring
  Specs
  • Widescreen 1.85:1
  • 16:9 Enhanced
  • Dual Layer ( )
  Languages
  • Commentary - English: Dolby Digital Stereo
  • English: Dolby Digital Mono
  Subtitles
    English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Commentary - English, Commentary - German
  Extras
  • 2 Theatrical trailer - The Winslow Boy, The Mouse That Roared
  • Audio commentary - Michael Callan and Dwayne Hickman
  • Featurette - The Legend of Cat Ballou
  • Photo gallery - Vintage advertising
  • 7 Filmographies - Cast and crew

Cat Ballou

Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment . R4 . COLOR . 92 mins . G . PAL

  Feature
Contract

Way popular in its day and sure to find renewed popularity on DVD, comes this 1965 gem from Columbia Tristar. I’d always wanted to see this film as I’d heard many good things about it (growing up in the country where westerns are a way of life and shooting people is an everyday event). So, I happily loaded up the DVD and sat back to enjoy what was a great western with some great performances and a great, yet simple, story.

It went a little somethin’ like this...
Cat Ballou (Jane Fonda - Agnes of God) is sitting in a jail cell and about to be hanged for killing a man. In flashback we then go through the tale that put her there. She had just graduated teaching school and was on a train back home to her father’s farm when two criminals escaped from the same train using her for cover. She arrives back at Dad’s farm safely, but it seems there are baddies who want his farm to build a big town on. Enter the two thugs from the train, whom she hires as guns to protect her father. When they fail, she writes to her secret hero, Kid Shelleen, a novelist whose exploits are legend.

Upon his arrival he is a worthless, stinking drunk - but at least he can shoot. It then becomes a subtle battle of wits between Shalleen and the corrupt sheriff’s hired gun, Tim Strawn, to see who dies first. Meanwhile, in revenge for killing her dad, she sets up a train robbery and moves to a desolate town of criminal outlaws. The robbery goes ahead, but some things go wrong and, well, Cat’s in prison. Cut back to today and I won’t tell you anymore here.

"We did it my little gang of sweet outlaws!"

This film was a refreshing difference from the billion other western DVDs I’ve reviewed of late. Jane Fonda is sensational as Cat Ballou, full of fire and youthful energy and supremely gorgeous. Lee Marvin plays a dual role as Shelleen and Strawn and this he does with some great humourous expressions and slapstick good enough to earn him the 'Best Actor' Oscar for 1965. The supporting cast are all perfect too, evening out the balances well, which couldn’t have been easy when Cat is the serious one, Shelleen is the opposite end of that spectrum and everyone else had to find a place between. However, it all comes together well, and creates both a funny western with some genuinely hilarious moments and some more moving sequences.

I couldn’t help but think throughout this film that it could just have easily been called There’s Something About Cat Ballou as the similarities to the very funny Ben Stiller/Cameron Diaz film of a similar name were quite evident. Obviously the Farrelly brothers found some inspiration for that piece in here with the invisible ‘Shouters’ (Stubby Kaye and Nat King Cole in his final film role) who narrate the film in musical verse. (Actual character names are Dr Samuel Shade and the Sunrise Kid). There’s also the bunch of hopelessly-in-love fellows that follow Cat everywhere, among others, but this original idea must have been quite something else for 1965. At any rate, it works well and as an entire film it is very satisfying.

  Video
Contract

Delivered in 1.85:1 with 16:9 enhancement, this film looks sensational. Little wonder, when the Sony DVD Center have been involved. They produce a damn fine DVD down thataways and this ’un is no exception. Practically artefact free with excellent colour levels, great flesh tones and true blacks, Cat Ballou looks as good as it ever has, if not better.

There are some nice little devices thrown in that help add feel to the film and this includes an animated Columbia opener in which the lady with the torch breaks away and an animated Cat is behind her firing guns and such. Nice start. A bit later there’s a massive one-take shot of a beautifully choreographed barn dance that is simply superb. Both these look great and about the only failing with the picture is the limited shadows don’t divulge their details too readily. However, I can live with this; the film’s great and the shadows are few.

  Audio
Contract

The score to this film was created by De Vol, the man I last reviewed for his work on Ulzana's Raid. He has outdone himself in this, creating a soundtrack for a film that changes genres frequently and sometimes very quickly without ever skipping a beat. Damn fine work.

As to the dialogue, this is all well spoken and very clear. I didn’t have any trouble making out words, even when Lee Marvin was slurring half of them in a drunken comedy alcoholic routine (he even gets his own special ‘drunk guy is humourous’ riff that is amusing, if a little politically incorrect). And, as to sound effects, these are all fine and well synched. Naturally in a comedy there are your funny sounds that don’t occur in reality and they too work just fine here.

  Extras
Contract

We get some nice stuff considering the age of the film and that stuff includes: A cast commentary which is a bit misleading, as there are only two guys from the cast doing it, but anyway. Manned by Dwayne Hickman and Michael Callan, it is quite funny and these guys certainly have an affection for both the film and each other and they have a great time recollecting stories and anecdotes from the shoot. This remains one of the funnier commentaries I’ve listened to.

Next comes a nice little featurette entitled The Legend of Cat Ballou, which is actually just a 'making of'. However, it is fascinating and features recent interviews with the director, Elliot Silverstein - well worth the look. There’s perhaps a little too much film footage if anything bad must be said.

Seven filmographies follow and these are the usual fare in covering the director and the six main cast members. Then there are nine bits of vintage advertising in the photo gallery which are worthy, though pretty basic in being lobby cards, mostly.

Lastly, just two very eclectically paired trailers. These are for the ancient Peter Sellers vehicle The Mouse That Roared (quite a funny trailer too) and the more recent The Winslow Boy, penned by David Mamet.

  Overall  
Contract

Jane Fonda is a magnificent accompaniment to the comedy angle of this film, as the comedy is a superb accompaniment to her resourceful palette of acting abilities. Lee Marvin is perfect and as a whole, the film is well scripted being tongue-in-cheek as required, dramatic as necessary and well told throughout.

Some great lines, some perfect acting and an all round great time, Cat Ballou comes equally highly recommended for the western enthusiast or the vaudevillian/slapstick fan.


  • LINK: http://www.dvd.net.au/review.cgi?review_id=3171
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      And I quote...
    "Cowgirls, outlaws and Jane Fonda stars as both. Yeehaw! This film has it all!"
    - Jules Faber
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Nintaus DVD-N9901
    • TV:
          Sony 51cm
    • Receiver:
          Diamond
    • Speakers:
          Diamond
    • Surrounds:
          No Name
    • Audio Cables:
          Standard Optical
    • Video Cables:
          Standard Component RCA
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