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Rating:  -
Although Jane Fonda was 27 years old when she played the title role in "Cat Ballou", she looks about 19, and that was about the intended age of her character. They gave her a very wholesome look, with her hair especially youthful looking. Pretty much all the guys in the baby boomer generation fell in love with her when they saw this film in 1965, whether they were five or 25. And pretty much all the characters in the film fall in love with her as well. This was her first film targeted at the boomer demographic and her young appearance and relative obscurity were deceptive to her new fans. Six years later when "Klute" was released folks were staggered by how used up she looked, generally because everyone had just assumed that she was younger.
In 1965 it was revolutionary to see a film with such a strong, determined, brave, and resourceful young woman, especially for a western. Although Joan Crawford, Shelley Winters, and Peggy Castle had previously played tough saloon owners, there had never been anyone quite like Fonda's character. "The times were a changin" or at least beginning to change and this film both reflected and contributed to these changes.
If you are thinking of watching "Cat Ballou" for the first time be aware that it has the standard 1960's western production design. Things are very studio back lot, very clean, and extremely orderly (insert not authentic here). And although classified as a comedy it is as much mild action/adventure as comedy. The humorous elements are mostly supplied by Lee Marvin doing a parody of the heavy roles he usually played.
Stubby Kaye and Nat "King" Cole bookend the film as banjo playing western minstrels and also function as musical narrators who pop up within scenes throughout the movie, singing the story as it unfolds. This really complicates the staging of these scenes and it is worth just paying attention to the clever ways they are worked into the scenes.
After an introduction the story flashes back and then proceeds linearly forward, by the end they are back to the time of the introduction. The flashback first finds Catherine (Cat) Ballou boarding a train after completing finishing school. She is returning to her father's Wyoming ranch. On the trip she is reading a pulp western about a gunfighter named Kid Shelleen (Marvin). She meets escaping rustler Clay Boone (Michael Callan) and his drunk Uncle Jed (Dwayne Hickman) who is dressed as a preacher. She arrives home to find her father's ranch in bad shape. Her father is being pressured to sell out to a British railroad baron.
"Cat Ballou" is a fun film with a nice soundtrack. Fonda and Marvin are especially good.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
Rating:  -
There are few people who could be said to like Jane Fonda less than I do. My perception of her is in keeping with her Barbarella/Klute image. I think she is a lousy &%#$. After seeing this film, however, I have to admit the lady does have some talent. Maybe "lady" is too strong a word.
This is a delightful comedy. Ms. Fonda plays an "innocent" schoolteacher whose father is killed by the local land baron in a western town. She vows revenge and gets it with the help of "a sex maniac", "his uncle", an Indian (stellar performance) and a drunken gunfighter. In the process, everyone racks up the laughs except for Fonda who plays the "straight man" extremely well. Nat King Cole makes his last appearance in this film before losing his battle with cancer. He plays a minstrel who, with Stubby Kaye, keeps the audience informed as to the progress of the story. It all comes together remarkably well.
Fonda has never had any trouble appearing beautiful. She does an excellent job of that in this film. More important, though, is her sense of timing and setting up the antics of the other characters. She also manages to make herself a sympathetic character. I never would have thought I could feel that way about her.
Lee Marvin steals the show as the drunken gunfighter, Kid Shelleen, and as Shelleen's mortal enemy and brother, Tim Strawn. He does not get as much screen time as one might expect but every second is precious.
This is an extravagant comedy. It evokes earlier westerns and pokes fun at them in a good natured way while poking fun at itself. It is a job well done by all involved.
Rating: -
The first time me brother and I saw this movie we stayed from the first show to the night owl. I am over joyed to have my own copy after all these years.
Rating: -
Many very funny and memorable scenes in this silly, enjoyable western spoof. Pretty much appropriate for all ages.
Rating: -
This movie combines the seriousness of western with light humor to create a movie that nearly holds a niche by itself. Catherine "Cat" Ballou is an innocent school teacher returning home to the family ranch, where she finds that her father is slowly being driven off the ranch. She also encounters characters during her return home and on the family ranch that are quite unusual.
Initially Catherine (Jane Fonda) plays a complete innocent. We meet Catherine on a train, where she encounters two men, one, Clay Boone (Michael Callan) is in handcuffs. The other is a drunken preacher named Jed (Dwayne Hickman), who carries a bible that has hidden attributes. Jed's often repeated line is "Ma'am, I apologize for my disgusting condition and I assure you I will not inflict myself on you any further." Soon Catherine finds herself in her delicates with Clay Boone next to her as he makes his escape from the sheriff and leaves the train, stealing a kiss from beautiful Catherine in the process.
On her return home, Catherine quickly realizes that something is wrong. The cattle and horses are gone, and everything appears run down. Native American Jackson Two-Bears (Tom Nardini) is now working for her father. Jackson behaves in a most uncharacteristic fashion compared to the typical stereotype of Native Americans as usually portrayed in the 1960s. Jackson frequently makes comments on things white men usually think about Native Americans, with the point typically being that they are wrong. Soon Clay Boone and Jed also show up, and Catherine begs them all to protect her father from noseless killer Tim Strawn (Lee Marvin). In spite of Catherine's best efforts Strawn cold-bloodedly murders her father. Soon Catherine is being thrown off the family ranch.
To help protect her father, Catherine wrote to gunfighter Kid Shelleen (Marvin, in a second role), sending him $50 as a retainer. When Shelleen shows up it turns out that he is a drunkard. However, having read a number of stories about the famous Kid Shelleen, Catherine retains faith in him.
Soon Cat is encouraging the others to rob a train to get back at those who harmed her father. When the robbery nets far more than expected, Sir Harry Percival (Reginald Denny) sends Strawn after Cat, initially to encourage Cat to return the money. When Kid Shelleen realizes that Strawn is about, he sobers up quickly, and in an excellent series of scenes, transforms from a drunken slob into a genuine gunfighter. After Kid Shelleen and Strawn take care of their business, Cat goes to talk to Sir Harry Percival to get him to sign a confession that he ordered her father's death. When he refuses, the gun goes off and Cat ends up in jail, on a trip to the gallows, once more looking heart-breakingly beautiful and innocent.
We have musical narrators throughout this movie, in the form of Professor Sam the Shade (Nat King Cole) and The Sunrise Kid (Stubby Kaye).While the pair are occasionally distracting, the songs are generally good, and are often used to introduce the upcoming scene. This appearance was Cole's last, as he passed away several months before the release of the film.
There are several standout performances in this movie, including Jane Fonda's. However, the best performance is that of Lee Marvin in the dual roles. Lee Marvin was awarded the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 1966 for his performance. He also won the British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for Best Foreign Actor, the Silver Berlin Bear at the International Berlin Film Festival, the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actor in a Musical or Comedy, the Laurel Award for Male Comedy Performance, and the National Board of Review award for Best Actor. In total, this movie received 12 nominations for various awards and won 10 awards. If there had been such an award, the horse Marvin used near the end of the film should have received an award as well, as the horse appears to look as down and out as the horse's rider.
This movie does not have the raw and riotous humor of "Blazing Saddles." The book on which this movie was based was a serious western. The humorous elements were added to change the tone of the movie. The humor is not as subtle as the humor in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." However, there are numerous places where the script gets a smile, and there are several worthy of a laugh.
This DVD contains a number of extras of varying value. The "Legend of Cat Ballou" may be the best feature. The audio commentary is interesting, if you like hearing nostalgic memories of how a movie was made.
One small detail I noticed. Kid Shelleen sang "Happy Birthday" at one point in the movie. The lyrics for "Happy Birthday" were not written until the next century, and each time I see that scene I must admit I am slightly distracted by the relatively glaring inaccuracy. There are other inaccuracies, but they are typically more subtle.
I originally saw this movie in 1965 when it was released. I am surprised and pleased that the movie has aged well. While some recall Jane Fonda with distaste for her behavior a few years later, here Fonda is beautiful and perfect for this part. Lee Marvin reminds us all of why he was considered a great actor. If you consider yourself a fan of westerns, or Lee Marvin, and if you liked movies like "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "Blazing Saddles," and "Two Mules for Sister Sara," I think you will enjoy this one as well.
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