Las tres vidas de Thomasina

Thanks to the terrific acting of Patrick "The Prisoner" McGoohan and the lovely Susan Hampshire, this film is not like other syrupy Disney films like "Pete's Dragon" or "Mary Poppins."

Dr. McDui's character, played by McGoohan, is a tense, conflicted, confused man. He grabs Susan Hampshire roughly to shake her in a few scenes. No sentimental courting here!

The plot hole mentioned in another comment is not correct - the fire takes place at the gypsy circus and we take it for granted that the abused animals escape.

I am a holistic veterinarian and for years I have been trying to figure out where I got my inspiration for my work. A few days ago I remembered this Disney film and the "witch". My love of animals and the love that can heal is all contained in this movie. It was such a joy to watch it again and see my inspiration come to life.

I am also a singer and love to sing Celtic folksongs. I live in the country and am surrounded by animals though no wild ones necessarily. I did rescue a baby rabbit with a broken leg a few years ago. I made a splint out of a paper clip and kept him until the leg healed. Then my daughter and I turned him loose in a local park. I think Lorie was my role model in all that I have done with animals since I saw this movie when I was a young child.

Superb, sentimental live-action drama from Walt Disney concerns a young Scottish girl's love and devotion to her sickly pet cat, who gets a new lease on life from a "magical" mountain woman whom the townspeople believe is a witch. The screenplay, from Paul Gallico's book, tries packing too much plot into its 100 minutes and, as a result, the midsection of the movie doesn't feel fully played-out. Still, the majority of the film is captivating, beautifully shot, and the characters are engaging and believable. Karen Dotrice (best known as Jane from "Mary Poppins") is quite the little thespian here, and her tears and youthful anger are convincing; she's as good a child actress as I have ever seen (Walt must've had a soft spot for wholesome British lasses, Dotrice and Hayley Mills seem sprung from the same boarding school). The production is plush and Thomasina is one gorgeous feline. *** from ****

Mary McDuie (Karen Dotrice) is a young, motherless girl living in Scotland at the turn of the 20th century. Of course, she does have her father, veterinarian Dr. Andrew McDuie (Patrick McGoohan) but he's been cold and distant since her mother died. Therefore, her only real solace is her cat Thomasina, a beautiful orange tabby with personality. It does help that her housekeeper is quite nice and the children of the neighborhood are her dear friends. On the outskirts of the village lives a lady, Lori (Susan Hampshire) who the children think is a WITCH. She does have a yard full of rescued animals and a magic way about healing the creatures. Thomasina goes in and out Mary's bedroom window by the help of a tall tree and often goes out at night. Unhappily, Thomasina eats the wrong food, becomes sick and appears dead, even though Dr. Mac promised to save her. Mary is so upset she ignores everything her father says, hinting that he is "dead" to her. But, when the children take the box with Thomasina to the town's edge, planning to bury her and hold a funeral, the "witch" appears and scares them away. Only she notices that Thomasina is still alive and takes her home to nurse her. Will Thomasina survive? Will the village drive the "witch" away? This lovely story has the rarity of being about a cat, not a dog, and a clever, patient one at that. Dotrice is winning as the young girl who dresses her cat in clothes and takes him on buggy adventures. McGoohan is also fine as the stern father and Hampshire is sweet and lovely as Lori. Other cast members, scenery, costumes, script and direction are all nicely fitting. Beware, parents, that Thomasina appears to die and there are many tears that may fall. However, cat lovers, Disney fans, and family film friends will welcome this title as an oldie but goodie.

The presence of Patrick McGoohan, one of my favorite actors of the modern era, was my motivation for renting out the 1964 Disney picture "The Three Lives of Thomasina," but as it turns out, this charming film has much to offer besides his usual sturdy support. In this one, McGoohan doesn't play a secret-agent man or gay-smashing king, but rather a widower veterinarian named Andrew MacDhui living in the small town of Inveranoch, Scotland, in 1912, with his young daughter, Mary, and their 4-year-old ginger cat, Thomasina. Their peaceful domestic life is shattered when MacDhui is forced to put Thomasina to sleep, after the cat contracts tetanus, and Mary becomes walled off and unforgiving. Fortunately, Thomasina, after a surprisingly FX-laden dream sequence, during which she encounters the Egyptian cat god Bast, does return, and sets off on life #2.... It is almost impossible to speak of this film, even as a middle-aged adult, without using the words "cute" and "charming." If Paul Gallico's 1957 source novel, "Thomasina," which I have not read, is half as appealing as this adaptation, it must be very likable indeed. Besides a sweet and compelling story, the film offers sterling support by a raft of fine British, Irish and Scottish character actors, such as Laurence Naismith, Wilfrid Brambell (who will always be Paul's very clean grandfather to me!) and Finlay Currie. Beautiful Susan Hampshire stands out as Lori MacGregor, the nature girl "witch" with a superempathic way with animals, and the child actors are all wonderful, especially newcomer Karen Dotrice as Mary. Throw in some gorgeous Highland scenery, a catchy theme song, and even an action-packed and emotionally fraught finale, and you have one winning entertainment indeed, as suitable for the adults as the kiddies. Way to go, Walt!