Cat Ballou

Jane Fonda plays Cat Ballou, back in the days when she was not only acting but also accepting sexy kittenish roles, a rancher's daughter out to avenge the murder of said rancher by the bad guys who run the town. Yep, it's a sex Western, one that gives us the one-of-a-kind performances of Fonda and of Lee Marvin, who has two roles - an alcoholic gunslinger who's supposed to be Cat's saving and a mean, dastardly hit man with a prosthetic nose - and who won himself an Oscar for his delightful work. But it's not just the lighthearted performances of the actors that floats this film, it's also the riveting, uproarious script. The pace is never dull - there are some Westerns that'll slow things down to kind of add mood to a story, but not this one. This would make a nice double-bill with another of Fonda's sexy early roles, "Barbarella."

I have always enjoyed the tour-de-force effort of Lee Marvin in this movie. There are a series of scenes that make it an utter delight. When the rear of the stagecoach is opened and the crumpled up gunslinger rolls out on the ground, we know it's going to be a tough ride. When they get him sobered up enough to show his skill and in a demonstration of shooting, he misses the barn. He and his horse leaning against a building, both of them apparently drunk. Kid's rendition of Happy Birthday at the funeral of Cat's father. The ongoing chorus of "The Ballad of Cat Ballou" with Stubby Kaye and Nat "King" Cole. The scene where Kid Schelleen is bathed and preened in preparation for the big showdown is a classic. It's so much fun from beginning to end. This is a feel-good movie which never needs to be taken seriously.

This HAS to be one of Jane Fonda's favorite movies: she gets to be both shy naive ingenue and rip roaring Western leader of an outlaw gang. Her outlawing is beautifully justified as the evil town members plot to take over her father's spread and finally have him killed. All are in on the plot/take, including the sheriff, a ne'er do well planted in the job. There are many similarities to 'Silverado', an equally well acted ensemble tour de force. Whoever did Lee Marvin's drunken riding, mostly out of the saddle, close to the ground, did a superior riding job. And if it was Lee himself, more credit to him. He got the Oscar and justifiably so. Under the comedy was the message concerning the sheep-like behavior of 'respectable, middle-class people', the wicked townfolk, bankrolled by the Wolf Company (love these names). Katherine Ballou, the respectable lovely schoolmistress, goes bad as the 'nice' people show themselves to be worse than the outlaws. Hole-in-the-Wall outlaws are allowed to live there undisturbed because the scion of the Wolfe company (who is responsible for having Jane's father shot and whom Jane shoots) lets them alone. They existed safely 'under the radar', but they want to put Jane et al out, because her gang's actions make them visible. Reminds me of many Massachusetts politicians, as well as Whitey Bulger.

The 'Indian's' comments are hilarious, expecially about Custer, spoken as he is surrounded by neatly dressed town thugs. It's an up-to-date funny tale with a social morale. You get the lesson without the moralizing. I loved it, and so glad I bought it.

A good and nice movie concerning a school teacher named Cat Ballou (Jane Fonda) , when the family farm is being threatened by the railroad she becomes a bandit to avenge her father's (John Marley) death , creating an outlaw group formed by a motley and butcher team ( Michael Callan , Tom Nardini and others) . Later on , she engages a boozy gunfighter (wonderfully interpreted by Lee Marvin) and they 'll take on a number of villains and other nasties (led by Reginald Denny) that have a hired gun , a murderer with an artificial nose ( also played by Marvin). A gen-u-ine movie first! A way-out whopper! A funny movie? You bet it is...! It's That Way-Out Whopper Of A Funny Western...A She-Bang To End All She-Bangs! . Cat Ballou Is All A Ball! .Is this the way to make a funny movie...? You bet it is!

It's a bemusing western with adjusted runtime in which there's humor , tongue-in-cheek , spoof , irony , shootouts , it's fast-moving and that's why isn't boring but funny . Lee Marvin won a deserved Oscar Academy Award for his double playing as a drunken , sympathetic cowboy and his twin , an odious , ominous killer , as Marvin is the best . The support cast is awesome , thus appearing habitual Western secondaries : J. C. Flippen , Arthur Hunnicut and Bruce Cabot . While Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye play splendidly two singing minstrels . Frank de Vol (Robert Aldrich's usual musician) soundtrack is jolly and lively .The film was well directed by Elliot Silverstein , he will subsequently achieve great success with ¨A man called horse¨. Rating : Better than average. Well worth seeing. . Essential and indispensable watching for Lee Marvin and Jane Fonda fans.

Like beautiful women (as well as wine) CAT BALLOU has grown so much better with age.

Jane Fonda "glows" with not only sex appeal, but with acting genius. She plays it straight as her director instructed...while Callan and Hickman play it "over the top." What a point...and counterpoint.

What a movie.

Lee Marvin (AND HIS HORSE) may have stolen this film, but what remains is what real movies are really about. And what is missing today.

And the music? Well, Frank DeVol (as others back then) knew what importance music makes to EVERY great movie.

What's wrong with today's box office? Today's movies don't even have a clue as to why CAT BALLOU was a good film. It's the same as why today people don't know how the pyramids were really built.

I have heard that nobody wanted to make this movie, so it flew under the radar and got made just as the director and writers wanted. Hurray! The director knew how to get his movie right...and he did...and we are all so much better for it.

Find CAT BALLOU and show it to your children and grandkids every year.

They will love you for it!