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Cat Ballou

Cat Ballou (1965)

⭐ 6.9 | PG | 96 minutes
DVD (1 discs ) Digital ✓
Genre: Western
Aspect Ratio: Wide
Sound: DD 5.1
Academy Awards: 1 Win , 5 Nominations

Synopsis

Standing up to injustice sometimes takes a ragtag crew, a daring plan and a gunslinger who can barely stand up himself. Long before "Unforgiven" dismantled the Western or "Blazing Saddles" lampooned it, Elliot Silverstein's "Cat Ballou" was already poking the genre in the eye. It's a thoroughly enjoyable comedy full of little surprises, big laughs and wonderful character turns. Jane Fonda stars as Catherine "Cat" Ballou, a proper young schoolteacher who comes home to Wyoming, only to see her father (John Marley) murdered by a notorious hired gun working for land grabbers who want his ranch. To fight back, she gathers a pair of small-time cattle rustlers (Michael Callan and Dwayne Hickman), her father's loyal ranch hand (Tom Nardini) and a legendary gunfighter, Kid Shelleen (Lee Marvin). Unfortunately, Shelleen turns out to be such a hopeless drunk that he can't hit the broad side of a barn. But Cat, as folks used to say, has a mind of her own, and she masterminds a daring train robbery that sends them all on the run. Marvin won an Oscar for his hilarious dual role, playing both the washed-up Shelleen and his menacing, silver-nosed brother, Tim Strawn, the killer who shot Cat's father. The singing narrators, played by Stubby Kaye and Nat King Cole in one of his last appearances, are the cherries on top of this Wild West confection.

Cast

Jane Fonda
Lee Marvin
Michael Callan
Nat King Cole
Dwayne Hickman
Stubby Kaye

Director

Elliot Silverstein

Awards & Nominations

  • Oscar Nominee: Best Film Editing
  • Oscar Nominee: Best Music, Original Music Score
  • Oscar Nominee: Best Music, Original Song
  • Oscar Nominee: Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
  • Oscar Winner: Best Actor In A Leading Role

Keywords

Academy Award Winners AFI Top 100 Funniest Classics Comedy Western

Technical Specifications

Audio Languages

English

Subtitle Languages

Chinese, English, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai

Special Features

  • Audio commentary
  • Cast biographies/profiles/filmographies
  • Featurettes/Behind-The-Scenes/Documentaries
  • Production notes
  • Trailers/TV spots
  • Featurette: "The Legend of Cat Ballou" with Director Elliot Silverstein
  • Lead Actors Michael Callan & Dwayne Hickman Audio Commentary
  • Vintage Advertising
  • Talent Files
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