Cat Ballou (1965)

Memorable, crazy movie

Fantastic!

Absolutely the worst movie.

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

"Hallelujah brother!" Jane Fonda, a beautiful and talented eternal young girl(obvious with such a dad...) and a million-karat talent called Lee Marvin. You can see from a distance that Marvin loved the two roles he's doing in the movie, he is absolutely fantastic. Nat 'King' Cole and Stubby Kaye they bring a unique charm to the film, being the singing narrators. Good job Elliot Silverstein!

RELEASED IN 1965 and directed by Elliot Silverstein, "Cat Ballou" stars Jane Fonda as Cat(herine) Ballou who's family ranch near Wolf City, Colorado, is being threatened by a railroad mogul and his cronies in town. She sends for gunfighter Kid Shelleen (Lee Marvin), but unfortunately discovers he's a drunkard. Tom Nardini, Michael Callan & Dwayne Hickman round off Cat's gang of corruption-fighters. Meanwhile, two minstrels comically sing The Ballad of Cat Ballou in between scenes (Nat King Cole & Stubby Kaye).This is a likable Western comedy with several highlights in the mold of "The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox" (1976), "Texas Across the River" (1966), "Support Your Local Sheriff" (1969) and "Maverick" (1994), but it's the least of these IMHO. While the cast is formidable and appealing, the story never really grabbed me. However, if you're a Fonda devotee this is a must because she never looked better, being young and adorable. It's also mandatory for Marvin fans as he hams it up in two roles. The somewhat quirky score is notable and the locations are superb. THE FILM RUNS 95 minutes and was shot in Canon City, Colorado, as well as Burbank (Wolf City exteriors) and Hollywood (interiors), California. WRITERS: Walter Newman & Frank Pierson wrote the script based on Roy Chanslor's novel. GRADE: C+ (5.5/10)

Cat Ballou starts off with Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye singing to the camera, alongside their banjos, telling the audience of the Ballad of Cat Ballou. It's a perfectly adorable way to start the western comedy, and the singers return throughout the film to keep the audience company and sing a reprise or two.Jane Fonda is the title character, the cutest little lady in the Wild West. If you've never seen a Jane Fonda movie, this is a great one to start with. She's so cute, you won't be able to keep yourself from grinning and giggling. While on the train home to her father's ranch in Wyoming, she accidentally helps Michael Callan escape from the sheriff, so when she asks him to stay on at the ranch to help protect her father, he agrees. Her dad, John Marley, is dodging a hired gunman, and Jane does her best to hire bodyguards to protect him.Lee Marvin won an extremely undeserved Oscar in 1966 for his dual role in Cat Ballou. He plays both the hit-man hired to kill Marley as well as the drunken gunslinger Jane hires to protect him. Rod Steiger was nominated for The Pawnbroker that year, and once you've seen that performance, you might not ever forgive Lee Marvin for stealing his Oscar.Nevertheless, Cat Ballou is a very cute movie, and a must-see for Jane Fonda fans. She's two tons of cute, and I guarantee you'll be humming the title song long after the credits roll!

A pair of banjo plucking street singers (Nat 'King' Cole and Stubby Kaye) recount the ballad of Cat Ballou (Jane Fonda), a sweet young school ma'am who becomes a vengeful outlaw after her father is killed on the orders of greedy city developer Sir Harry Percival (Reginald Denny). Riding into history with Cat are legendary drunken gunslinger Kid Shelleen (Lee Marvin), loyal injun ranch-hand Jackson Two-Bears (Tom Nardini), and a pair of wanted cattle rustlers, Clay Boone (Michael Callan) and his Uncle Jed (Dwayne Hickman).Cat Ballou trades heavily on Fonda's sex kitten appeal, but there's much more to the film than its coquettish star and her heavenly cleavage: the film also benefits from a wonderfully witty screenplay, superb direction from Elliot Silverstein, the amazing vocal talents of Cole and Kaye, and lively performances from all involved, most notably Marvin, who not only plays Kid Shelleen with impeccable comic timing, but also his wicked brother Strawn, a hired killer with a silver nose.There are plenty of memorable moments throughout this enjoyable comedy/western romp, but for my money the standout scenes are a lively barn-dance scene (executed with a single shot!), Kid Shelleen's training montage and his transformation from drunken bum to slick gunslinger, and Cat posing as a Mae West style vamp named Trixie, star Fonda simply oozing va-va-voom in a sexy, spangled dress designed to thrill.