Animation Celebration Saturday - Cats Don't Dance

Warner Bros, 1997
Voices of Scott Bakula, Jasmine Guy, Kathy Najimy, and Ashley Peldon
Directed by Mark Dindel
Music and lyrics by Randy Newman

There was a glut of animated musicals in the mid-late 90's that came out after the wild success of the Disney films earlier in the decade. With the exception of Anastasia, none of them were hits. Cats Don't Dance was a casualty both of that glut and of a merger between its studio Turner Feature Animation and Warners. Does this tale of a talented cat who comes to Hollywood to make good deserve stardom...and a larger audience? Let's find out...

The Story: Danny (Bakula) comes to Hollywood in 1939 with a dream of becoming the next great musical star. There's one small problem. He's a cat...and Tinsel Town in the late 30's doesn't allow animals to do anything besides, well, act like animals. He does manage to get a tiny part in a sugary movie alongside cutesy child star Darla Dimple (Peldon), but when he tries to upstage her, she calls in her massive butler (Dindel) to force him to behave.

The other animals in Hollywood, who are more accustomed to being in the humans' shadow, don't understand why Danny pursues his dream so relentlessly. Sawyer (Guy), currently a secretary for talent agent Farley Wink (Frank Welker), is especially frustrated. Danny encourages the animals, including Sawyer and elephant musician Woolie Mammoth (John Rhyes-Davies), to put on an impromptu dance number in front of the studio. He's hoping that he can get studio head LB Mammoth (George Kennedy) to notice them, but spoiled Darla has no intention of sharing the screen with anyone. After an accident leaves them all banned, Danny's ready to give up, until he remembers why he came to Hollywood in the first place.

The Song and Dance: Most people associate Bakula with Quantam Leap and his other TV work, but he's actually done stage musicals. He's perfect as upbeat, hopeful Danny. The rest of the cast is also a lot of fun. This was the final film role of long-time voice actress Betty Lou Gerson (best known as the voice of Cruella Di Vil from the original animated 101 Dalmations) as Frances the fish; I also like Hal Halbrook as cranky and sarcastic Cranston the goat and Rene Auberjonois as the director harried director.

Darla Dimple is one of the most over-the-top villains in animation history. Peldon brings just the right note of super-sweet menace to this psychotic brat, who will do literally anything to make sure she retains the spotlight. Just check out her running around with insane glee during the "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" number.

The Animation: This was Turner Feature Animation's first (and as it turned out, only) full-length film, and they put out all the stops. Hollywood of 1939 is recreated in all it's Art Deco glory. A montage of Hollywood and Los Angeles landmarks of the time in the rain, set to Sawyer's big ballad "Tell Me Lies," is especially nice. Some of the dance sequences are really nicely done, including "I've Got Rhythm" with the animals going to town in front of the studio - Sawyer and Danny look as good as any live-action dance team from the era.

Favorite Number: "Big and Loud," Darla's advice to Danny on how to attract the studios' attention, is...well, it's just that. It's bright, it's wild, it has some amazing animation, and it really must be seen to be believed. Darla also (inadvertently) contributes to another crazy and colorful number, "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now." The song's lyrics become literal truth when every switch and lever Darla yanks at to end the animals' dance routine just ends up further enhancing their performance. "I've Got Rhythm," the big dance number with the animals and Danny and Sawyer challenging each other, is also a lot of fun.

Trivia: Along with being Gerson's last movie, this was also the last film for Gene Kelly, who was a consultant and choreographer before he passed away in 1996. The movie is dedicated to him (and there's a Singin' In the Rain mention in the movie poster spoof montage in the finale).

What I Don't Like: Despite it's late 30's setting and the inclusion of several caricatures of celebrities of the era like Clark Gable, it doesn't really feel that historical. The movie probably could have been set any time up to the early 60's in Hollywood and worked just as well. Other than cheerful Tilly, Rhys-Davies as Woolie, and cute Pudge the Penguin, most of the other animals don't really have much to do. Don Knotts is wasted as TJ, the neurotic turtle who is obsessed with reading morose predictions from fortune cookies.

The Big Finale: This one seems to have picked up a cult following recently of animation enthusiasts, musical lovers, and furry fans who saw it on video in the early 2000's. If you were a fan of Zootopia and other all-animal stories or are into the musicals of the 1930's or the animated musicals of the late 90's, you'll want to give Danny and his friends a second chance at stardom, too.

Home Media: The one you want to look out for is the Warner Archives DVD, which is this movie's first release in it's original widescreen format.

DVD