Voices of Judy Garland, Robert Goulet, Red Buttons, and Paul Frees
Directed by Abe Levitow
Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by E.Y Harburg
United Productions of America (UPA) began to make industrial and training films during World War II. They eventually became the in-house studio for Columbia Studios, winning awards for their unique use of limited animation and their two major characters, Mr. Magoo and Gerald McBoing Boing. This was their second and last attempt at a feature length film, and their only one not to feature Magoo. Chuck Jones of Looney Tunes fame also had a hand in it...and it got him fired from Warners when they realized he was working for another studio. Was all the fuss worth it? Let's head to a farm in 1895 Provence in the south of France and find out...
The Story: Mewsette the Angora cat (Garland) is tired of quiet rural life and her handsome but loutish suitor Jaune Tom (Goulet), an orange tom cat. Tom's kitten friend Robspierre (Buttons) wishes he'd forget Mewsette and stick to chasing mice. Mewsette finally takes the train to Paris, with Tom and Robspierre following on the tracks.
On the train, Mewsette encounters Meowice (Frees), a slick con-man tuxedo cat who claims he'll take her to Madame Rubens-Chatte (Hermoine Gingold) and have her made over into a society beauty. What he really wants to do is sell her to a rich American cat. He gets Tom and Robspierre drunk and sends them on a boat to Alaska. Mewsette flees when she figures out Meowrice's true intentions, but now she's alone and on her own. Tom, however, has had more luck in the Alaska than anyone could have guessed, and now he and Robspierre are on their way back to Paris to rescue poor Mewsette from ending up on a slow boat to Pittsburgh.
The Animation: Gorgeous...to a point. The backgrounds, with their glowing rainbow colors and sketchy style, look very much like the artwork Mewsette appears in at one point. Trouble is, the backgrounds remain stationary the entire time. They don't move or flow, and the characters don't always move the best, either. Chuck Jones' hand can be seen in the cats' expressive faces and wide eyes and mobile eyebrows that convey more than words ever could.
The Song and Dance: Charming enough to make me wish Garland did more animated films. She and Frees play very well off each other as the sweet farm cat looking for excitement in the big, glamorous city and the evil kitty who cares about nothing but money. Arlen and Harburg wrote a lovely score, too, with Garland calling "Little Drops of Rain" one of her favorite songs from her movies along with "Over the Rainbow." Buttons and Goulet also have a few cute moments as the country ginger cat determined to find his sweetheart and the pugnacious kitten who wishes he'd forget love and settle into chasing mice.
Favorite Number: Goulet gives us a good start on the farm as he croons the praises of his beautiful "Mewsette." Mewsette dreams of glamor and elegance in the big city in "Paris, Take My Hand." Meowice takes Mewsette on a ride in a buggy through Paris, claiming "The Horses Won't Talk." "Little Drops of Rain" is Jeune Tom's fantasy on the boat to Alaska, as he hears Mewsette encouraging him to return to her over a gorgeous montage of water scenes; Goulet gets a lovely reprise on the ship's mast. Towards the end of the film, Mewsette laments that "Paris Is a Lonely Town" when she's lost and homeless in a gray wintry City of Lights.
Trivia: Robert Goulet's first movie.
What I Don't Like: The cliche story is likely intended to poke fun at old-time melodramas from the late 19th century, but it just seems ridiculous nowadays. Even then, audiences didn't know what to make of it - the movie was a major flop in 1962. No wonder Mewsette complains about Tom. Other than his extraordinary mouse-catching ability, he's not exactly long on personality. Robspierre can be more than a little annoying, too. There's also the animation, which is lovely but still limited. Those artistic backgrounds remain just that, backgrounds. You never really believe the characters inhabit them.
The Big Finale: For adults who love the cast and younger kids who'll enjoy the cats' antics and be able to overlook the occasionally dark and cliched plot and the colorful but limited animation and enjoy the excellent music and performances.
Home Media: Easy to find on streaming and on disc, the latter currently from the Warner Archives.
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