A family of Parisian cats, set to inherit a fortune, are kidnapped by their owner’s greedy butler and must find their way home.
In 1910 Paris, a wealthy and eccentric opera singer, Madame Bonfamille (Hermione Baddeley), declares in her will that her fortune will go to her beloved cat Duchess (Eva Gabor) and her three kittens. Upon learning this, the Madame’s jealous butler Edgar plots to eliminate the feline heirs. He kidnaps the cats and abandons them in the French countryside. Lost and alone, Duchess and her kittens meet a charismatic alley cat, Thomas O’Malley (Phil Harris), who vows to guide them back to their comfortable city life. Their journey is aided by a collection of animal friends, including a band of jazz-playing cats led by Scat Cat (Scatman Crothers).
As the last animated feature personally approved by Walt Disney before his death in 1966, the film is a significant entry in the studio’s canon. While it adheres to the reliable Disney structure of adventure and song, it is distinguished by its charming Parisian setting and a voice cast brimming with personality. Phil Harris gives O’Malley a persona similar to his Baloo from The Jungle Book (1967), and the picture benefits from the reunion of Monica Evans and Carole Shelley, who voiced the giggling geese sisters shortly after appearing as the Pigeon sisters in the film version of The Odd Couple (1968). The film’s Gallic flavor is secured by a title song performance from French icon Maurice Chevalier.
Production Co: Disney / 79 mins / 1970
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman
Producers: Winston Hibler, Wolfgang Reitherman
Screenplay: Larry Clemmons
Music: George Bruns
Production Design: Ken Anderson
Main Cast: Phil Harris (O’Malley), Eva Gabor (Duchess), Hermione Baddeley (Madame), Sterling Holloway (Roquefort), Scatman Crothers (Scat Cat), Paul Winchell (Shun Gon), Lord Tim Hudson (Hit Cat), Vito Scotti (Peppo)
