Paramount Pictures
Starring: Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, Robert Preston
Directed by: Frank Tuttle

Cat Out of the Bag Alert!  This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: Philip Raven (Alan Ladd) is a paid assassin who is double-crossed when the men who hired him pay him in marked bills, causing him to set out after the ones who framed him.  In his quest he crosses paths with Ellen Graham (Veronica Lake) who is also looking for the criminals.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): At the beginning of the film Philip Raven is waking up in the afternoon in his apartment.  As he prepares to leave we see a tiny black and white tuxedo kitten mewing outside the window.

Raven opens the window to let the kitten in and then pours some condensed milk into a saucer for the kitten to drink.

Raven leaves the room to wash his hands when Annie (Pamela Blake), the building’s housekeeper, enters his room asking if she can clean up.  At this moment the kitten knocks the condensed milk can onto the floor.

Annie has a fit and rushes at the kitten, swiping a cleaning rag at the tiny animal and screaming for it to get out.

Raven appears and pulls her away then hits her and orders her to leave.  The kitten is on the floor, drinking the milk from the saucer (if you look closely this is a blooper, as first the saucer is not on the floor and then it is.  The editor must have cut a shot in which Raven puts the saucer on the floor for the kitten.)

Raven pets the kitten lovingly and then leaves.

Kitty Cameo: Later in the film when Raven and Ellen are on the run from the police they hide inside an abandoned building in a railroad yard.  They hear a noise and duck for cover but it turns out to be a tabby cat, which jumps in through a window.

Raven happily picks up the cat and sits down with the animal on his lap.  He explains to Ellen that cats bring you luck.  Raven further explains he likes cats because they’re on their own and don’t need anything.  Ellen points out that this poor ragged cat could use a friend.

Raven affectionately calls the cat “Toughie” and during the rest of the scene he continues to pet the cat, which is happy and content in his lap.

Kitty Carnage Warning! Two men looking to help capture the fugitive approach the building.  Raven is concerned about Toughie making noise and covers him with a heavy cloth.  The cat meows but Raven smothers his cries.  After the men have moved away Ellen tells him to let the cat up.  But Raven has looked down and realizes he has killed Toughie.  It’s a heartbreaking and chilling moment.  The violence against the cat is not seen on screen but it’s hard to watch, particularly because Toughie wasn’t making a sound before he covered him and probably would have continued to sit quietly if Raven hadn’t overreacted.

Many thanks to Todd from Cinema Monolith for recommending this film to us!

Final Mewsings: Anyone who kills a cat doesn’t deserve good luck.

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