The Stars Fell on Henrietta (1995)

Starring: Percy, Slick, Holly

Directed by: James Keach

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

Synopsis: Mr. Cox (Robert Duvall) is a wildcatter roaming the Depression-era Midwest searching for oil.

Featured Feline: Mr. Cox’s traveling companion is a brown tabby cat named Matilda. She is riding with him in a convertible at the beginning of the film.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall riding in car with brown tabby cat Matilda

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall riding in car with brown tabby cat Matilda animated gif

When the car overheats, Mr. Cox calls for Matilda to follow him on foot. They soon manage to hitch a ride into town.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - brown tabby cat Matilda with paw on steering wheel of car

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall opening hood of car with brown tabby cat Matilda at steering wheel animated gif

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall walking down road with brown tabby cat Matilda

After having a falling out with his business partner, Mr. Cox seeks a bed for himself and Matilda at a flophouse. The woman clerk warns him that if his cat starts any trouble they’ll both be thrown out.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall holding brown tabby cat Matilda

While there, Mr. Cox meets an old friend named Henry (Victor Wong). Henry introduces Cox to a man named Delbert (Spencer Garrett) who offers him a ride to California.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall holding brown tabby cat Matilda with Henry Victor Wong and Delbert Spencer Garrett

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall holding brown tabby cat Matilda in back of car

They stop at a gas station. Cox and Matilda stretch their legs when Cox gets a sudden sensation, sniffing the air. He asks Matilda if she smells it, too, and then urges her not to look too excited.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall with brown tabby cat Matilda walking near car

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - brown tabby cat Matilda

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall and brown tabby cat Matilda smelling oil animated gif

Cox is an oil douser and tells Henry they are on top of a huge deposit of oil. Having seen too many of Cox’s failures, Henry decides to continue to California instead. Cox learns they are a mile from the town of Henrietta, Texas.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall with brown tabby cat Matilda and gas station attendant

On their way to Henrietta, Cox stops on the side of the road with Matilda. A man named Don Day (Aidan Quinn) pulls up in his car and asks what he’s doing. Cox dismisses the man, commenting to Matilda about how nosey he was.

Day is a local farmer and when he gets home a dust storm kicks up. Cox and Matilda are caught out in the open. Day drives back to get them but Matilda has run off and Cox hurts himself trying to find her. Cox finally finds the cat and they drive back to Day’s farm.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall holding brown tabby cat Matilda in dust storm

Don’s wife, Cora (Frances Fisher), stiches up Cox’s wound. He awakens later and is relieved to see Matilda nearby.

Cox goes outside and feels the soil, holding up Matilda to smell the air. He then spins her around and tosses her, using her as a kind of divining rod.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall spinning and tossing brown tabby cat Matilda animated gif

The next morning Cox meets Day’s daughters Beatrice (Lexi Randall) and Pauline (Kaytlyn Knowles). Matilda jumps from a nearby tree onto Cox’s shoulder.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall with brown tabby cat Matilda on his shoulder

Cox tries to talk the Days into co-investing with him in drilling for the oil, but having no money and no trust in this “oil man” he goes on his way.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall with brown tabby cat Matilda

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall walking away with brown tabby cat Matilda

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall and brown tabby cat Matilda walking away at dusk animated gif

In town Cox tries to get investors interested in his find, but they are understandably skeptical when he has no proof of oil apart from his and Matilda’s instincts to back up his claims.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall trying to explain causing confused looks including brown tabby cat Matilda animated gif

Stopping in a Greek restaurant, Cox orders coffee with lots of cream, the latter he gives to Matilda.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - brown tabby cat Matilda rubbing against Cox's leg

Cox ends up getting a job as a dishwasher in the restaurant and shares lodgings with fellow worker Robert (Wayne Dehart) who likes Matilda. Cox ends up going to jail for a time because he trusts the wrong person. Robert is outside with Matilda when Cox is released.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall holding brown tabby cat Matilda with Robert Wayne Dehart

Cox leaves Matilda, telling her he has to go take care of business. It is clear that it breaks his heart to leave his beloved feline friend.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall hugging brown tabby cat Matilda animated gif

He does this because his plan involves robbing the restaurant owner to raise the money to help Day drill for oil. The robbery goes off as planned and Cox and Matilda are soon reunited. With money they check into a nice hotel. Mr. Cox even gets Matilda a bottle of milk. The reason for checking into the hotel is so Mr. Cox can rob a high stakes poker game.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall with brown tabby cat Matilda checking into hotel

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall giving brown tabby cat Matilda some milk

With the money to invest in drilling for oil, Mr. Cox returns to the Day farm. Unfortunately Day had attempted to drill for oil himself, leaving him in worse financial straits than before.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall approaching with brown tabby cat Matilda

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall carrying brown tabby cat Matilda as he approaches farm animated gif

Mr. Cox sets about helping Day locate the oil on his land. As they work, Cora and Pauline give Matilda some milk.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall helping Day Aidan Quinn with brown tabby cat Matilda

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Cora Frances Fisher and Pauline Kaytlyn Knowles giving brown tabby cat Matilda milk

Matilda is not present while the oil rig is built, but is carried by Pauline outside when the anticipated gusher finally appears.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Pauline Kaytlyn Knowles carrying brown tabby cat Matilda

As Mr. Cox is getting ready to leave the farm in a new automobile, Matilda tries to jump up on the fender and falls off!

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall saying goodbye to Day family as brown tabby cat Matilda tried to jump on fender animated gif

Together they drive off for more adventures.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta - Mr. Cox Robert Duvall in car with brown tabby cat Matilda

The head animal trainer on the film was Karin McElhatton with assistant animal trainers Megan Fogarty and Jim Dew working for Studio Animal Services.

It’s hard to believe that even with such a large role in the film the cat (or rather cats) playing Matilda received no screen credit and very little appeared about the film or the cats’ performances in the press. Fortunately we were able to interview animal trainer Karin McElhatton to learn more about the cats who worked on this wonderful film, and you can read that Special Feature by clicking here.