by Linda Kay
Starring: Bobby
Directed by: Norman Taurog
Synopsis: Sweet downhome melodrama about Mrs. Wiggs (Pauline Lord) and her children who live in a run down shack awaiting the return of Mr. Wiggs (Donald Meek) who headed to the Klondike to search for gold and hasn’t been seen since.
Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): As the movie opens the Wiggs’ ruthless landlord, Mr. Bagby (Charles Middleton) is bragging to his buddies on the front walk of his store about how he refused to give a credit a poor man for a sack of potatoes when the Wiggs’ dog, Klondike (played by canine actor Rex), comes barreling along chasing a tabby and white cat (played by cat actor Bobby). The cat leaps (or is rather catapulted at) Mr. Bagby and scrambles over the man, followed closely by Klondike. Mr. Bagsby gets up and swears he’ll poison the dog someday (boo hiss!)
Klondike continues to chase the cat across town.
The cat eventually bolts into the Wiggs’ home and leaps (again is thrown) onto Mrs. Wiggs as she is reading the newspaper aloud to the children.
The cat drops to the floor and Klondike leaps at him.
The cat is apparently not a welcome member of the Wiggs’ household as they tell him to shoo and scat, which he does, still being chased by the dog. They retreat through the door beneath the legs of the arriving Miss Hazy (Zasu Pitts).
Behind the Scenes
The cat actor was credited as Bobby in a 1934 Los Angeles Times article about the animal actors appearing in the movie, implying this was the same Bobby who appeared in countless films since the silent era. Regarding this particular film, the article describes Bobby this way:
Bobby is an alley scrapper aged 13, the hero of a hundred battles, but with ears and limbs still intact. He acts only as a hobby or when times are bad. He doesn’t like the “Cabbage Patch” that Paramount has set up thirty miles north of Hollywood, for he is the sole cat population, and he finds it hard to keep in training. Fighting is his serious business in life.
While this description could easily fit the cat in the film, it doesn’t exactly fit the description of Bobby, who was reportedly part Persian. Although this was commonly listed as Bobby’s last acting job, it’s questionable that an older cat would be thrown around as this one is in this film. We will share more information on Bobby in an upcoming Special Feature.
Final Mewsings: Cats should know better than to run into the home of the dog who is chasing them.
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