by Mark Murton
Original Air Date: April 3, 1982
Directed by: Robert Day
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this episode!
Synopsis: In 1900, Pollyanna Harrington (Patsy Kensit), a pretty 12-year-old orphan who is now the ward of her Aunt Polly (Shirley Jones), struggles to prove that a simple-minded boy is not responsible for a series of mysterious happenings in their small town.
Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): As Pollyanna and her aunt arrive in town in their automobile they are accosted by the pushy Mrs. Tarbell (Gretchen Wyler) and her more timid friend Miss Best (Anne Haney). As Pollyanna is introduced to them we see Miss Best is cradling a black and white kitten in her arms.
Pollyanna is immediately taken with the vocal kitten, whom Miss Best informs her she calls “Charles.” Much to Aunt Polly’s staring disapproval, Pollyanna stretches over awkwardly to pet Charles as Miss Best tells her, “He’s such good company for a lonely lady, but he does like his little adventures.”
As Aunt Polly tries to make her excuses and leave, Mrs. Tarbel suddenly spots “that woman,” referring to The Widow Jenn (Amy Macintosh) who is renting a property from Polly.
Mrs. Tarbell admonishes Polly for renting her property to “a most peculiar person.” Finally Pollyanna and her aunt make their escape as Miss Best cheerfully waves them off.
Suspicion grows about the mysterious widow. When Miss Best finds the ribbon from Charles’ neck on the ground outside the widow Jenn’s place after the kitten goes missing, rumours spread about witchcraft and animal sacrifice. Pollyanna learns the truth that the widow Jenn has a backward son she keeps hidden for his own safety but when the townsfolk learn that the widow Jenn is harbouring “a monster” they quickly form into an angry mob, determined to drive the widow and her abomination out of town. Pollyanna hurries ahead and is the first to arrive at Jenn’s. Seeing the barn door open she ventures inside where cries from Charles alert her to his presence. The kitten is happily eating from a plate on the floor nearby.
She goes over to him and picks him up.
At this point the widow Jenn’s son Tom (James J. Collins) emerges from the shadows and Pollyanna apologises to him for the way he’s been misjudged. The widow Jenn now enters the barn and explains to Pollyanna that although he can’t speak Tom can understand. They are interrupted by the arrival of the angry townspeople descending upon the house and as Aunt Polly refuses them permission to set foot on her property, Pollyanna, Tom and the widow Jenn emerge from the barn with Tom carrying Charles.
Pollyanna explains how Tom found Charles with an injured leg and fixed it for him as the grateful Miss Best steps forward to take Charles back.
Miss Best moves back into the crowd as the scene plays out, with her and Charles seen just once more standing next to the still sour looking Mrs. Tarbell. This episode was intended as a pilot for a potential series but CBS declined to pick it up and so Charles’ shot at fame (surely his “little adventures” would have been a regular thing) was lost.
Final Mewsings: It’s easy to find something to be glad about when you’ve got a cat in your life.
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