by Linda Kay

English Title: The Crazy Kids of the War; Rita the Field Marshall

Directed by: Steno

Synopsis: A perky Italian waitress named Rita (Rita Pavone) aids downed American pilot Major Bill Hocks (Jess Hahn) with the help of eccentric Professor Giuliano Fineschi (Terence Hill) in an escape from incompetent Nazis via humor and song.

Kitty Cameo: After Major Hocks parachutes from his damaged airplane he lands in a monastary. The Nazis, who shot him down, arrive at the gates and one German soldier is ordered to ring the bell to summon a monk. The crosseyed soldier looks through the bars of the gate for the pull rope which is between his eyes. Not seeing it, he reaches out and grabs the tail of a white cat who just happens to be sitting nearby. The soldier pulls the cat’s tail (which is clearly fake and not attached to the cat actor at all).

In the wide shot that follows, the soldier actually does pull on the real cat’s tail but not too hard. The cat yelps their displeasure and jumps down, making haste out of this goofy comedy.

Final Mewsings: Cats are hesitant to appear in lowbrow comedies.

Many thanks to Nick Wale for letting us know about the cat in this movie.

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