by Linda Kay
Directed by: Ralph Thomas
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!
Synopsis: A group of British children living in an apartment complex have no problem with breaking the caretaker’s rules, particularly when it comes to keeping pets. When they find out their collective menagerie will all be confiscated and destroyed, they decide to hide the animals on the grounds of an empty manor nearby, not realizing a group of jewel thieves have also picked the location for their hideout.
Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): Word spreads that the caretaker Forbes (George Coulouris) is making his rounds for the rent which prompts all of the children to hide their pets. A girl named Linda (Molly Osborne) anxiously searches her apartment with her mother looking for her kitten Frisky. The mother spots the kitten in the corner and Linda scoops him up just as Forbes comes to the door.
Linda cradles Frisky who appears to be a pure black kitten as her mother pays Forbes the rent.
When Frisky meows it is overheard by Forbes but Linda quickly covers by hiding the kitten behind her back and meowing herself.
The children realize that their animals are in real danger of being found out and sent to be put down so they gather all their critters and get them away from the apartments. Linda holds Frisky who now looks like a much lighter colored kitten.
The kids first take their beloved pets to the local pet shop run by the absent-minded Mrs. Fossett (Kathleen Harrison) who absolutely refuses to take on so many new animals. Linda places Frisky, who has now become a tabby kitten, on a scale as a collar is found for the kids’ new acquisition and the star of the film, a dog named Boffin.
Upon leaving the store, a boy named Ginger (Robert Scroggins) sees his pet pigeons flying toward the abandoned manor nearby and the kids suddenly realize this is the perfect place to hide their pets.
When they reach the manor, not realizing the crooks are already hiding inside, their plans expand to making an actual zoo in which to keep their pets and they begin clearing out the carriage house on the property.
Frisky is only seen briefly after this, sitting among the other animals in the cleared carriage house and in a couple of very quick closer shots.
Final Mewsings: Kittens may be adaptable but they are not chameleons.
Many thanks to RobG for letting us know about the cat in this film.
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