English Title: When the Cat Comes
Also Known As: The Cassandra Cat; The Cat Who Wore Sunglasses
Filmové studio Barrandov
Starring: Jan Werich, Emília Vásáryová, Vlastimil Brodský
Directed by: Vojtech Jasný

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

Synopsis: Charming film from Czechoslovakia about a small village visited by a traveling show which includes a cat wearing sunglasses.  When the sunglasses are removed, the cat’s eyes reveal the true nature of the townsfolk, causing those whose natures are not favorable to want to get rid of the cat.

Featured Felines: Early in the film the schoolteacher Robert (Vlastimil Brodský) is shown at home where he owns a beautiful white female cat whom he simply calls Chicha.

The cat who wears the sunglasses is a large tabby named Mokol who arrives in the town with the performers in a parade.  The beautiful arial performer Diana (Emília Vásáryová) holds him first, then she hands him to the Magician (Jan Werich).

Mokol spots Chicha pretty quickly and the two run off together while the performer’s parade comes to an end.

Robert goes looking for Chicha but doesn’t see her sitting with Mokol on a fountain nearby until Diana accidentally hits him with a door.

The performers give their show that night and at one point the Magician makes a bunch of cats appear.  He then zaps an elderly man from the audience into the show with the cats.

Mokol is seen walking on top of a ball.

Mokol ends up in Diana’s arms and she removes the glasses.  Several of the audience members are then seen in their true colors, represented by them turning that color all over. The various colors reveal the aspects of that person’s personality.

Oliva, the narrator of the story and a lookalike for the Magician in the show, releases Mokol who runs off.  He does this because experience has told him that some of the townspeople will want to kill the cat.

While Diana and Robert search for Mokol, he is seen sitting nearby with Chicha.  He shakes the glasses off and looks at the two, turning them red to show they are in love.

The performers leave the town but Diana says she will be back for the cat.  A massive search is made for Mokol (some with the intention of shooting him).  Fortunately Mokol is found by one of the schoolchildren.  Happily the kids march him back into town, changing the color of the townspeople as they go.

As the children enter the school, Mokol eyes a boy and a girl holding hands and his eyes color them red to reveal they are in love.

The school director (Jirí Sovák) is one of the people who resent having his true colors shown and so he conspires to kidnap Mokol, having an associate take Mokol away in a cage with a small bag over the poor cat’s head.

The children see this and protest, pasting the town with paintings of Mokol.  Eventually the children disappear altogether and the townspeople are frantic trying to find them.  At last the director gives in and produces Mokol, which brings the children out from hiding.  Diana and the performers return and take Mokol away with them.

Final Mewsings: We’re lucky cats can’t reveal to people what they know about us!

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