Big Fella (1937)

Directed by: J. Elder Wills

This review contains a slight Kitty Carnage Warning!

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

Synopsis: Joe (Paul Robeson) is an amiable Marseille dock worker who is recruited by the police to help a wealthy English couple locate their missing son.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): While in the local bar, Joe and his friends Corny (Lawrence Brown) and Chuck (James Hayter) notice a man named Spike (Roy Emerton) asking for a bottle of milk and sneaking away with it. They think the missing boy has been kidnapped and deduce Spike may be getting the milk for him. They follow Spike to his apartment but he bars them from entering. This makes them even more suspicious and they manage to push their way inside. There they find a tabby kitten drinking the milk from a bowl on the floor.

Big Fella - tabby kitten drinking from bowl of milk

Slight Kitty Carnage Warning: Corny holds up the kitten and milk and the others laugh. He holds the kitten up by the scruff, which was common in the past but not acceptable by today’s standards.

Big Fella - Corny Lawrence Brown holding up tabby kitten by scruff
Big Fella - Corny Lawrence Brown holding up tabby kitten by scruff
Big Fella - Corny Lawrence Brown finding and holding up tabby kitten drinking milk animated gif

Spike is furious and grabs the kitten, pushing Corny away. Note that Spike holds the kitten the correct way.

Big Fella - Corny Lawrence Brown being pushed away by Spike Roy Emerton holding tabby kitten

The others continue to point and laugh at Spike.

Big Fella - Corny Lawrence Brown, Joe Paul Robeson and Chuck James Hayter pointing and laughing at Spike Roy Emerton holding tabby kitten
Big Fella - Corny Lawrence Brown, Joe Paul Robeson and Chuck James Hayter pointing and laughing at Spike Roy Emerton holding tabby kitten animated gif

Back in the bar, the others continue to rib Spike mercilessly about the kitten. In retaliation, Spike starts to tell everyone about Joe’s secret mission. Corny then shows up holding the kitten up by the scruff for all the bar to see. “Hey, Spike! Your kitty wants to be fed!” he announces. The bar roars with laughter.

Big Fella - Corny Lawrence Brown holding up tabby kitten by scruff in bar

Spike lunges at Corny and pushes him out of the bar and a scuffle ensues. The kitten seems lost in the melee.

Big Fella - Spike Roy Emerton running toward Corny Lawrence Brown holding up tabby kitten in bar
Big Fella - Corny Lawrence Brown being pushed away by Spike Roy Emerton with tabby kitten

The kitten is then shown okay on the floor.

Big Fella - tabby kitten on floor
Big Fella - tabby kitten on floor
Big Fella - tabby kitten on floor animated gif

Final Mewsings: Do not make fun of tough guys who love kittens!

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