by Linda Kay

Original Air Date: October 2, 1964

Starring: Ming

Directed by: Jack Arnold

Synopsis: Record company executive Fred Addams (Fred Astaire) meets his match in headstrong artists’ agent Tony Franklin (Barrie Chase) in this musical battle of the sexes.

Cat Burglars (Scene Stealers): Fred owns two Siamese cats, one he keeps in the office and one at home. The office cat is named George.

Don Corbin (Roger Perry) is waiting in Fred’s office with a surprise. Fred speculates that George has had kittens. “I said a surprise, not a miracle,” Don counters.

While speaking with Don about business, Fred shakes a drink in a cocktail shaker. The drink turns out to be milk with ice, a “milkshake” Fred pours out for George.

Later in the show while at home with his daughter Lori (Linda Foster), Fred picks up his second Siamese cat named Martha. He tells her George sends his best regards.

Neither Lori nor his maid Hannah (Doris Kemper) has time to listen to Fred’s problems, so he turns to Martha but realizes she has no interest in listening to him either.

George appears again in Fred’s office as Fred starts to make a drink after a trying series of events. “George, this one is for me,” he informs the cat.

Fred laments to George the fact that he has failed for the first time in his life right before the final scene. This episode was made as a possible TV pilot for a series starring Astaire and Chase which never came to fruition.

An article published in The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington) on September 13, 1964, stated the cat actor, Ming, who appeared in this episode was trained by Frank Inn. No mention was made of a second cat actor, although the cat playing Martha was definitely of lighter color than the cat playing George. It is not clear which cat was actually Ming, although the article described her as a beautiful blue-point Siamese. The article went on to state that Ming made appearances in such films as Bell, Book and Candle, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Rhubarb and Kitten with a Whip. Here the reporter is clearly mistaken. Ming may have appeared in Bell, Book and Candle but definitely did not appear in the other movies (someone clearly mixed up Rhubarb with Ming).

If Fred Astaire seems comfortable with his Siamese cat co-stars it’s because he owned a Siamese himself named Carlyle who was reportedly a gift from Kim Novak.

Final Mewsings: Cats are usually very good about listening to our problems.

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