City Girl (1930)

Directed by: F.W. Murnau

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

Synopsis: Lem (Charles Farrell) goes to Chicago to sell his father’s wheat and comes back with a city girl named Kate (Mary Duncan) as his wife.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): When Lem and Kate return to the farm they greet Lem’s mother (Edith Yorke) and his little sister Marie (Anne Shirley). Kate gives Marie a mechanical birdcage with a singing bird inside. When the cage is set on the floor, an adorable tabby cat approaches and sniffs at the cage, trying to figure it out.

City Girl - tabby cat looking at mechanical bird in cage
City Girl - tabby cat looking at mechanical bird in cage
City Girl - tabby cat looking at mechanical bird in cage
City Girl - tabby cat looking at mechanical bird in cage
City Girl - tabby cat looking at mechanical bird in cage animated gif

Marie pulls the cat into her lap and continues to enjoy the bird singing.

City Girl - Marie Anne Shirley holding tabby cat on lap with mechanical bird in cage and Lem Charles Farrell Kate Mary Duncan and mother Edith Yorke
City Girl - Marie Anne Shirley holding tabby cat on lap with mechanical bird in cage and Lem Charles Farrell Kate Mary Duncan and mother Edith Yorke

The stern father (David Torrence), who disapproves of the sudden marriage (and just about everything else) enters and everyone is suddenly sullen and nervous. The father yells at Marie who runs from the room with the cat.

City Girl - Marie Anne Shirley holding tabby cat with  Lem Charles Farrell Kate Mary Duncan and mother Edith Yorke
City Girl - Marie Anne Shirley holding tabby cat with  Lem Charles Farrell Kate Mary Duncan and mother Edith Yorke

Final Mewsings: Cats don’t like a sourpuss who spoils all the fun!

Many thanks to Mark Murton for letting us know about the cat in this film.

Relevant Links:

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