Warner Bros.
Starring: Gary Cooper, Lilli Palmer
Directed by: Fritz Lang

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

Synopsis: Prof. Alvah Jesper (Gary Cooper) is recruited by American authorities to help rescue a scientist who has escaped from Nazi, Germany, leading him to Switzerland and then Italy where he meets an Italian partisan named Gina (Lilli Palmer).

Featured Feline: When Prof. Jesper is in Italy he must hide in Gina’s apartment for a time. She opens the door for her allies and then gasps as two bright lights beam at them from the darkness. Only when they hear a cat meow do they relax.

The cat continues to meow outside Gina’s door and is the topic of conversation between her and Jesper. Jesper wishes to let the cat in and give it some milk but Gina points out that it’s hard enough for the people to get by and find food, let alone the cats. At one point Jesper notes that the cat has stopped mewing. “In this country even the cats learn it’s no use to cry,” Gina replies. But moments later the cat starts meowing again. Gina finally gets up and goes to the door, picking up the black cat and bringing it into the apartment.

She gives the cat to Jesper and says, “Here, I hope she has fleas.”

Gina puts a plate of leftovers on the floor for the cat to eat then threatens the animal that if she makes a noise she will go right out the window.

The next morning the building’s janitor (Charles La Torre) knocks on the door asking in Italian about the cat.

Gina hands the man the cat but she slips out of his hands and runs back into the apartment. Look closely and you’ll see something tied to a string being pulled across the floor to lure the cat inside.

The janitor chases the cat into the apartment and sees Jesper, leading them to have to change location before being reported.

Final Mewsings: Cats don’t mean to blow the cover of spies.

Many thanks to Ted Davis for letting us know about this cat!

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