Original Air Date: December 7, 1967
Starring: Louis Edmonds, Lara Parker
Directed by: Lela Swift
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this episode!
Synopsis: Confusion reigns when Joshua (Louis Edmonds) disappears at the same time a tuxedo cat appears in this storyline that is set in the past.
Featured Feline: At the end of the previous episode, we see that the witch Angelique (Lara Parker) turns Joshua into a cat. The transformation takes place off screen but is represented by a blood curdling cat screech which startles Jeremiah (Anthony George) who was talking to Joshua at the time of the change. Yet somehow Jeremiah doesn’t put two and two together.
Angelique achieves the transformation by molding some material into the shape of a cat which she shows to the servant Ben (Thayer David).
In episode 379, Natalie (Grayson Hall) and Victoria (Alexandra Moltke) discuss Joshua’s disappearance. Natalie suspects the sudden appearance of the cat has something to do with it.
Barnabas (Jonathan Frid) confirms for Natalie that he doesn’t recall ever seeing the cat before and that there have not been cats around the house since his Aunt Abigail despises them. “The devil’s pets, she calls them,” he explains.
The cat actor was not particularly good about staying in place and jumps down from his mark in the middle of a couple of scenes, including this one. One time the head of the trainer is even caught in the shot as he puts the animal back in place! The cat in general seemed hugely unenthusiastic and even uncomfortable in his or her role.
The story arc continues through several episodes with Joshua as the cat sitting in various scenes.
In one instance Ben actually threatens to kill the cat, wishing to take revenge on his former master.
In the end the cat turns back to Joshua with the same screech.
Final Mewsings: Some cats just really aren’t into acting.
Many thanks to Ted Davis for letting us know about the cat in this story arc.
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