Diary of a Bachelor (1964)

by Linda Kay

Directed by: Sandy Howard

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

Synopsis: A swinging bachelor named Skip O’Hara (William Traylor) finally picks the girl he wants to settle down with and marry. But when she discovers and reads his diary those plans might change!

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): In the diary Skip recounts a particularly bad week in which he was rejected or had no luck with girls for seven days straight. The last day of the story revolves around a free spirited Greenwich Village artist named Lois (Arlene Golonka) who invites Skip up to her studio apartment after spending the day with him. As soon as they enter we can see she has a tabby cat sitting on the toilet in the corner.

Diary of a Bachelor - Lois Arlene Golonka and Skip William Traylor in apartment with tabby cat leashed to toilet in corner
Diary of a Bachelor - Lois Arlene Golonka and Skip William Traylor in apartment with tabby cat leashed to toilet in corner

She explains she keeps the “monster” to keep the place clean, but incredibly she has the poor cat tied with a short leash to the back of the toilet!

Diary of a Bachelor - tabby cat leashed to toilet in corner

She cuddles with the cat momentarily while explaining how he is afraid of mice.

Diary of a Bachelor - Lois Arlene Golonka with tabby cat leashed to toilet in corner
Diary of a Bachelor - Lois Arlene Golonka petting tabby cat leashed to toilet in corner animated gif
Diary of a Bachelor - tabby cat close up

Moments later a neighbor pokes his head in through the window to warn Lois that her boyfriend caught wind of her being with another man and is on his way up.

Diary of a Bachelor - neighbor looking in window with Lois Arlene Golonka and tabby cat leashed to toilet in corner
Diary of a Bachelor - tabby cat close

Skip has to beat a hasty retreat out the window. This must be a fairly common occurrence for Lois because the cat seems completely uninterested in Skip’s struggle through the window.

Diary of a Bachelor - Lois Arlene Golonka pushing Skip William Traylor out window with tabby cat leashed to toilet in corner

However, when Skip is making his getaway down the fire escape the cat cranes his neck watching him, almost as if to say, “Hey wait! Take me with you!!”

Diary of a Bachelor - tabby cat looking out through curtained window

Final Mewsings: The one way to make sure your apartment isn’t clean is to tether your cat with no litter box nearby.

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

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