by Linda Kay

Directed by: Edward F. Cline

Synopsis: Wilbur (Joe Penner) is a not-so-bright bank teller with a penchant for entering contests. When he wins a trailer he is thrilled, at least until a gang of bank robbers decide to use the trailer for a hideout as they make their getaway, setting off a crazy chase by the police.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): After a series of over-complicated situations, Wilbur’s wife (Lucille Ball) ends up in jail with Count Pierre Fountaine de Louis-Louis (Fritz Feld) trying to get her release. The bored warden (Arthur Stone) sits at his desk chewing tobacco while a tabby cat sits in the background beside a spitoon.

The warden turns and spits from a distance into the spittoon which makes a ringing sound. Satisfied, the warden makes a mark on a paper to count another successful hit. The cat is not shown again in close up but the next time the warden spits toward the spittoon he marks the paper before the ringing sound, only this time we hear the cat screech and the warden follows the “cat” (who is supposedly running away off screen) with his eyes before erasing the mark.

For some strange reason famous cat actor Whitey was reported to be working on this movie but Whitey does not in fact make an appearance (unless he had become extremely talented and played a tabby cat! Perhaps Whitey didn’t appreciate being spat at and was replaced?)

Final Mewsings: We are grateful they decided not to show the poor cat being spat upon.

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

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