Paramount Pictures
Starring: Carole Lombard, Fred MacMurray, Ralph Bellamy
Also Starring: Whitey
Directed by: Mitchell Leisen

Synopsis: Regi Allen (Carole Lombard) is a jaded manicurist working in the barber shop of a high-end hotel.  She confides to one of her clients, the wealthy but paralyzed Allen Macklyn (Ralph Bellamy) that she is only interested in marrying for money.  She then meets supposed millionaire Theodore Drew III (Fred MacMurray) who in actuality hasn’t any money and is engaged to marry into money himself.  They connect as kindred spirits looking to marry up, but their plans start to fall apart when they fall in love with one another.

Featured Feline: Regi owns a white cat named Whitey (played by the prolific cat actor of the same name) who is first seen in Regi’s apartment when she’s waiting for Ted to pick her up for their first date.  Later Whitey interacts with both Regi and Ted in her apartment, sitting in the kitchen while Ted is cooking dinner and on the back of a chair when flowers are delivered to Regi.  Most notably Whitey is seen sitting on Ted’s bed at the moment Regi realizes he has left.

One interesting article appeared in the September 18, 1935 edition of The Pittsburgh Press about an incident that happened during production with Whitey.  The article reads:

      Temperamental inclinations of “Whitie,” (sic) a huge white cat, completely ruined the dispositions of Carole Lombard, Fred MacMurray and Director Mitchell Leisen during the filming of “Hands Across the Table.”
      Supposed to leap on MacMurray as he lies asleep on a davenport, the cat suddenly conceived a violent dislike for the actor and refused to go near him.
      Finally tiring of Leisen’s cajolings, the beast ran under a platform and refused to come out.  It was impossible to go under after him and nearly an hour was consumed in getting him out, a garden hose eventually proving effective.
      After drying the cat out and winning it over to MacMurray’s side by liberal bowls of milk, the scene was finally taken and everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

Interestingly enough, there is no such scene with MacMurray and Whitie on the davenport together in the finished film.  So possibly the filming did not continue as smoothly as they would have wished.  It did seem fairly clear that Whitey was not entirely comfortable in his position as cat actor, as he seemed to exit a scene as quickly as he could when any activity was going on nearby.

Final Mewsings: Not every cat wants to be an actor.

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