Directed by: Charles Crichton
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!
Synopsis: Teenager Joe Kirby (Harry Fowler) uncovers a code hidden in a comic book being used by a gang of thieves and encourages his pals to work together to stop them.
Cat Burglars (Scene Stealers): The boys go to the home of the comic book’s writer, Felix H. Wilkerson (Alastair Sim). As they are climbing the stairs to his room, the shadow of a cat is seen above them.
A Siamese cat then passes them, going down as they are going up.
The boys looks down to see the cat and its shadow continuing down the stairs. What’s strange is this cat appears to be black with white paws and not a Siamese, although no other cat is referenced in this segment.
When the boys are startled into entering Mr. Wilkerson’s room he explains he left the door open for his cat Otto. The cat returns at the end of the scene and Mr. Wilkerson picks up the animal affectionately before warning the boys not to take action against the crooks for fear of reprisal.
Later in the film the gang is traveling through the sewers. When they finally emerge, a tuxedo cat approaches the open manhole cover and looks down the hole.
Purr Blurs: Joe works in a produce yard and has to learn to balance baskets on his head. On his first attempt he falls over backwards with a crash. A tabby cat on a nearby basket takes it all in stride.
What could be the same tabby cat is seen twice more, once sitting on a basket and again with an elderly man looking through rotting vegetables.
A gray cat is also seen briefly in the produce area, slinking off behind some baskets.
Final Mewsings: Cats, like boys, tend to hang around the streets of London.
Many thanks to Ted Davis and Mark Murton for letting us know about the cats in this film.
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