Rolin Films
Starring: Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Noah Young
Directed by: Hal Roach
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!
Synopsis: A young couple (Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis) have their hands full babysitting their nephews, a rambuctious two-year-old and fussy infant. To make matters worse they learn there may be a vicious burglar targeting their home.
Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): One of the highlights of this hilarious silent comedy short is a grey and white cat which first shows up in the night scenes during the last reel. The husband and wife are nervous about a strange man they have seen outside the house and every little noise or light sets their nerves on edge. The small cat is first seen in an adjoining room playing with a curtain shade, which shoots up and scares Harold.
When the husband goes into the room to investigate, the cat is playing with a ribbon hanging from a dressmaker’s dummy. The cat’s playing turns the dummy around, again startling the husband.
Harold returns to the bedroom where he and his wife cower. The cat is now at the top of the stairs playing with a small basket of marbles. The marbles roll down the stairs making a “clunk clunk” sound which scares the couple.
Next the cat is at the bottom of the stairs playing with the string of a balloon which has a strange face painted upon it. The cat’s activity loosens the balloon, which floats to the top of the stairs and again scares the husband.
The crowning moment is when the cat is playing in what appears to be a rag bag of clipped materials, possibly from old clothes. The cat climbs into a sheer piece of white material.
Eventually the cat gets completely inside the material and starts walking around.
When the husband sees what appears to be a tiny ghost he freaks out.
The housemaid steps out of her room with a lit candle to investigate the noises in the house.
When she sees the tiny ghost cat she panics, and then when the cat jumps up on to her (or is rather thrown) she drops her candle, setting off some fireworks. And that’s when things really get crazy.
Final Mewsings: Some cats just get into everything!
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