by Mark Murton
Behind the Scenes by Linda Kay and Mark Murton

Starring: Ginger

Directed by: Herbert Wilcox

This review contains a mild Kitty Carnage Warning for rough handling and scruffing!

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

Synopsis: Based on a story by Joseph Conrad. Captain Davidson (Wendell Corey) runs a ship in the Java seas and falls for a stowaway known as Laughing Anne (Margaret Lockwood) who is escaping an abusive relationship.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): The ship’s tabby cat, Ginger (often called Gin or Ging for short), is in the charge of the cook, Nobby Clarke (Ronald Shiner), and is first seen when Nobby is preparing a cabin for the Davidson’s wife, Susan (Helen Shingler).

As Ginger lets out a little cry Nobby offhandedly tells her to “shut up.” He lifts the cat roughly to his face and adds, “Now look here Ginger you’ve got to behave yourself!” At which point the feisty little kitty nips Nobby on the nose!

Undaunted, Nobby continues, “We’ve got a visitor coming . . . a lady visitor. I wonder if she likes cats?” Davidson calls for Nobby who in turn unceremoniously dumps Ginger on the floor.

Later, Anne and Nobby are talking in the galley, and Nobby explains, “I’ve got two weaknesses, one’s women and the other’s cats – and I prefer cats.” (You wouldn’t necessarily know it from the way he mauls the cat around!)

During the voyage they stop off at a small island and while Anne reveals her back story to Davidson, Nobby sits with Ginger playing his squeezebox.

Back on board the ship, Nobby is making a Christmas pudding with Ginger in close attendance.

Nobby adds more alcohol and they both sniff the mixture.

Then Nobby grabs Ginger by the scruff and drops her to the floor.

Nobby takes the pudding mix up to Davidson for a “lucky stir,” As he departs he grabs the previously out-of-shot Ginger by the scruff again and puts her over his shoulder.

Nobby is then seen back in his cabin with Ginger resting on his bunk.

Christmas Day arrives and Davidson, Nobby and Anne are relaxing post-festivities, with Ginger lying on Davidson’s chest. Nobby is playing his squeezebox while Anne sings a song.

After Anne kises him, Davidson rises and, gently placing Ginger in Nobby’s lap, leaves. Anne soon follows. Nobby eventually stops and hoists Ginger by the scruff up on to his shoulder. The cat doesn’t feature again after this (perhaps she got fed up with the rough handling and jumped ship?)

Behind the Scenes

Ginger was reportedly played by a tiny marmalade tabby cat of the same name. Not much is known about Ginger, except what film reporter Gerald Bowman, whose column in the February 13, 1953 edition of The Liverpool Echo, recounted during his on-set encounter with the feline thespian:

    Herbert Wilcox, now completing “Laughing Anne” at Shepperton, has discovered a new star for whom I, personally, have fallen hard.

    The first time I encountered this charming young marmalade blonde she lay flat on her back, waved her legs in the air, yawned, winked at me, and dropped off to sleep.
    Sleeping, indeed, is the main requirement of her part in the film, but she also has some stirring sequences with Ronnie Shiner and Wendell Corey which concern the making of a Christmas pudding. From her home in Neasden she travels to the studio every day by car with one of the executives and goes back promptly at five p.m.
    Herbert tells me that apart from Margaret Lockwood, Ginger the cat is the finest actress on the set.

Sadly not much else was written about Ginger the cat, except for one special mention at the end of a review by Simon Stanford for the November 8, 1953 edition of the Sunday Sun: “A small ginger cat nearly runs away with the film.”

One advertisement for the film included caricatures of the characters, including Ginger the cat being held by Ronald Shiner.

Final Mewsings: One nip on the nose wasn’t enough!

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