Directed by: Marion Gering

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

Synopsis: American Naval Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton (Cary Grant) marries a Geisha named Cho-Cho San (Sylvia Sidney) while in Japan then abandons her thinking she will be free to remarry.

Cat Burglars (Scene Stealers): In one scene, Cho-Cho San picks up two Siamese cats from Pinkerton’s chair.

“Naughty Ms. Massachussets,” she scolds one kitten, then turns to the other and adds, “Bad Mr. Connecticut.” She points out that no one is allowed to sit in the chair except Mr. Pinkerton.

Cho-Cho San comments on how large the kittens’ bellies are becoming. “‘Tis the excellent American food.” “It’s more likely those four goldfish that once inhabit this bowl,” points out the maid Suzuki (Louise Carter.)

Noting Suzuki’s sour manner, Cho-Cho San coaches her to be more American.

Hearing Pinkerton coming, Cho-Cho San hands the kittens to Suzuki. The cats are not seen again.

Behind the Scenes

Three Siamese cats were reportedly obtained for use in the making on this film, although only two ever actually appear on screen. Several notices appeared in various newspapers about the three cats being cast in the film. But a couple of articles went into a little more detail, prefacing the innocent story with a rather intriguing headline:

Stolen Cats
Siamese Variety, Used in “Madame Butterfly,” Sacred to Temple

    If you own a genuine Siamese cat, you are, whether you know it or not, an accessory to theft.
    Sylvia Sydney, black-eyed screen beauty, learned that fact when L.H. Kerr, Los Angeles animal dealer, provided her with three of the valuable felines for use in the modernized screen version of the treasured romantic classic, “Madame Butterfly,” in which she plays the title role.
    “The Siamese cat,” Kerr told her, “is sacred in the temples of Siam. Every Siamese cat outside Siam is either a stolen cat or a descendant of a stolen cat.”
    So rare are genuine Siamese cats that Kerr, who has a collection of over 500 small animals, which he rents out to movie companies, does not own even one. He borrowed the three used in “Madame Butterfly” from private owners in Southern California. — The Kendrick News, February 16, 1933

Final Mewsings: Everyone knows cats sit exactly where they please.

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