Mr. and Mrs. North (1942)

Mr. and Mrs. North poster

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Starring:
 Gracie Allen, William Post Jr., Millard Mitchell
Directed by: Robert B. Sinclair

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

Synopsis: Gerald North (William Post Jr.) often gets exasperated with his hair-brained wife Pamela (Gracie Allen) but even moreso when her meddling in other people’s business gets them directly involved with a murder case.

Featured Feline: The North’s return to their apartment after each has spent a day away, Mr. North on business and Mrs. North visiting her mother.  The building supervisor meets them and tells Mrs. North that her neighbor locked Pete in the bathroom because she was afraid he would eat her canary.  Mrs. North leaves and returns a short time later with Pete, a beautiful Siamese cat.

Mr. and Mrs. North - Mrs. North enters with Siamese cat Pete

Mrs. North asks her husband to greet the cat but Pete hisses and swipes at him.  Mrs. North says it’s his own fault because Pete knows Mr. North really doesn’t love him.

Mr. and Mrs. North - Siamese cat Pete swipes at Mr. North animated gif

Mrs. North takes Pete into the kitchen to feed him.  Pete is not seen again until after the body of a murdered man is found in their apartment and the police arrive.  One investigating officer is named Mullins (Millard Mitchell) and when Mrs. North mentions Pete he asks for the full name of this new suspect.  Mrs. North answers, “Peter Aloysius Velvet Paws the Third.”  When Mullins is confused she explains Pete is a purebreed.  Later when Mullins returns to the apartment to investigate further, he is often seen holding and petting Pete.

Mr. and Mrs. North - Mullins sitting with Siamese cat Pete on lap

Mr. and Mrs. North - Mullins standing with Siamese cat Pete in arms

Mr. and Mrs. North - Mullins left standing holding Siamese cat Pete

Mrs. North deduces that a cat paw print on the window sill was Pete coming into the apartment then turning back because he saw the murderer.  Sure enough when the murderer returns to the apartment, Pete hisses at the person’s arm as it reaches inside to turn out the lights.

Mr. and Mrs. North - Siamese cat Pete on back of couch hissing

Pete then runs out the window.

Mr. and Mrs. North - Siamese cat Pete running for window

The murderer targets the mailmain, Mr. Barnes (Lucien Littlefield) who sees Pete on the windowsill and walks over to pet him. Pete hisses as the murderer approaches but it’s too late to warn Mr. Barnes.

Mr. and Mrs. North - Siamese cat about to hiss when man reaches to pet him

The character of Pete was adapted directly from the original Mr. and Mrs. North story by Richard and Frances Lockridge.  It’s not clear if Pete appeared in the stage production written by Owen Davis, which was the basis for this film version.  Pete was eventually replaced in the books by other cats but the authors were definitely cat lovers.

Mr. and Mrs. North - Siamese cat Pete missing animated gif

Final Mewsings: Cats have no desire to get involved with murderers.


Relevant Links:

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