Rage (1966)

Directed by: Gilberto Gazcón

This review contains a Kitty Carnage Warning!

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

Synopsis: Disgruntled Doctor Reuben (Glenn Ford) has to race against time to receive a vaccination after contracting rabies.

Featured Feline: The setting for the film is a Mexican border town. Construction is going on nearby and the crews are blasting into the hillside. During one blast a black cat is seen sitting in a box. The cat is Princessa who belongs to heavy machinery operator Fortunato (José Elías Moreno).

Rage - black cat Princessa sitting in cardboard box

Princessa tries to run after the blast but Fortunato holds on to her to calm her down.

Rage - Fortunato José Elías Moreno picking up black cat Princessa from cardboard box
Rage - Fortunato José Elías Moreno holding black cat Princessa

Princessa rides along with Fortunata, sitting on the seat beside him in the construction vehicle.

Rage - Fortunato José Elías Moreno setting black cat Princessa on seat beside him
Rage - Fortunato José Elías Moreno with black cat Princessa on seat beside him

When the construction crews drive back into town, Doctor Reuben’s German Shepherd runs at the truck containing Fortunate and Princessa the cat. Princessa hisses and yowls back.

Rage - Fortunato José Elías Moreno with black cat Princessa on seat beside him hissing at German Shepherd dog

Kitty Carnage Warning! In all honesty, this should really be a canine carnage warning, because Princessa jumps (or is rather catapulted) out of the truck towards the dog and goes crazy. The dog gets the worst of it, as the cat does more of the attacking, lunging at the dog and scratching at him. Story-wise, the dog is scratched and / or bitten, but in real life it looks as if none of the blows seem very serious. This kind of scene did have the potential of going very wrong, though, as one or the other animal could have done some real damage to the other.

Rage - black cat Princessa fighting with German Shepherd dog
Rage - Fortunato José Elías Moreno trying to break up fight between black cat Princessa and German Shepherd dog
Rage - black cat Princessa during fight
Rage - black cat Princessa fighting with German Shepherd dog

Fortunata manages to scoop up Princessa and tells a friend how he thinks she is going to be a mother because she has him all scratched up as well.

Rage - Fortunato José Elías Moreno holding black cat Princessa

Later Fortunata meets Doctor Reuben outside his office late at night. He is holding Princessa and explains that he doesn’t feel too good. As Doctor Reuben is about to let him inside, Princessa leaps away from Fortunata and runs away. Fortunata comments he thinks something is wrong with Princessa as well and chases after her, assuring the doc he’ll be back in the morning.

Rage - Fortunato José Elías Moreno with black cat Princessa on his shoulder talking to Doctor Reuben Glenn Ford

Unfortunately the next time we see Fortunato he is stricken with rabies. It is then revealed that Princessa is lying dead on a nearby rooftop and was the obvious carrier of the disease.

Final Mewsings: Explosions and dogs can make cats go crazy. Oh, and rabies, too.

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