SCTV - "Dr. Tongue's 3D House of Cats"

Original Air Date: September 23, 1978

Directed by: George Bloomfield

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

Synopsis: Count Floyd (Joe Flaherty) promotes the upcoming presentation of Dr. Tongue’s 3D House of Cats.

Cat Burglars (Scene Stealers): Count Floyd promotes the upcoming presentation of Dr. Tongue’s 3D House of Cats on his Monster Chiller Horror Theatre (selling the 3D glasses for twenty-seven dollars apiece). He then shows clips from the movie.

SCTV Dr. Tongue's 3D House of Cats title card

A woman named Alicia (Catherine O’Hara) is wandering around a creepy mansion full of cat statues and art, wondering why her host is so fascinated with cats.

SCTV Dr. Tongue's 3D House of Cats - Alicia Catherine O'Hara under cat painting

She is startled by Dr. Tongue (John Candy) who explains that cats make very good companions and offers her a smoking drink. He then asks if she wants to see his Dinky. She spit takes before he can explain it is his little cat Dinky. He picks up a little black and white cat and shows it to Alicia.

SCTV House of Cats - Dr. Tongue John Candy holding tuxedo cat Dinky with Alicia Catherine O'Hara

As he tries to cuddle with the cat it attacks him (or rather, in a perfect spoof of similar cat attack scenes in many horror movies, he has to pretend the cat is attacking him).

SCTV House of Cats - Dr. Tongue John Candy being attacked by tuxedo cat Dinky with Alicia Catherine O'Hara

Alicia then gets dizzy and starts washing herself like a cat. A photo of a cat is then superimposed on her face in a cheesy manner to suggest she is changing into a cat.

SCTV House of Cats - Alicia Catherine O'Hara changing into a cat

SCTV House of Cats - Alicia Catherine O'Hara changing into a cat photo animated gif

When the transformation is complete it’s a totally different cat on the couch. Dr. Tongue picks her up, saying she is his.

SCTV House of Cats - Dr. Tongue John Candy picking up gray and white cat Alicia

He then carries the cat to the camera and moves it in and out in what parodies a 3D effect shot.

SCTV House of Cats - Dr. Tongue John Candy moving gray and white cat Alicia in and out of camera 3D effect

SCTV House of Cats - Dr. Tongue John Candy moving gray and white cat Alicia in and out of camera 3D effect animated gif

Cat Cattle Call: Dr. Tongue is next seen with many cats in cages, victims he has turned into cats.

SCTV House of Cats - Dr. Tongue John Candy looking at cats in cages

Before a big party, Dr. Tongue orders his servant Bruno (Eugene Levy) to release the cats. When he doesn’t return, Dr. Tongue invesigates and finds Bruno lying dead with Dinky next to him.

SCTV House of Cats - Bruno Eugene Levy killed by tuxedo cat Dinky

The cats then attack Dr. Tongue, again parodying a classic cat attack scene with interspersed shots zooming in on cats’ faces (with hands holding up the cats!)