Starring: Orangey

Directed by: Jacques Tourneur

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

Synopsis: Circuit judge Rick Thorne (Joel McCrea) arrives to serve justice in a town owned almost exclusively by one family who doesn’t appreciate his presence.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): Thorne meets with the town’s Sheriff, Nat Bell (Emile Meyer) in the jailhouse. A ginger tom cat resides in the jail and is often seen laying around on a desk or table.

The cat actor is constantly preening, which would suggest some kind of substance was placed on its paws to keep it relaxed and in position. Sometimes the cat sniffs the table as well, as if looking for a treat.

All during discussions between Bell, Thorne and laywer Colonel Buck Streeter (John Carradine) the cat lies calmly, sometimes shifting his position but never moving from his mark.

In one scene Bell has the cat in his lap and is petting it, although the cat is out of frame for these shots (at least in the copy of the film we could find).

The cat is so calm that it doesn’t even get startled when a bunch of men burst into the jail. Instead the cat rolls over calmly and jumps down off the table.

The cat actor is one of the Orangey team trained by Frank Inn. This specific member of the team also usually played Minerva in the movie and television versions of Our Miss Brooks.

Final Mewsings: Cat actors don’t need to fake being calm when they are old pros!

Many thanks to Deb Barnes for letting us know about Orangey’s appearance in this movie.

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