by Ted Davis

Directed by: Robert Butler

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

Synopsis: Approaching his fiftieth year, weary streetwise cop Bumper Morgan (William Holden) has been pounding the L.A. beat for close to two decades and feels the weight of each one of his years. He’s seriously considering ‘pulling the pin,’ retiring on his pension and enjoying life with stylish college professor Cassie Walters (Lee Remick). But Bumper desperately wants to solve the murder of a young hooker before leaving the police force, a reckless desire which compromises his judgment.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): Bumper’s last day on the force is an eventful one. To help overcome a hangover, in the morning he visits La Mascota, a Mexican diner, for a bowl of chili. The young proprietor (Rudy Ramos) is holding a tuxedo kitten as he tends to Bumper and the only other customer, a creep sitting on the stool beside him.

The nameless creep complains about the cat, further stating that he runs over cats with his car. Bumper immediately reacts by throwing him out of the diner, declaring, “If I ever catch you running over a cat, I’ll break your neck!” (Earlier in the movie, Bumper reminisced about his dead son and the son’s kitten.) The proprietor provides Bumper’s meal ‘gratis.’

Final Mewsings: Thank you for your service, Officer Morgan, and for protecting the cat.

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