Also Known As: Stop Me Before I Kill!
Starring: George
Directed by: Val Guest
This review contains a Implied Kitty Carnage Warning!
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!
Synopsis: Alan Colby (Ronald Lewis) is a successful race car driver who marries the young love of his life, Denise (Diane Cilento). But right after their wedding they are in a horrific car accident which leaves Alan with some strange symptoms, not the least of which is his insatiable impulse to strangle his wife. A psychiatrist, Dr. David Prade (Claude Dauphin), attempts to help Alan but may end up making things worse for the couple.
Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): When Denise phones Dr. Prade at his London home he is sitting with a beautiful Siamese cat named Ma Vie on his lap.
Denise asks if she may come see Dr. Prade in person. When he gets off the phone, he carries Ma Vie to her basket and sets her down.
Ma Vie sits next to Denise on the couch as she asks the doctor for his help after a particularly scary incident with her husband. Dr. Prade tells Ma Vie to get down but Denise indicates she doesn’t mind the cat and even pets her.
Still Dr. Prade picks up Ma Vie and places her in the basket again.
After Denise leaves, Ma Vie is playfully rolling on the floor at Dr. Prade’s feet.
Implied Kitty Carnage Warning! Although Ma Vie is not seen in the rest of the film (except in a portrait) she plays a somewhat pivotal role in the proceedings. While no direct violence is shown, poor Ma Vie does not fare well offscreen in this film.
Behind the Scenes
Ma Vie was played by a Siamese cat named George who, according to the Blu Ray DVD’s notes citing the Hammer film’s original promotional materials, was originally a model. Born on October 10, 1958, George was one of five kittens and lived with a family in Chelsea. A studio phoned asking if a Siamese could model for them and George found himself in ads for typewriters with model Svetlana Kassinova. He later posed for stocking advertisements (possibly Charnos ads, which appear below) and also made a television commercial.
George’s big break in film came with his appearance in The Full Treatment and a pin-up still of the cat actor was offered by Hammer Films or Columbia Pictures by contacting their publicity departments.
A story was offered to newspapers via publicity materials but not many seemed to pick up the story (although The Lincolnshire Echo did publish brief excerpts):
George the Cat Star Had One Complaint
George, a twenty-month old Siamese cat who began his career as a photographic model, has become a film star.
He was taken to the studios from his Chelsea home by his seventeen-year-old mistress, Caroline Childe. He travelled in a chauffeur-driven limousine.
At Elstree he made his way to Dressing Room No 121 which bore his name in bold letters on the door. After checking that his £ 50 insurance premium was in order, George jumped on a high chair to have his liquid make-up applied. He had to have his coat lightened down a shade for the cameras.
This done, he still had a few minutes before he was needed on the set. He promptly ordered a saucer of ice-cooled milk – ‘to give me courage for the day’s ordeal.’
On the set there were introductions all round. First, George met Claude Dauphin (‘so charming, so gentlemanly, so Gallically gallant’). Then he was presented to producer-director Val Guest (‘I’ve heard this guy is a great discoverer of hidden talent’). After that he met Diane Cilento. ‘Absolutely gorgeous,” was his verdict.
At the end of the day a tired but contented George collected his Artiste’s Pay Voucher from the Unit Office. As he jumped into the limousine waiting to take him home, George said he had only one complaint. ‘The title of this film is all wrong,” he mewed. ‘They should change it immediately to Once More With Feline!’
Final Mewsings: Let’s just say Dr. Prade gets what’s coming to him in the end.
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