The Late Show (1977)

The Late Show poster

Warner Bros.
Starring: Art Carney, Lily Tomlin
Directed by: Robert Benton

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

Synopsis: Ira Wells (Art Carney) is an aging gumshoe who is jolted out of retirement when he’s asked to find the kidnapped cat belonging to an eccentric young woman named Margo (Lily Tomlin).

Kitty Cameo: Margo’s grey cat Winston is the kidnap victim and while he is the focus of part of the investigation poor Winston gets very little actual screen time. We only see Winston in two scenes, the first in which they find him inside a carrier in the apartment of one of the suspects.

The Late Show - Margo Lily Tomlin holding gray cat Winston in carrier

The only other time Winston is seen is in Margo’s apartment, sitting near the carrier. When Winston walks away from the carrier, a vital clue is revealed.

The Late Show - Margo Lily Tomlin sitting on phone with gray cat Winston in background

The Late Show - gray cat Winston on floor in apartment

The Late Show - gray cat Winston on floor in apartment closer

The numerous paintings and pictures of cats on Margo’s walls get more actual screen time than Winston himself.

The Late Show - Ira Art Carney in apartment with cat paintings and photos on walls

The cat was featured on artwork for the film and better represented in the titles of foreign releases of the movie (i.e. Die Katze kennt den Mörder, El gato conoce al asesino and Alleen de kat kende de moordenaar.

The Late Show - poster for movie with cat Winston