Starring: Palmer

Directed by: Greg Beeman

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

Synopsis: Originally shown as an installment of The Disney Sunday Movie. A dying millionaire leaves all his wealth to his cat Leo (played by cat actor Palmer), putting him in danger of reprisal by greedy, shafted relatives.

Featured Feline: The millionaire is Oscar Kohlmeyer (Ramon Bieri) and at the start of the film Leo is sitting with the man on his deathbed. The maid is concerned because she hears him talking to the cat. But in fact Leo can talk and is carrying on a conversation with his friend in his final moments.

Left out of the five-million-dollar will is Oscar’s nephew Victor (George Wyner) and his wife Paula (Caroline McWilliams). When they find out they have no legal recourse, they decide to “take care” of Leo. Throughout the movie, Leo has to thwart them in various ways which usually ends up causing Victor some kind of injury.

Living in a house on the estate is Oscar’s caretaker Gus (Steve Vinovich) and his family, wife Louise (Jesse Wells), daughter Veronica (Kellie Martin) and son Bart (Brandon Call). Bart enjoys visiting the big house to feed and care for Leo, but the cat is disgusted that the boy is constantly bringing him liver for dinner.

As Bart practices his reading Leo gets fed up with all of his mistakes and corrects him, revealing the fact he can talk. He swears Bart to secrecy.

Of course Bart ends up telling Veronica and they ask Leo to share the story of how he met Oscar. Leo begins by explaining he was born in the back of a butcher shop.

He then went to the university where he learned many things (and apparently no one seemed the least bit surprised by a cat sitting in on classes).

Leo then met Oscar at a diner when the man was struggling to make ends meet. Seeing that some business men had an interest in the place, Leo realized the land was worth a lot and helped Oscar hold out for the men’s best offer, making him a millionaire.

Later on Leo orders pizza for himself and Bart by calling on the phone for a delivery.

Leo shows Bart where to find some money in a book on a high shelf. Bart almost falls and is taken home by his mother.

Realizing they have had no success on capturing Leo, Victor decides to hypnotize one of his psychiatric patients, Howard (Steven Kampmann), to do the job. Howard is actually successful at catching Leo and putting him into a carrier.

Kitty Cameo: Victor and Paula are quick to make a statement to the press insisting they love cats and had nothing to do with Leo’s disappearance. They hold a longhair snowshoe cat to prove their point, even though they first call him Rusty and then Rudolph.

Cat Cattle Call: A substantial reward is offered for anyone returning Leo. Of course this brings out a large line of people with cats hoping to claim the money.

Leo is being held prisoner in a home by Howard.

He manages to get to the phone and call Bart and Veronica, giving them clues as to his whereabouts.

Using the clues, the kids manage to pinpoint the house where Leo is being held captive.

The kids hide when Howard comes home and so Leo decides to speak to the unhinged man and offers him some psychological help, which Howard accepts.

Leo gives Howard the confidence he never had and so Howard agrees to help the cat and the kids get to the probate hearing before Victor can claim the inheritance.

A policeman pulls them over for speeding and then arrests them for being cat thieves to boot.

They manage to escape from the officer and race to the courthouse, getting there just in time.

Leo even tricks the judge (J.A. Preston) into declaring the caretaking family should live in the big house with him, and the final scene sees the kids and Howard eating lobster with Leo while singing On Top of Spaghetti, of all things.

The flame-point Siamese cat actor Palmer (and at least two stand-ins) were trained and owned by Ray Berwick and co-trained by Steve Berens and Bryan Renfro. Check out our special featured entitled How a Talking Cat Became a Disney Star which will be posted tomorrow!

Final Mewsings: Don’t mess with cats who have graduated from college!

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