by Ted Davis

Also Known As: Dragnet Night

Directed by: Carmine Gallone

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

Synopsis: A French boxing melodrama which follows the same story arc as the familiar American model: Young sailor Georget (Albert Prejean) puts on the gloves and rises quickly to the top of the profession in his own country, gets a swelled head and mistreats his girl Mariette (Annabella) and friends Charlie Stick (Constant Remy) and Fred (Jacques Lerner) before reaching a crisis, the European boxing championship in this instance, which forces him to reevaluate his selfish behavior.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): On the evening of their first meeting, as Georget walks Mariette home to her apartment, she teases him with remarks that she’s living with Bobby, whom she supports with all the wages she earns as a dancehall singer. Georget is happily surprised when he is introduced to her silver tabby cat, the aforementioned Bobby, who is lounging on the kitchen table.

Mariette cuddles and plays with Bobby for a moment, as Georget pours some milk from an almost empty bottle he picked up in front of a neighbor’s door. He dips his finger into the milk and ventures a brief boop on the nose to the kitty who licks off the liquid. However, Bobby proves to have a somewhat prurient nature for a cat because he hops immediately off the table when Georget and Mariette embrace.

After Georget triumphs in the national boxing championship, Mariette plans a celebration in their apartment. But Georget is a no-show and Fred attempts to distract Mariette by clowning with the obliging Bobby, who is wearing a ribbon around his neck. Fred rocks the poor cat like a baby.

Bobby loses his patience a bit when Fred starts to play with his tummy.

At the end of the movie it’s Mariette who walks a chastened Georget back to their apartment, and Bobby is thankfully in his accustomed spot on the kitchen table awaiting the reunited couple.

The last shot of the movie is of Bobby, who looks slightly embarrassed as Mariette and Georget snuggle nearby him.

Final Mewsings: A cat with a steadfast moral code is a rarity.

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