Underworld (1927)

Directed by: Josef von Sternberg

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

Synopsis: Gangster ‘Bull’ Weed (George Bancroft) is on top of the world until he suspects his right hand man Rolls Royce (Clive Brook) may be falling for his main moll Feathers (Evelyn Brent).

Kitty Cameos: Near the beginning of the film the trio are at the Dreamland Cafe. An establishing shot of the place shows a tiny kitten on a windowsill above the sign.

Underworld - tiny kitten on top of Dreamland Cafe sign

Underworld - tiny kitten on top of Dreamland Cafe sign animated gif

Outside the club three more cats are seen hanging around.

Underworld - two tabby cats on sidewalk by garbage cans

Underworld - white cat on steps leading up to door

Underworld - two tabby cats on sidewalk by garbage cans and white cat on steps animated gif

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): Bull escapes from prison and goes to the gang’s apartment hideout. He hears someone approaching the door and after a tense moment he throws it open, pulling a gun. Outside a tiny black kitten with white paws approaches the milk bottle the milkman has just left.

Underworld - longhaired black kitten with white paws looking in doorway by milk bottle

Underworld - Bull George Bancroft opens door to reveal longhaired black kitten with white paws looking in doorway by milk bottle animated gif

Bull picks up the kitten and the milk and gently brings them inside, setting the kitten on a table.

Underworld - longhaired black kitten with white paws on table next to Bull Weed George Bancroft

Underworld - longhaired black kitten with white paws sitting on table

Dipping his finger into the milk, Bull offers it to the tiny kitten to lick.

Underworld - longhaired black kitten with white paws licking milk from fingers

Underworld - Bull George Bancroft dipping finger in milk bottle and letting longhaired black kitten with white paws lick finger animated gif

Feathers arrives and is surprised to see Bull, but he thinks she has double crossed him with Rolls Royce. The police arrive and a gun battle ensues. The kitten is playing in the window when a bullet crashes through but fortunately the cat is not hit.

Underworld - longhaired black kitten with white paws playing by window with bullet hole

Featers grabs the kitten from the windowsill and holds onto it while the gunplay continues. Eventually the kitten just disappears, not to be seen again.