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| − | {{Infobox |
+ | {{Infobox film |
| − | + | | name = The Aristocats |
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| − | + | | image = Aristocats-poster.jpg |
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| + | | caption = Original theatrical release poster |
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| − | + | | director = [[Wolfgang Reitherman]] |
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| − | |writer=[[Eric Cleworth]] <br> [[Vance Garry]] <br> [[Tom McGowan]] <br> [[Tom Rowe]] <br> [[Julius Svendsen]] <br> [[Frank Thomas (animator)|Frank Thomas]] <br> Ralph Wright <br> [[Friz Freleng]] <br> [[Don Griffin]] <br> [[Chuck Jones]] |
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| + | | producer = [[Winston Hibler]]<br>Wolfgang Reitherman |
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| − | |producer=[[Wolfgang Reitherman]] <br> [[Friz Freleng]] |
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| + | | writer = [[Ken Anderson]]<br>Larry Clemmons<br>Eric Cleworth<br>Vance Garry<br>Julius Svendsen<br> [[Frank Thomas]]<br>[[Ralph Wright]] |
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| − | |distributor=[[Walt Disney Productions]] |
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| + | | studio = [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Walt Disney Productions]] |
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| ⚫ | |||
| + | | distributor = [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Buena Vista Distribution]] |
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| ⚫ | |||
| + | | music = '''Score:'''<br>[[George Bruns]]<br>'''Songs:'''<br>[[Richard and Robert Sherman]]<br>[[Floyd Huddleston]]<br>[[Al Rinker]]<br>[[Terry Gilkyson]] |
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| − | |language=[[English language|English]], [[French language|French]] |
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| + | | starring = [[Phil Harris]]<br>[[Eva Gabor]]<br>[[Hermione Baddeley]]<br>[[Gary Dubin]]<br>[[Dean Clark]]<br>[[Sterling Holloway]]<br>[[Roddy Maude-Roxby]]<br>Liz English |
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| − | |country=[[United States|USA]] |
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| ⚫ | |||
| − | |budget=$4,000,000 (estimated) |
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| ⚫ | |||
| − | |imdb_id=0065421 |
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| + | | country = {{USA}} |
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| − | | preceded_by = ''[[The Jungle Book (1967)|The Jungle Book]]'' (1967), |
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| + | | language = English |
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| − | | followed_by = ''[[Robin Hood (1973)|Robin Hood]]'' (1973) |
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| + | | budget = $4 million |
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| − | }} |
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| + | | gross = $55.7 million}} |
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| − | '''''The Aristocats''''' is the twentieth animated feature in the [[Disney animated features canon]], released in [[1970]] from the [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group|Walt Disney studio]]. The story revolves around a family of [[aristocrat]]ic cats, and how an alley cat acquaintance helps prevent a butler from kidnapping them to gain his mistress' fortune. This film is noted for being the last film to be approved by [[Walt Disney]] himself; he died in [[1966]], while the film was still in early production. It was originally released to theaters by [[Buena Vista Distribution]] on December 11, [[1970]]. The title is in fact a [[pun]] on the word [[Aristocracy|Aristocrats]]. |
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| + | '''''The Aristocats''''' is a 1970 American [[animated feature]] film produced and released by [[Walt Disney Productions]] and features the voices of [[Eva Gabor]], [[Hermione Baddeley]], [[Phil Harris]], [[Dean Clark (actor)|Dean Clark]], [[Sterling Holloway]], [[Scatman Crothers]], and [[Roddy Maude-Roxby]]. The 20th animated feature in the [[Walt Disney Animated Classics|Walt Disney Animated Classics series]], the film is based on a story by Tom McGowan and Tom Rowe, and revolves around a family of [[Aristocracy (class)|aristocratic]] cats, and how an alley cat acquaintance helps them after a [[butler]] has kidnapped them to gain his mistress' fortune which was intended to go to them. It was originally released to theaters by [[Buena Vista Distribution]] on December 11, 1970. |
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| − | The film's basic idea - an animated romantic [[musical comedy]] about talking cats in [[France]] - had previously been used in the [[United Productions of America|UPA]] animated feature ''[[Gay Purr-ee]]''. There is a rumour that the Aristocats is coming out on a new edition in spring 2007. |
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| + | |||
| + | The film is noted for being the last film project to actually be approved by [[Walt Disney]] himself, as he died in late 1966, before the film was released. He had, however, been working in the story development for ''[[The Rescuers]]'' (1977) as early as 1962. ''The Aristocats'' gained positive reviews on first release and was a box office success. |
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==Plot== |
==Plot== |
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| + | In Paris in 1910, mother cat Duchess and her three kittens, Marie, Berlioz, and Toulouse, live with retired opera diva Madame Adelaide Bonfamille, and her English butler, Edgar. While preparing her will with lawyer Georges Hautecourt, Madame declares her fortune to be left to her cats until their deaths, and thereafter to Edgar. Edgar hears this through a speaking tube, and plots to eliminate the cats. Therefore, he sedates the cats by sleeping pills in their food, and enters the countryside to abandon them. There, he is ambushed by two hounds, named Napoleon and Lafayette, and the cats are stranded in the countryside, while Madame Adelaide, Roquefort the mouse, and Frou-Frou the horse discover their absence. In the morning, Duchess meets an alley cat named Thomas O'Malley, who offers to guide her and the kittens to Paris. The group briefly hitchhike in a milk cart before being chased off by the driver. Later, while crossing a railroad trestle, the cats narrowly avoid an oncoming train, but Marie falls into a river and is saved by O'Malley; himself rescued by two English geese, Amelia and Abigail Gabble, who accompany the cats to Paris. Edgar returns to the country to retrieve his possessions from Napoleon and Lafayette, as the only evidence that could incriminate him. |
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| − | {{spoilers}} |
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| − | Set in Paris, [[France]] in the year 1919, this is the story about a mother cat named Duchess and her three [[kittens]]: her daughter Marie, and her two sons Berlioz and Toulouse. They live in the Mansion of retired opera singer Adelaide Bonfamille, along with Edgar Balthazar (her butler), Frou Frou the horse, and Roquefort the mouse, who is a good friend of the cats. |
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| + | Travelling across the rooftops of the city, the cats meet O'Malley's friend Scat Cat and his musicians, who perform the scat song ''Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat''. After the band has departed, O'Malley and Duchess converse on a nearby rooftop while the kittens listen at a windowsill. Here, Duchess' loyalty to Madame prompts her to decline O'Malley's proposal of marriage. Duchess and the kittens return to Madame's mansion, but Edgar places them in a sack and prepares to ship them to Timbuktu; whereupon they direct Roquefort to retrieve O'Malley. He does so, and O'Malley returns to the mansion, ordering Roquefort to find Scat Cat and his gang. This done, the alley cats and Frou-Frou fight Edgar, while Roquefort frees Duchess and the kittens. In the end of the fight, Edgar is locked in his own packing-case and sent to Timbuktu himself. Madame Adelaide's will is rewritten to exclude Edgar, with Madame expressing surprise at Edgar’s departure. After adopting O’Malley into the family, Madame establishes a charity foundation housing Paris' stray cats (represented by Scat Cat and his band, who reprise their song). |
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| − | Adelaide, who will be passing away soon, wants to settle her [[will (fuck)|will]] with her lawyer Georges Hautecourt(a comical old man who denies his old age and refuses to accept Edgar's offer of taking the [[elevator|lift]] instead of the long [[staircase]]). Adelaide tells Georges that she wishes to leave her entire fortune to her butler, but only after her cats reach "the end of their natural lifespans." Edgar overhears this plan (through a soundpipe) and is dismayed as he worries that he will die before he is able to collect the inheritance. |
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| + | ==Cast== |
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| − | That evening, Edgar drops some [[Sedative|sleeping pills]] in the cats' [[milk]], putting them to sleep. Then, after night falls, Edgar takes the sleeping cats in their basket far away from home, hoping to drop them on the banks of a river near a farm. However, two farm dogs, Napoleon and Lafayette, hear Edgar approach. Believing him to be an intruder, the dogs attack him, biting him on the rear end. This causes him to drop the basket on the river bank. Edgar manages to escape, but is forced to leave his motorbike's [[sidecar]], his prized [[hat]], and an [[umbrella]]. |
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| + | * [[Eva Gabor]] as Duchess - Madame Adelaide's cat and mother of three kittens; but forced to choose between loyalty to Madame and her own attachment to Thomas O'Malley, until the end of the film. [[Robie Lester]] provided the singing voice for Duchess. |
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| + | * [[Phil Harris]] as Thomas O'Malley (full name: Abraham de Lacy Giuseppe Casey Thomas O'Malley) – A feral cat who befriends Duchess and her kittens, becoming a father figure to the kittens and falling in love with Duchess. |
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| + | * [[Gary Dubin]] as Toulouse - the oldest kitten, who idolizes all alley-cats and especially Thomas. He is also a talented painter. |
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| + | * [[Louise English|Liz English]] as Marie - Second-eldest kitten; often imperious or snobbish to her brothers, but her mother's especial companion. Something of a singer. |
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| + | * Dean Clark as Berlioz - the youngest kitten. He is somewhat timid and shy, but a talented pianist. |
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| + | * [[Roddy Maude-Roxby]] as Edgar Balthazar - Madame Adelaide's butler who tries to get rid of the cats in order to inherit her fortune. |
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| + | * [[Scatman Crothers]] as Scat Cat - Thomas's best friend and leader of a gang of jazz-playing alley cats. Scat Cat plays the trumpet. |
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| + | * [[Sterling Holloway]] as Roquefort - A house mouse and also a friend of the cats, who assists in the expulsion of Edgar. |
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| + | * [[Paul Winchell]] as Shun Gon - a Chinese cat in Scat Cat's gang. Plays the piano and drums made out of pots. |
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| + | * [[Lord Tim Hudson]] as Hit Cat - an English cat in Scat Cat's gang. Plays acoustic guitar. |
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| + | * [[Vito Scotti]] as Peppo - an Italian cat in Scat Cat's gang. Plays the accordion. |
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| + | * [[Thurl Ravenscroft]] as Billy Boss - a Russian cat in Scat Cat's gang. Plays the double bass. |
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| + | * [[Pat Buttram]] as Napoleon - a Bloodhound who attacks Edgar when he intrudes in the farm where Napoleon lives. Napoleon insists, whenever cohort Lafayette makes a suggestion, that he is in command, then adopts Lafayette's suggestion as his own. |
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| + | * [[George Lindsey]] as Lafayette - a Basset Hound and Napoleon's companion. He sometimes proves smarter than Napoleon, but is also more timid. |
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| + | * [[Charles Lane]] as Georges Hautecourt - Madame Bonfamille's lawyer: an eccentric, lively old man who provides comic relief by attempting stairs too steep for himself. |
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| + | * [[Nancy Kulp]] as Frou-Frou - Roquefort's horse companion, who subdues Edgar. [[Ruth Buzzi]] provided her singing voice. |
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| + | * [[Monica Evans]] as Abigail Gabble - a goose who befriends the cats. |
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| + | * [[Carole Shelley]] as Amelia Gabble - Abigail's twin sister. |
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| + | * [[Bill Thompson]] as Uncle Waldo - the drunken gander uncle of Abigail and Amelia. |
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| + | * [[Peter Renaday]] - French Milkman/Le Petit Cafe Cook/Truck Movers (uncredited) |
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| + | * Mel Blanc - Frog (uncredited) |
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| + | {{DEFAULTSORT:Aristocats, The}} |
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| − | Back at the mansion, Roquefort learns that the cats are missing, and goes out to look for them. |
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| − | Meanwhile, Duchess and the kittens awake to find themselves in unfamiliar settings. Worried, they decide to sleep in their basket and wait for morning. When the sun rises, Duchess meets a friendly, self-absorbed, worldly [[stray]] cat named Abraham DeLacey Giuseppe Casey Thomas O'Malley, who befriends the cats and helps them get home. From the first, Thomas is smitten with the beautiful Duchess, and she with him. He takes on an indulgent, paternal role toward the kittens, who are quite awed with this handsome, seemingly knowledgeable newcomer. |
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| + | [[Category:1970s musical comedy films]] |
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| − | Roquefort returns to the mansion, and miserably tells the downhearted Frou Frou that he couldn't find the cats anywhere. Edgar, the only happy person in the mansion, dances into the stable and tells Frou Frou (believing that she can't understand him) that it was he who kidnapped the cats. It is then that Edgar remembers that the only evidence left to convict him is the stuff he left at the farm the previous night, and that he must get them back quickly. |
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| + | [[Category:Children's fantasy films]] |
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| − | Thomas, Duchess and the kittens continue the journey home, and befriend three [[Goose|geese]] named Abigail, Amelia and Waldo on the way. Abigail and Amelia (possibly modeled after the sisters Gwendolyn and Cicely in the earlier movie "The Odd Couple") are bombastic English geese, who misinterpret Thomas' every move; Waldo is their uncle, a frivolous drunk with an obvious sense of humor. Even the very proper Duchess is amused by him. Later on, the cats find an old [[house]] to stay in with Thomas' musical [[alley cat]] friends led by [[Scat singing|Scat]] Cat. |
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| − | Meanwhile, Edgar sets off to the farm to find his stuff, and sees that Napoleon and Lafayette have made beds out of them. Edgar lures the two dogs away from his things. After another fight, he manages to escape again, this time with everything. Napoleon and Lafayette stare at the triumphant butler in horror, and Napoleon scolds Lafayette by bashing him on the head. |
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| − | The next morning, the cats make it back home, and Duchess says goodbye to Thomas. Edgar opens the door for them, letting them in. But before Roquefort can warn them, Edgar slams a [[sack]] over them, tying them up and hiding them in the [[oven]]. Horrified, Roquefort runs to get Thomas, who tells Roquefort to call his alley cat friends while he holds Edgar off. |
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| − | Thomas sneaks into the barn, where he sees Edgar lock Duchess and the kittens in a [[trunk]], hoping to send them to [[Timbuktu]]. Thomas stops Edgar and closes the barn door. Edgar and Thomas fight over the trunk, but Edgar, being human, overpowers the stray cat and pins him to a wall with a [[pitchfork]]. To his surprise, Thomas finds himself not impaled and dead, but caught between two prongs. At that moment, Roquefort and the alley cats arrive and stall Edgar while Roquefort unlocks the padlock on the trunk. |
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| − | After a fierce battle, Frou Frou kicks Edgar into the trunk, just as the delivery men arrive. They ship him to Timbuktu. |
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| − | That night, Adelaide accepts Thomas into the family, and erases Edgar from her will. She also gives the cats a surprise: her new cat foundation, which makes a home for all the alley cats of Paris. Adelaide urges Georges to make provision in the will "for their future little ones". |
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| − | A party is thrown in the foundation room, with nearly everyone from the movie: Scat Cat and his band, Frou Frou, Roquefort, Napoleon, Lafayette (the [[farmer]] possibly kicked the two dogs out for making a mess in the farm during their battles with Edgar), Amelia, Abigail and Waldo. |
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| − | ==Characters== |
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| − | ''The Aristocats'' uses the [[funny animals]] convention of talking animals who are understood by all other species except humans. Species featured include Cat, Dog, Mouse, Frog, Horse, and Goose. Specific characters are as follows: |
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| − | * Abraham de Lacey Giuseppe Casey Thomas O'Malley (voiced by [[Phil Harris]]) - an alley cat who befriends Duchess and the kittens and becomes Duchess's mate; he was simply referred to as "Thomas O'Malley". |
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| − | * Duchess (voiced by [[Eva Gabor]]) - an "aristocat" that lives with Madame Bonfamille. |
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| − | * Marie (voiced by [[Liz English]]) - Duchess's white daughter. |
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| − | * Berlioz (voiced by [[Dean Clark]]) - Duchess's black-furred son. |
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| − | * Toulouse (voiced by [[Gary Dubin]]) - Duchess's ginger son. |
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| − | * Edgar Balthazar (voiced by [[Roddy Maude-Roxby]]) - Madame Bonfamille's greedy butler. |
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| − | * Roquefort (voiced by [[Sterling Holloway]]) - a mouse who lives with Duchess and her kittens. |
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| − | * Scat Cat (voiced by [[Scatman Crothers]]) - a leader of an alley cat [[band (music)|band]] and a friend of O'Malley's. |
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| − | * Napoleon and Lafayette (voiced by [[Pat Buttram]] and [[George Lindsey]] respectively) - Two hound [[dog]]s who attack Edgar. Napoleon is a Bloodhound, while Lafayette is a [[Basset Hound]]. |
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| − | * Frou Frou (voiced by [[Nancy Kulp]]) - Madame Bonfamille's horse. |
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| − | * Amelia and Abigail Gabble (voiced by [[Carole Shelley]] and [[Monica Evans]] respectively) - Two [[geese]] (twin sisters) who save O'Malley from drowning. |
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| − | * Uncle Waldo (voiced by [[Bill Thompson]]) - Amelia and Abigail's Uncle. |
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| − | * Georges Hautecourt (voiced by [[Charles Lane]]) - Madame Bonfamille's lawyer. Madame tells her lawyer her will (also heard by Edgar). Georges is old. In fact, while getting out of his car he says that "he was not as young as he was when he was 80", indicating that he is older than 80, and probably older than Madame Bonfamille herself. |
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| − | * Shun Gon (voiced by [[Paul Winchell]]) - a crazy Chinese cat. |
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| − | * Hit Cat (voiced by [[Lord Tim Hudson]]) - an English cat, with wild blonde hair. |
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| − | * Peppo (voiced by [[Vito Scotti]]) - an Italian cat, wearing a look-alike Robin Hood hat and a red scarf. |
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| − | * Billy Boss (voiced by [[Thurl Ravenscroft]]) - a Russian cat, who plays the double bass in Scat Cat's band. |
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| − | The Milkman and Le Petit Cafe Cook both appear in the movie; their voices were provided by [[Peter Renaday]] (an actor who remained uncredited for the movie). [[Robie Lester]] and [[Ruth Buzzi]] respectively provide the singing voices for Duchess and Frou Frou throughout the movie as well. |
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| − | |||
| − | == Soundtrack listing== |
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| − | #The Aristocats - Maurice Chevalier |
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| − | #Scales And Arpeggios - Liz English, Gary Dubin, Dean Clark |
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| − | #Thomas O'Malley Cat - Phil Harris |
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| − | #Ev'rybody Wants To Be A Cat - Phil Harris, Scatman Brothers |
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| − | #She Never Felt Alone - Robie Lester |
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| − | |||
| − | ==Titles in different languages== |
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| − | *Bosnian: '''Mačke iz visokog društva''' |
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| − | *Bulgarian: '''Аристокотките''' (''Aristokotkite'') |
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| − | *Cantonese Chinese: '''富貴貓''' ("Wealthy Cats") |
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| − | *Croatian: '''Mačke iz visokog društva''' (High Society Cats) |
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| − | *Czech: '''Aristokočky''' |
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| − | *Danish: '''Aristocats''' |
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| − | *[[Dutch language|Dutch]]: '''De Aristokatten''' |
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| − | *Finnish: '''Aristokatit''' |
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| − | *[[French language|French]]: '''Les Aristochats''' |
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| − | *Estonian: '''Aristokassid''' |
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| − | *[[German language|German]]: '''Die Aristocats''' |
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| − | *Greek: '''Οι Αριστογάτες''' |
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| − | *Hebrew: '''חתולים בצמרת''' (''Elite Cats'') |
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| − | *Hungarian: '''Macskarisztokraták''' |
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| − | *Icelandic: '''Hefðakettirnir''' |
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| − | *[[Italian language|Italian]]: '''Gli Aristogatti''' |
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| − | *Japanese: '''おしゃれキャット''' (''Osharekyatto'') |
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| − | *Korean (South Korea): '''아리스토캣''' |
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| − | *Mandarin Chinese: '''貓兒歷險記''' |
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| − | *Norwegian: '''Aristokattene''' |
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| − | *[[Persian language|Persian]]: '''گربه هاي اشرافي''' |
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| − | *Polish: '''Aryskotraci''' |
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| − | *Portuguese: '''Os Aristogatas''' |
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| − | *Romanian: '''Pisicile aristocrate''' |
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| − | *Russian: '''Коты аристократы''' (''Koty aristokraty'') |
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| − | *Serbian: '''Mačke iz visokog društva''' |
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| − | *Slovenian ([[Slovenia]]): '''Mačke iz visoke družbe''' |
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| − | *[[Spanish language|Spanish]]: '''Los Aristogatos''' |
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| − | *Swedish: '''Aristocats''' |
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| − | *Thai: '''อริสโตแคตส์''' |
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| − | *Vietnamese: '''Gia Đình Mèo Quý Tộc''' |
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| − | ==Context== |
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| − | As the last animated feature approved for production by Walt Disney, and the first made after his death on December 15, [[1966]], ''The Aristocats'' has more in common with its immediate predecessors than with later films in the post-Disney era. Unlike the earliest of Disney's full-length animated films (as well as some more recent entries), the story was not based on a classic children's story, a point it shares in common with ''[[Lady and the Tramp]]'' (1955) and ''[[101 Dalmatians]]'' (1961). Many of the same artists who worked on these two features, as well as ''The Jungle Book'' (1967), were also available to see ''The Aristocats'' through to completion, including a number of Disney's Nine Old Men. |
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| − | ===Similarities and parallels between ''101 Dalmatians'' and ''The Aristocats''=== |
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| − | A number of parallels have been noted between ''The Aristocats'' and ''101 Dalmations'' specifically. |
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| − | * Each centers on one of the two most popular species of pets (one is about dogs, the other about cats), and features a character of the opposite species. |
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| − | * Each takes place in a sophisticated international city: London (''101 Dalmatians''); Paris (''The Aristocats''). |
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| − | * The delivery van in ''The Aristocats'' is similar to the moving van in ''101 Dalmatians''. They both have what looks like a face on the side. |
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| − | * Both are about pets being stolen for the petnapper's benefit, with no ransom involved. |
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| − | * Horace & Jasper's van, from ''101 Dalmatians'', is in ''The Aristocats''. It is used as the Milkman's truck, and it is colored blue. |
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| − | * In ''101 Dalmatians'', Pongo bites Jasper on the butt. In ''The Aristocats'', Napoleon the country dog bites Edgar in the same place. |
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| − | ===Similarities and parallels between ''The Jungle Book'' and ''The Aristocats''=== |
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| − | Although there are few obvious parallels on screen between ''The Jungle Book'' and ''The Aristocats'', there is a significant overlap in credits between the two consecutively-made films. Composer [[Terry Gilkyson]] wrote "[[The Bare Necessities]]" for ''The Jungle Book'', a song that was sung by Phil Harris as Baloo. For ''The Aristocats'' he wrote the song "Thomas O'Malley Cat", also sung by Phil Harris. The Sherman Brothers, who wrote most of the other songs used in ''The Jungle Book'', wrote three songs for ''The Aristocats'': the title song, "Scales and Arpeggios", and "She Never Felt Alone". Sterling Holloway, who played Kaa in ''The Jungle Book'', played 'Roquefort in ''The Aristocats''. Larry Clemmons, Ralph Wright, [[Ken Anderson]] and [[Vance Gerry]] shared screenwriting credit on both films. [[Wolfgang Reitherman|Wolfgang Reitherman directed]] them, and of course, Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl, John Lounsbery, and Frank Thomas were the directing animators. |
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| − | ==Opening previews== |
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| − | ===1996 VHS (Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection)=== |
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| − | *1991 Green FBI Warnings |
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| − | *New & Exciting from Disney/Special Message from "Walt Disney World" Bumper |
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| − | *Walt Disney World Commercial: My Vacation |
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| − | *"From DIsney Interactive" Bumper |
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| − | *Toy Story Interactive Storybook & Video Game Promo |
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| − | *Special Preview Bumper |
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| − | *The Hunchback of Notre Dame Theatrical Trailer |
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| − | *"And look for these great Disney movies...." |
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| − | *Muppet Treasure Island Home Video Trailer |
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| − | *Tom & Huck Home Video Trailer |
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| − | *Aladdin & The King of Thieves Home Video Trailer |
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| − | *Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection Logo (with voice-over) |
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| − | *"This film has been modified...." |
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| − | *1990 Walt Disney Pictures Logo |
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| − | *Opening Credits |
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| − | ==Trivia== |
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| − | *There is supposed to be the movie's direct-to-video sequel called ''The Aristocats II'', but the project was cancelled until The Walt Disney Company has plans to create and produce an animated theatrical motion picture spin-off, "All That Jazz", which is being planned, proposed, and in-progress. An animated TV series adaptation of the movie, titled ''Thomas O'Malley & The Alley Cats'', is also being planned as well. |
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| − | ==External links== |
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| − | *{{Imdb_title|id=0065421|title=The Aristocats}} |
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| − | *[http://disney.go.com/vault/archives/movies/aristocats/aristocats.html Aristocats] at the [http://disney.go.com/vault/archives/today.html Disney Archives] |
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| − | *[http://filmsmarts.com/movies/aristocats.html Aristocats Name Origins] at [http://www.filmsmarts.com FilmSmarts.com] |
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| − | {{Disney theatrical animated features}} |
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[[Category:Disney animated features canon]] |
[[Category:Disney animated features canon]] |
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+ | [[Category:Films directed by Wolfgang Reitherman]] |
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+ | [[Category:English-language films]] |
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+ | [[Category:Fictional cats]] |
| − | [[Category:Films about cats |
+ | [[Category:Films about cats]] |
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+ | [[Category:Films featuring anthropomorphic characters]] |
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[[Category:Films set in Paris]] |
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+ | [[Category:Romantic musical films]] |
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+ | [[Category:Walt Disney Pictures films]] |
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[[Category:Films without closing credits]] |
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| + | [[Category:Sherman Brothers]] |
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| + | [[Category:Film scores by George Bruns]] |
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Revision as of 20:40, 25 September 2018
The Aristocats is a 1970 American animated feature film produced and released by Walt Disney Productions and features the voices of Eva Gabor, Hermione Baddeley, Phil Harris, Dean Clark, Sterling Holloway, Scatman Crothers, and Roddy Maude-Roxby. The 20th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film is based on a story by Tom McGowan and Tom Rowe, and revolves around a family of aristocratic cats, and how an alley cat acquaintance helps them after a butler has kidnapped them to gain his mistress' fortune which was intended to go to them. It was originally released to theaters by Buena Vista Distribution on December 11, 1970.
The film is noted for being the last film project to actually be approved by Walt Disney himself, as he died in late 1966, before the film was released. He had, however, been working in the story development for The Rescuers (1977) as early as 1962. The Aristocats gained positive reviews on first release and was a box office success.
Plot
In Paris in 1910, mother cat Duchess and her three kittens, Marie, Berlioz, and Toulouse, live with retired opera diva Madame Adelaide Bonfamille, and her English butler, Edgar. While preparing her will with lawyer Georges Hautecourt, Madame declares her fortune to be left to her cats until their deaths, and thereafter to Edgar. Edgar hears this through a speaking tube, and plots to eliminate the cats. Therefore, he sedates the cats by sleeping pills in their food, and enters the countryside to abandon them. There, he is ambushed by two hounds, named Napoleon and Lafayette, and the cats are stranded in the countryside, while Madame Adelaide, Roquefort the mouse, and Frou-Frou the horse discover their absence. In the morning, Duchess meets an alley cat named Thomas O'Malley, who offers to guide her and the kittens to Paris. The group briefly hitchhike in a milk cart before being chased off by the driver. Later, while crossing a railroad trestle, the cats narrowly avoid an oncoming train, but Marie falls into a river and is saved by O'Malley; himself rescued by two English geese, Amelia and Abigail Gabble, who accompany the cats to Paris. Edgar returns to the country to retrieve his possessions from Napoleon and Lafayette, as the only evidence that could incriminate him.
Travelling across the rooftops of the city, the cats meet O'Malley's friend Scat Cat and his musicians, who perform the scat song Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat. After the band has departed, O'Malley and Duchess converse on a nearby rooftop while the kittens listen at a windowsill. Here, Duchess' loyalty to Madame prompts her to decline O'Malley's proposal of marriage. Duchess and the kittens return to Madame's mansion, but Edgar places them in a sack and prepares to ship them to Timbuktu; whereupon they direct Roquefort to retrieve O'Malley. He does so, and O'Malley returns to the mansion, ordering Roquefort to find Scat Cat and his gang. This done, the alley cats and Frou-Frou fight Edgar, while Roquefort frees Duchess and the kittens. In the end of the fight, Edgar is locked in his own packing-case and sent to Timbuktu himself. Madame Adelaide's will is rewritten to exclude Edgar, with Madame expressing surprise at Edgar’s departure. After adopting O’Malley into the family, Madame establishes a charity foundation housing Paris' stray cats (represented by Scat Cat and his band, who reprise their song).
Cast
- Eva Gabor as Duchess - Madame Adelaide's cat and mother of three kittens; but forced to choose between loyalty to Madame and her own attachment to Thomas O'Malley, until the end of the film. Robie Lester provided the singing voice for Duchess.
- Phil Harris as Thomas O'Malley (full name: Abraham de Lacy Giuseppe Casey Thomas O'Malley) – A feral cat who befriends Duchess and her kittens, becoming a father figure to the kittens and falling in love with Duchess.
- Gary Dubin as Toulouse - the oldest kitten, who idolizes all alley-cats and especially Thomas. He is also a talented painter.
- Liz English as Marie - Second-eldest kitten; often imperious or snobbish to her brothers, but her mother's especial companion. Something of a singer.
- Dean Clark as Berlioz - the youngest kitten. He is somewhat timid and shy, but a talented pianist.
- Roddy Maude-Roxby as Edgar Balthazar - Madame Adelaide's butler who tries to get rid of the cats in order to inherit her fortune.
- Scatman Crothers as Scat Cat - Thomas's best friend and leader of a gang of jazz-playing alley cats. Scat Cat plays the trumpet.
- Sterling Holloway as Roquefort - A house mouse and also a friend of the cats, who assists in the expulsion of Edgar.
- Paul Winchell as Shun Gon - a Chinese cat in Scat Cat's gang. Plays the piano and drums made out of pots.
- Lord Tim Hudson as Hit Cat - an English cat in Scat Cat's gang. Plays acoustic guitar.
- Vito Scotti as Peppo - an Italian cat in Scat Cat's gang. Plays the accordion.
- Thurl Ravenscroft as Billy Boss - a Russian cat in Scat Cat's gang. Plays the double bass.
- Pat Buttram as Napoleon - a Bloodhound who attacks Edgar when he intrudes in the farm where Napoleon lives. Napoleon insists, whenever cohort Lafayette makes a suggestion, that he is in command, then adopts Lafayette's suggestion as his own.
- George Lindsey as Lafayette - a Basset Hound and Napoleon's companion. He sometimes proves smarter than Napoleon, but is also more timid.
- Hermione Baddeley as Madame Adelaide Bonfamille - a former opera singer and owner of Duchess and her kittens.
- Charles Lane as Georges Hautecourt - Madame Bonfamille's lawyer: an eccentric, lively old man who provides comic relief by attempting stairs too steep for himself.
- Nancy Kulp as Frou-Frou - Roquefort's horse companion, who subdues Edgar. Ruth Buzzi provided her singing voice.
- Monica Evans as Abigail Gabble - a goose who befriends the cats.
- Carole Shelley as Amelia Gabble - Abigail's twin sister.
- Bill Thompson as Uncle Waldo - the drunken gander uncle of Abigail and Amelia.
- Peter Renaday - French Milkman/Le Petit Cafe Cook/Truck Movers (uncredited)
- Mel Blanc - Frog (uncredited)