Cats Don't Dance
Directed by	Mark Dindal
Produced by	Bill Bloom Timothy Campbell David Kirschner Paul Gertz
Written by	Mark Dindal Robert Lence Brian McEntee Rick Schneider David Womersley Kelvin Yasuda
Starring	Scott Bakula Jasmine Guy John Rhys-Davies Ashley Peldon
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Family Entertainment Turner Future Animation
Release date(s)	March 26, 1997
Running time	75 minutes
Language	English
Budget	US$60,000,000 (estimated)
IMDb profile

Cats Don't Dance is a 1997 animated film, notable as the only animated feature produced by the short-lived Turner Entertainment animation unit (later renamed as Warner Bros. Feature Animation) and one of the last American animated to use traditional animation cels. The film was distributed to movie theaters by Warner Bros. Family Entertainment. Set in a world where human beings and anthropomorphic animals live side-by-side, it focuses on a cat named Danny Cat who wants to break into show business in Hollywood. Image File history File linksMetadata Cats_dont_dance_poster. ... Mark Dindal (born in Columbus, Ohio) is an American special effects animator and film director. ... David Kirschner (born in Los Angeles, California) is an American film and television producer, particularly of animated features. ... Mark Dindal (born in Columbus, Ohio) is an American special effects animator and film director. ... Scott Stewart Bakula (born October 9, 1954) is an American actor who played leading roles in two science fiction television series: Quantum Leap and Star Trek: Enterprise. ... Jasmine Guy (born March 10, 1964 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American actress. ... John Rhys-Davies (born May 5, 1944) is an English actor best known for his supporting roles as the charismatic Arab excavator Sallah in the Indiana Jones films, and the dwarf Gimli in The Lord of the Rings trilogy (in which he also voiced the towering Ent, Treebeard). ... Ashley Peldon Ashley Peldon (born April 2nd, 1984 in New York, New York) is a TV and film actress. ... Warner Bros. ... For other persons named Ted Turner, see Ted Turner (disambiguation). ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The year 1997 in film involved some significant events. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... The year 1997 in film involved some significant events. ... Turner Entertainment Company was established August 4, 1986 to oversee Turner Broadcastings film library after its acquisition of MGM/UA. In addition to the studio, Turner got its library, which included all of MGMs films, Warner Bros. ... Warner Bros. ... Warner Bros. ...

The film features the voices of Scott Bakula and Jasmine Guy, and was the directorial debut of former Disney animator Mark Dindal. It is also notable for songs written by Randy Newman, and for Gene Kelly's contributions as choreographer. Cats Don't Dance was Kelly's final film project. The movie is dedicated to him. Scott Stewart Bakula (born October 9, 1954) is an American actor who played leading roles in two science fiction television series: Quantum Leap and Star Trek: Enterprise. ... Jasmine Guy (born March 10, 1964 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American actress. ... Mark Dindal (born in Columbus, Ohio) is an American special effects animator and film director. ... For the boxer, see Randy Neumann. ... For the similarly-named American actress, see Jean Kelly. ...

Plot

An ambitious young cat named Danny travels from his small hometown of Kokomo to Hollywood who dreams of making it big in the movies. Danny finds an animal talent agent, as well as his clients, and his receptionist, a sassy and rather cynical, but stunning lady cat named Sawyer, whom Danny falls in love with. When Danny lands a small role in Mammoth Pictures' Li'l Ark Angel, the latest film of Darla Dimple, "America's Sweetheart, Lover of Children and Animals", he's thrilled until he realizes how small the part is. He knows his talent demands a more promising role, so he takes matters into his own paws, turning his one line of "meow" into an impressive bit of music, but in so doing upstages Darla Dimple, who's playing the Li'l Ark Angel. This is a big mistake, as Darla's true self is then revealed as a brash, obnoxious, horrible child star of the worst degree. Miss Dimple states that the animals (whom she actually does not like) and the people involved in the film have to respect her and not make any more interruptions. The director and crew have to agree, lest they face her further wrath, or (to put things on a scale much worse), the wrath of Max, her gigantic manservant. For the band, see Kokomo (band). ... ...

Danny learns that all of the other animals came to Hollywood with big dreams like he did, only to realize that humans are always given the starring roles, and animals are resigned to the supporting cast. Realizing this Danny sets up an impromptu dance session in the alley, to remind the animals why they came to Hollywood in the first place. Here he also convinces Sawyer, with some difficulty, to dance again. Danny also figures out how to prove the animals' talents to the rest of Hollywood.

Darla Dimple invites Danny to her mansion and offers to call studio boss L.B. Mammoth to set up a chance for Danny and his friends to perform for him. Danny accepts this offer openly and enlists the assistance of all the animals. Unfortunately, the truth is that Darla has no such intention to let the animals perform for L.B., and instead floods the sound stage, destroying a press release that is going on outside and blaming the animals for it. The animals are summarily kicked out of the studio and told that they'll never work in Hollywood again. Defeated, Danny prepares to go back to Kokomo, but he soon changes his mind and decides to work together with Pudge to come up with an idea for the animals to finally show their stuff.

Danny sneaks into the studio and invites all of the animals to the premiere of Darla's film. After the film rolls (and a fairly intense battle between Max and Danny atop Grauman's Chinese Theater), Danny addresses the audience, informing them that he and his friends are going to sing and dance for them, as requested, Danny says, by Ms. Darla Dimple. What follows is a spectacular production number by the animals, while Darla's insane attempts to stop them only results in more flash and fireworks, and in the process electrocutes herself and is badly bruised in the end. Darla, trying to prove that she is the real star, inadvertently screams the truth about her sabotage of the sound stage flooding into a microphone for all to hear, and the production number is a resounding success. Everyone learns the truth about what actually happened and what Darla is really like. Pudge opens the trap door, and Darla falls through it. L.B. and the director Flanigan apologize for the mistakes they have made. The animals are given starring roles from then on, creating a number of amusing parodies of classic films. Later, after the movie poster parodies, it is revealed that Darla has lost her fame and has wound up as a grumpy janitor. This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ...

Voice cast

• Scott Bakula as Danny
• Jasmine Guy as Sawyer (speaking)
• Natalie Cole as Sawyer (singing)
• Ashley Peldon as Darla Dimple (speaking)
• Lindsay Ridgeway as Darla Dimple (singing)
• Kathy Najimy as Tillie Hippo
• John Rhys-Davies as Woolie Mammoth
• George Kennedy as L.B. Mammoth
• Rene Auberjonois as Flanigan
• Betty Lou Gerson as Frances Albacore
• Hal Holbrook as Cranston Goat
• Matthew Herried as Peabo "Pudge" Pudgemyer
• Don Knotts as T.W. Turtle
• Mark Dindal as Max
• Frank Welker as Farley Wink
• David Johansen as Bus Driver

Scott Stewart Bakula (born October 9, 1954) is an American actor who played leading roles in two science fiction television series: Quantum Leap and Star Trek: Enterprise. ... Jasmine Guy (born March 10, 1964 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American actress. ... Natalie Maria Cole (born February 6, 1950), known professionally as Natalie Cole, is an American singer and songwriter. ... Ashley Peldon Ashley Peldon (born April 2nd, 1984 in New York, New York) is a TV and film actress. ... Lindsay Ridgeway was born June 22, 1985 in Riverside, CA. She was a child actress with several past roles in both film and television, including playing Morgan Matthews from 1995-2000 on the tv show Boy Meets World. ... Kathy Ann Najimy (born February 6, 1957) is an American actress, best known as Olive Massery on the television series Veronicas Closet, Sister Mary Patrick in Sister Act and the voice of Peggy Hill on the animated television series King of the Hill. ... John Rhys-Davies (born May 5, 1944) is an English actor best known for his supporting roles as the charismatic Arab excavator Sallah in the Indiana Jones films, and the dwarf Gimli in The Lord of the Rings trilogy (in which he also voiced the towering Ent, Treebeard). ... George Harris Kennedy, Jr. ... For the Swiss painter, see René Auberjonois. ... Betty Lou Gerson (April 20, 1914 - January 12, 1999) was an American actress, predominantly in radio, but also in film and television, and as a voice actress. ... Harold Rowe Holbrook, Jr. ... Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American comedic actor best known for his portrayal of Barney Fife on the 1960s television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show (a role which earned him five Emmy Awards), and as landlord Ralph Furley on the television sitcom Three’s... Mark Dindal (born in Columbus, Ohio) is an American special effects animator and film director. ... Franklin W. Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. ... David Johansen on the cover of his 1987 eponymous debut as Buster Poindexter David Johansen (born January 9, 1950, Staten Island, NY) is an American rock, punk, blues and pop singer, songwriter and actor. ...

Soundtrack album listing

1. "Our Time Has Come" - James Ingram, Carnie Wilson
2. "I Do Believe" - Will Downing
3. "Danny's Arrival Song" - Scott Bakula
4. "Little Boat on the Sea" - Lindsay Ridgeway, Scott Bakula
5. "Animal Jam" - Scott Bakula
6. "Big and Loud (Part 1)" - Lindsay Ridgeway
7. "Big and Loud (Part 2)" - Lindsay Ridgeway
8. "Tell Me Lies" - Natalie Cole
9. "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" - Natalie Cole, Scott Bakula, Kathy Najimy
10. "Darla's Premiere" - Steve Goldstein
11. "Once Upon a Time..." - Steve Goldstein
12. "Danny's Theme" - Steve Goldstein
13. "Farley's Office" - Steve Goldstein
14. "Reporting for Work" - Steve Goldstein
15. "Max Enters" - Steve Goldstein
16. "Tea Time for Danny" - Steve Goldstein
17. "The Flood" - Steve Goldstein
18. "Battle with Max" - Steve Goldstein
19. "Triumph of the Animals" - Steve Goldstein
20. "Our Time Has Come" [Movie Version] - James Ingram, Carnie Wilson

James Ingram (born February 16, 1956 in Akron, Ohio) is an American soul musician, famous for his vocal performance. ... Carnie Wilson (born April 29, 1968 in Bel Air, California, U.S.) is an American singer and television host, best known as a member of the early-90s singing group Wilson Phillips. ... Brooklyn singer Will Downing was born in 1963 and appeared on the scene in the early 1980s. ... Lindsay Ridgeway was born June 22, 1985 in Riverside, CA. She was a child actress with several past roles in both film and television, including playing Morgan Matthews from 1995-2000 on the tv show Boy Meets World. ...

Release and response

Warner Bros. attached Pullet Surprise, a newly produced Looney Tunes short featuring Foghorn Leghorn, to Cats Don't Dance for its original theatrical release. Although Cats Don't Dance was critically acclaimed (it still retains a 67% 'fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes), it was a casualty of the Turner/Time Warner merger: it received a traditional theatrical release in 1997 but without fanfare and failed to draw an audience, due to minimal advertising, a lack of promotional merchandise (only two book adaptations and a set of toys from Subway) and having only one theatrical trailer prepared. It was also overshadowed by the overlapping releases of Disney's Hercules and the "Star Wars" special edition. Its total domestic theatrical gross was $3,566,637^[1], making it a huge box office flop in contrast with its $60 million production budget. The film did win Best Animated Feature at the 1997 Annie Awards. Time Warner Inc. ... SUBWAY® is the name of a franchise fast food restaurant that mainly sells sandwiches and salads. ... Advertising poster for the film. ... This article is about the series. ... The Annie Awards are given to actors for their work in voice-overs including those done in animated film, video games and other vocally-driven art. ...

Pop culture references

The film takes place in April of 1939 (the date is posted on Danny's script) to the early 1940s setting, allowing it to parody the Golden Age of Hollywood, and it features caricatures of Mae West, Laurel & Hardy, W.C. Fields, Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, King Kong, and Toto from The Wizard of Oz. The art and directing styles of the film reflect the influence of 1930s/1940s cartoon makers such as Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, and the artists at the Fleischer Studio. The main antagonist, Darla Dimple, is an evil caricature of Shirley Temple, Jane Withers, and Darla Hood all rolled into one. Mammoth Pictures is a caricature of MGM, with L.B. Mammoth as Louis B. Mayer. ... MAE-West is a major Internet peering point located in San Jose, California. ... Laurel and Hardy Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were the members of the most famous comedy duo in film history. ... W. C. Fields (January 29, 1880 - December 25, 1946) was an American comedian and actor. ... For other persons named Joan Crawford, see Joan Crawford (disambiguation). ... William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901 – November 16, 1960) was an Academy Award-winning American film actor. ... For the vocal coach, see Carrie Grant. ... For other uses, see King Kong (disambiguation). ... Terry, the Cairn Terrier who played Toto in the film Toto is the name of a fictional dog in L. Frank Baums Oz series of childrens books, and works derived from them. ... The Wizard of Oz (film) redirects here. ... Chuck Jones in 1976 Charles Martin Chuck Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. ... Frederick Bean Fred/Tex Avery (February 26, 1908 – August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. ... Robert Emerson Bob Clampett (May 8, 1913–May 4, 1984) was an American animator, producer, director, and puppeteer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes series of cartoons from Warner Bros. ... Fleischer Studios is an American New York animation company founded by the brothers, Max Fleischer and Dave Fleischer who ran the company from 1921-1942. ... For the cocktail named after this person, see Shirley Temple cocktail. ... Jane Withers (born April 12, 1926) is an American actress. ... Darla Jean Hood (November 8, 1931 – June 13, 1979) was an American child actress. ... MGM logo Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or MGM, is a large media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of cinema and television programs. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Before the end credits of the film, many parody posters of famous movies starring the animals are shown. They include Singin' in the Rain, Casablanca, The Mask, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Witches of Eastwick, Grumpy Old Men, Superman, Beetlejuice, Twister, Batman and Robin and Free Willy. For other uses, see Singin in the Rain. ... This article is about the 1942 film. ... The Mask is an Oscar-nominated action comedy film based on a series of comic books published by Dark Horse Comics. ... For the 2007 film, see TMNT (film). ... The Witches of Eastwick is a 1987 feature film based on the novel of the same title by John Updike. ... Grumpy Old Men is a 1993 Warner Bros. ... For the franchise, see Superman film series. ... This article is about the film. ... Twister is a 1996 disaster film starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton as storm chasers researching tornadoes. ... The correct title of this article is Batman & Robin (1997 film). ... Free Willy is a 1993 Warner Bros. ...

Home Video Releases

Cats Don't Dance got its first home video release on VHS and Laserdisc on August 19, 1997, which at the time was relatively quick for home video releases. While a standard 4:3 VHS, the Laserdisc was special in the fact that it remains to this day the only way to watch the film in its theatrical widescreen format until its Cartoon Network HD airing starting in February 2008 (all VHS and DVD releases have been 4:3 full-screen). The Laserdisc was never re-released and has become very rare. The VHS re-released for its second and final time on March 2, 1999. Not to be confused with disk laser, a type of solid-state laser in a flat configuration. ... For Cartoon Network outside of the United States, see Cartoon Network around the world. ... For other uses, see February (disambiguation). ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

The film saw its first DVD release on September 2, 2002, as a bare-bones 4:3 panned DVD with virtually no bonus features. The most recent release was a re-release of the same DVD, but bundled with Quest for Camelot, which was released on May 2, 2006. There has yet to be a DVD release of the film in its theatrical widescreen format. Quest for Camelot is an animated feature from Warner Bros. ...

References

1. ^ Cats Don't Dance at boxofficemojo.com [1]

External links

• Cats Don't Dance at the Internet Movie Database
• Cats Don't Dance at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Unofficial Cats Don't Dance Fansite