Product Details

• Actors: Hayley Mills, Dean Jones, Dorothy Provine, Roddy McDowall, Neville Brand
• Directors: Robert Stevenson
• Writers: Bill Walsh, Gordon Gordon, Mildred Gordon
• Producers: Bill Walsh, Ron Miller, Walt Disney
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Rated: G (General Audience)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Walt Disney Video
• VHS Release Date: February 4, 1997
• Run Time: 112 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304285388
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #180,329 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

When a slightly cross-eyed Siamese cat named D.C. (Darn Cat) turns up with a wristwatch around his neck instead of a collar, it could be just the clue the FBI needs to crack a series of bank robberies in this lightweight comedy from Disney. The watch belongs to a bank teller who has been taken hostage. Dean Jones stars as the good-hearted FBI agent assigned to the case. Unfortunately, he is highly allergic to, you guessed it, cats. Hayley Mills is D.C.'s doting owner who hatches a hair-brained scheme to follow D.C.'s every move until he returns to the crooks' hideout where he got the wristwatch. After a lot of sneezing, slapstick, and comedic intrigue, the bank robbers are foiled, the hostage is safe, and everyone is happy. An impressive supporting cast of Frank Gorshin, Elsa Lanchester, Roddy McDowall, and Ed Wynn add to the zaniness. Released in 1965 (and remade in 1997), it is understandably dated, but the performances are fun nonetheless. Hayley Mills is delightful as the determined and unflappable wannabe sleuth, and Dean Jones proves he is adept at physical comedy. This is a movie of little consequence, just a clean, fun diversion that the whole family can watch. The theme song is sung by Bobby Darin. --Peggy Maltby-Etra

Product Description

His name is "D.C." -- short for "Darn Cat" -- the sleekest sleuth ever to grace the silver screen! Hayley Mills stars as a young woman with an active imagination who contacts the FBI when D.C. suddenly sports a wristwatch around his neck. She's convinced it's the tip-off to crack a baffling bank robbery and kidnapping case. Dean Jones is the allergic federal agent who sniffs around for clues only to find love in the air! An impressive supporting cast -- Frank Gorshin, Elsa Lanchester, Roddy McDowall, and Ed Wynn -- add to the nonstop zaniness. With its clever mix of mystery, romance, and all-out slapstick, THAT DARN CAT! is the cat's meow for purr-fect family entertainment!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Film for Character Actor fans, April 26, 2000

By 

"mr_nasty" - See all my reviews

This review is from: That Darn Cat! [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Dean Jones and Hayley Mills star in this film about a teenage girl whose ornery cat becomes a surveillance tool for an FBI agent on the trail of two kidnappers. Unfortunately, Mills has to keep this a secret, which isn't easy seeing as how she has a sister who isn't exactly being cooperative (a hilarious performance by Dorothy Provine, in a much more assertive role than she usually plays) and a boyfriend named "Canoe" who thinks she's cheating on him. Add to that a snoopy next door neighbor and her virtually-deaf husband, played respectively by Elsa Lanchester and William DeMarest (they literally steal the show from the rest of the cast) and you've got a comedy that is full of belly laughs and able to withstand repeated viewings. If you're a big Hayley Mills fan, as I am, then this film will be fun for you regardless, but one of the other reasons I like this film so much is that it features many of the 60's TV show character actors: Neville Brand ("Laredo") and Frank Gorshin (the Riddler from "Batman") play the kidnappers, and Grayson Hall (Oscar Nominee for "The Night of the Iguana) plays their victim; plus there's a hilarious bit at a drive in with Richard Deacon (Mel Cooley from "Dick Van Dyke"). But by far the actors most deserving of attention are Elsa Lanchester and William DeMarest as Mills' next door neighbors - the scene at the end where Lanchester gets what's coming to her is worth the price of the video, plus some. One more comic bit worth noting: watch for Ed Wynn as a nervous jeweler (he's not on there long, but you'll be laughing the whole time he's on the screen). Great fun, arguably the most underrated Disney Comedy ever.

45 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still waiting............, May 2, 2004

By 

Matthew DeLuca (Tulsa, OK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: That Darn Cat! (DVD)

As of today, May 2, 2004, Disney's masterpiece, the original "That Darn Cat" has yet to be released on DVD.
I dont know what Disney is waiting for, but if enough of us request the DVD, it will be made available alot quicker. All you have to do is sign up to pre-order the DVD on Amazon.com when it becomes available.
You will get an email when the DVD finally comes out.
The movie is about a Beautiful Siamese Cat, named D.C. (Darn Cat).
D.C. and his owner, the cute Disney legend Hayley Mills find themselves up to their necks in crime, and chaos.
A woman has been kidnapped, and only D.C. and Hayley can help he police find her!
Dean Jones, another Disney legend, plays the special agent in charge of the kidnapped woman's case, and he is wonderful.
"That Darn Cat" is the epitome of a Disney Clasic film: A cute, charasmatic Animal as the star, plus some familiar faces in the supporting roles, mixed with the Disney comedy, action and overall fun that we have grown to love.
The late great Roddy McDowall, of "Planet of the Apes" fame, plays a great part in this movie as well.
They made a remake of "That Darn Cat' in 1997, and while it was good, it is not nearly as good as the original.
This original 1965 version of 'That Darn Cat" is the one with the Disney Magic that we all have grown used to.
This movie is full of comedy, action, suspense, intrigue, and most important, pure Disney fun.
You will definitely enjoy this movie, if you havent seen it yet. If you have seen it on video, then you know what I mean.
Hopefully, soon, Disney will release this movie on DVD, and when they do, trust me when I say that it will be a favorite of yours and your family for years and years to come.
So, come on Disney.....we are waiting. Please release "That Darn Cat" on DVD soon, so that a whole new generation can experience its wonder.

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars NO WIDESCREEN !!!!!!!!, May 5, 2005

By 

Robert N. Lundy (St. Petersburg FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: That Darn Cat! (DVD)

I've had this pre-ordered for over a year in hopes that Disney would get off their collective bottoms and release this movie.

So they finally release it and its Full Screen. I haven't watched it yet, but they probably just used the VHS master. I wasn't looking for a full blown restoration ala Mary Poppins, but a decent Anamorphic Widescreen release would've been nice.

One of my favorite movies, but Disney gets three stars for no widescreen version.