Product Details

• Actors: Jane Fonda, Lee Marvin, Michael Callan, Dwayne Hickman, Nat 'King' Cole
• Directors: Elliot Silverstein
• Writers: Frank Pierson, Roy Chanslor, Walter Newman
• Producers: Harold Hecht, Mitch Lindemann
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: Unrated
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• VHS Release Date: June 23, 1994
• Run Time: 97 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302276578
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,708 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #16 in	Video > Westerns > Comedy
  #69 in	Video > Comedy > Musicals
  #78 in	Video > Classics > Westerns

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Long before Unforgiven deconstructed the Western, or Blazing Saddles lampooned it, Cat Ballou poked the genre in the eye. An altogether enjoyable comedy, the film is full of small surprises, big laughs, and wonderful character turns. Catherine Ballou (Jane Fonda) is a schoolteacher until a hired thug kills her daddy. To protect what she loves, she collects two petty criminals, a wisecracking hired hand, and a hired killer, Kid Shelleen (Lee Marvin). Unfortunately, Shelleen is a raging drunk who is so inebriated and unsteady with a gun he literally misses the broad side of a barn. However, Cat, has, as they used to say in those days, a mind of her own, and she masterminds a spectacular train heist that puts them all on the lam. Marvin won an Academy Award for his role as the derelict Shelleen, and his performances (he actually has two) are still topnotch and on target. The framing device, two wandering minstrels, played by Stubby Kaye and Nat "King" Cole, are the maraschino cherries on the top of this Wild West confection. --Keith Simanton

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wicked through and through, June 16, 2000

By	Zack Davisson "All Good Things" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Cat Ballou (DVD)

This is a great little comedy, kind of a musical with lots of laughs, catchy songs, and some classic scenes. Lee Marvin is very deserving of his Oscar, as scene stealer Kid Shelleen. This drunken gun slinger manages to miss the broad side of a barn. Jane Fonda is great as the revenge seeking Cat Balou. "The face of an angel, fights like the devil."

However, the real treat of this film is the pair of wandering minstrels. Stubby Kaye (Nicely Nicely in Guys and Dolls) strums around with Nat "King" Cole providing a lovely soundtrack. Their performance really makes this movie work, and moves it beyond a western parody.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lee Marvin at his best, August 22, 2004

By	Fred Camfield (Vicksburg, MS USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cat Ballou (DVD)

The late Lee Marvin was a very versatile actor, as demonstrated in this motion picture. He much deserved the academy award for his dual role, playing both the alcoholic gunman, Kid Shelleen, and the evil gunman who is his opponent. He said later that it was a fun role that did not take much of his time.

The story is set during the time of the railroad robber barons. They acquired needed right-of-ways by whatever means. When Cat's father is killed by the railroad's hired gun, she hires Kid Shelleen, sight unseen, and has to get him into shape. They dispense their own form of justice, but the law is on the side of the railroad. The motion picture has many memorable scenes that will stick in your memory.

Lee Marvin's performance made this a classic motion picture. Jane Fonda plays Cat, but without Lee it might have been a so-so film.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great movie, great DVD!, July 28, 2002

By	T.J. (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cat Ballou (DVD)

"Well now, friends, just lend an ear / For you're now about to hear / The Ballad of Cat Ballou..." so begins the "Greek chorus" of Nat 'King' Cole and Stubby Kaye, banjos in hand. Having seen "There's Something About Mary" before "Cat Ballou," I didn't realize that the former was paying homage to the latter with this clever device. (Of course, being the original, "Cat Ballou" does it much better). By the way, the often-humorous score is by Frank DeVol.

The performances are good all around, each character with well-played and memorable funny bits. Jane Fonda plays it straight and serious next to the inept-ness of so-called outlaws Dwayne Hickman and Michael Callan and the over-the-top Lee Marvin (in a dual role as the Kid Sheleen, the drunken hero, and Tim Strawn, the bad guy with an artificial nosepiece). Marvin and the horse steal the show!

This movie is a lot of fun - pure entertainment - and the DVD people at Columbia/Tri-Star did a really good job putting together some extras. The audio commentary with Hickman and Callan itself is fun to listen to while watching the movie on repeat; it's very informative and even laugh-out-loud funny at times. The featurette with the director provides some good info on the movie, and the original trailer and vintage advertising (movie posters, etc.) is nostalgic.

The picture and sound quality is excellent; the visuals are clear and colorful, no noticeable scratches...the sound is very clear for being monaural. One side of the disc has the widescreen (definitive) version; the other side has the formatted version, which is also worth a look as it contains some extra information at the top and bottom of the screen on the scenes that were soft-matted.

I love this movie - it's nice to see that the DVD people took some interest enough to put together the special features on an almost 40-year-old film. Keep up the good work!