Cat Ballou | 
| Director: Elliot Silverstein
Actors: Jane Fonda, Lee Marvin, Michael Callan, Dwayne Hickman, Nat 'king' Cole
Studio: Sony Pictures
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.94
Buy New: $7.63
You Save: $7.31 (49%)
New (55) Used (24) Collectible (1) from $6.59
Rating:  59 reviews
Sales Rank: 6557
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd, Full Screen, Special Edition, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled), Georgian (Subtitled), Chinese (Subtitled), Thai (Subtitled)
Rating: Unrated
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Picture Format: Array
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 97 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 04864
ISBN: 0767848993
UPC: 043396048645
EAN: 9780767848992
ASIN: B00004TJQK
Theatrical Release Date: June 24, 1965
Release Date: August 8, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
CLASSIC WESTERN SPOOF ABOUT A NOTORIOUS FEMALE OUTLAW AND HER DEVOTED GANG OF FOLLOWERS. HIGHLIGHTED BY LEE MARVIN'S OSCAR WINNING PERFORMANCE AS THE LEGENDARY GUNSLINGER AND TOWN DRUNK, KID SHELLEEN. SPECIAL FEATURES: TALENT FILES, INTERACTIVE MENUS, PRODUCTION NOTES, SCENE SELECTIONS, AND MUCH MORE.
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
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| Customer Reviews: Read 54 more reviews...
 the greatest horse actor in the world May 29, 2009
Stephen S. Connaway (wichita, ks. usa)
comical from start to finish even the parts that are not intended to be. Lee Marvin and the horse makes it a must see even with the dispicable ms.fonda in attendance
 Not As Funny As It Thinks It Is April 8, 2009
G. Schneider (VA United States)
I'm sorry, but this movie misses the mark with me. Too much of this movie TRIES to be cute and funny and clever, and when the trying shows, it's a sure sign that it's not working.
Some performances are spot-on. Almost all the bit parts are done beautifully. Tom Nardini as Jackson Two-Bears is outstanding and charming. But although Lee Marvin got an Oscar for his dual role as Kid Shelleen and Tim Strawn, I felt he was just too over-the-top to match the rest of the cast. Obviously the director didn't know how to rein him in...or chose not to.
I don't praise the "wandering minstrels" Stubby Kaye and Nat King Cole; rather, I find them annoying, intrusive, jarring, and self-serving. As for the songs they sing, for the most part they're eminently forgettable.
 Sly Western Parody March 29, 2009
Bryan A. Pfleeger (Metairie, Louisiana United States)
When Cat Ballou was released in 1965 it was a sleeper hit for Columbia Pictures and its director Elliot Silverstein. In the forty-four years since its release it has become a cult classic. It opened the door for the Western comedies that followed it especially films like Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles.
Taking Western convention in this case the western land grab and turning it on its ear, Silverstein made a great sweetly funny film. Starring Jane Fonda as Cat Ballou, the film is a revenge tale. Hiring washed up gunslinger Kid Shalleen (Lee Marvin) to protect her father and his land; Ballou becomes an outlaw when her father is killed. Added to the mix are two con artists Cole(Michael Callan) and his Uncle Jed (Dwayne Hickman) who join her unlikely gang. Rounding out matters are a type of Greek chorus played by Stubby Kaye and Nat King Cole who sing the story of Cat's legend.
The Columbia disc provides an excellent transfer of the film. The original mono sound may be a little low for many players but it is quite clear. The disc offers a lively commentary by Callan and Hickman and an excellent featurette The Legend of Cat Ballou featuring director Eliot Silverstein.
Well worth adding to your collection.
Hilarious Western Spoof That Ages Very Well! June 7, 2008
Frederick Baptist (Singapore)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This film is a strange one for me as I remember I actually hated it the first time I watched it years back but when I started looking seriously at old films and especially Westerns I began to appreciate "Cat Ballou" a lot more and now after seeing this a few times, I have to say that this is an excellent, hilarious spoof on Westerns and the jokes age very well even to today. As a big fan of all kinds of music myself, I really appreciated the role that Nat King Cole in one of his last performances ever before his death by lung cancer together with Stubby Kaye in the hilarious sung narrative that runs throughout the film. It's amazing what was accomplished on clearly a tiny budget and I thought the cast was very good and especially Lee Marvin was the alcoholic gunfighter.
The dvd is also good value for money as it has very good picture quality stemming from a very well-preserved master which ironically means that it wasn't as popular as other films as the more popular films have masters that are heavily used and hence require the most restoration although the sound quality in Mono could do with more surround sound options. Those with Dolby Pro Logic capabilities at home though can somewhat simulate the surround sound experience with this dvd version in any case.
An extremely funny and entertaining cowboy spoof that surprisingly ages very well; I found myself humming the Cat Ballou theme many hours after watching the film too.
Recommended.
Steiger Wuz Robbed May 31, 2008
David Baldwin (Philadelphia,PA USA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'm a little ambivalent towards this genteel western comedy. Lee Marvin is one of my all-time favorite actors giving masterful turns in "Point Blank" and "The Big Red One" among many others. Marvin is more than adequate as Kid Shelleen but, be real, it's a glorified supporting turn. Marvin's work here does not hold a candle to the work of Rod Steiger in "The Pawnbroker" and Richard Burton in "The Spy Who Came In From the Cold" who both lost the Oscar to Marvin. Oscar righted itself two years later by rewarding Steiger for "In the Heat of the Night" but gold was never bestowed on Burton despite seven nods. I also recall that years ago TBS was showing "Cat Ballou" ad nauseum when Ted Turner was sparking Jane Fonda. Despite these peeves Marvin is engaging and Fonda does a winsome turn as the schoolmarm turned outlaw. I also can't diss any flick that features the great character actor, John Marley, who plays Fonda's father and doesn't fail to disappoint here. Marley gave similarly memorable turns in "Love Story" and "The Godfather".
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