CAT BALLOU
US, 1965, 95 minutes, Colour.
Jane Fonda, Lee Marvin, Michael Callan, Dwayne Hickman, Stubby Kaye, Nat King Cole.
Directed by Eliot Silverstein.
Cat Ballou is now considered a classic Western satire and a number of notable comedies can trace back their impetus to this film -for example, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kit (1969), Support Your Local Sheriff (1968), and Skin Game (1971).
Set in an effective ballad context, the film overturns the usual expectations of Westerns, spoofing the Hole in the Wall gang and many genre conventions. Dialogue is also amusing.
Lee Marvin shows himself as an excellent comedian as the drunk gun-fighter, Kid Shileen - Oscar 1965. He repeats something of this role in Paint Your Wagon and the comic touches in Pocket Money (1971). Jane Fonda has the vitality and charm of her 60's films.
Direction is by Eliot Silverstein who made The Happening (1967) and the different Indian film, A Man Called Horse (1970). Enjoyable comedy and interesting discussion material on traditions of the West and the Western genre.
1. This is obviously a funny Western, but was there anything more to it?
2. Comment on the ballad structure of the film and the use of the sung ballad by Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye. In what ways did this enhance the film? Did the fact that they appeared within the action of the film add to the effect of the song? The ballad itself had a catchy tune and humorous words and the singers played it for comedy, sentiment, etc. Was this successful?
3. obviously much of the action and dialogue was satire. On what aspects of the West and its traditions? On what aspects of Western films? Was the satire harsh and condemnatory of the West? To what extent?
4. On the other hand, much of the humour about harmless gunslingers seemed to be nostalgic about the tough traditions of the West. How true is this? What do you think most audiences would feel about Westerns at the end of this film - pro or anti? Why?
5. The long speech by Kid Shileen soon after he enters is an important recalling of the good old days and how those days had declined, where civilisation was catching up and the gunfighters were drunks. Why was this speech included? How well did Lee Marvin put it across? What point was being made? How was it reinforced by the Ballou homestead situation? Cassidy and the Hole in the Wall gang?
6. List the usual Western ingredients that were parodied - e.g., the initial escape from the train, the protection of old Ballou, the English capitalist, the clumsy train robbery, the arming of Kid Shileen, the gunfight and the escape from the gallows. Also Jackson the cultured Indian. How did the screenplay and the direction make the parodies so funny?
7. Did Jane Fonda make Cat Ballou an attractive character? Did she engage sympathy from the audience? How?
8. Why was Lee Marvin so funny as Kid Shileen? What did he do and say to make the audience laugh? What directorial touches helped to make his situations humorous? What of the parody of the arming of a knight before battle?
9. What was the effect of the scenes with Tim Strong - parody, the music, the menace? Was it a good touch to have Lee Marvin play this role?
10. Were any of the other characters real persons or were they merely comic figures? why?
11. Was the real shooting of Cat's father jarring for this kind of film? Was it too serious? The audience was laughing one minute and shocked the next.
12. Comment on the use of the background music, e.g., the rattling music for Strong. the lackadaisical music for Shileen, the variation on the ballad throughout.
