Cat Ballou

Maybe the best compliment I'd give to "Cat Ballou" is that I enjoyed it better than Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles (both films made it in American Film Institute Top 100 Comedies) but unlike Mel Brooks, Elliott Silverstein (a forgotten name) never gets carried away to the point he forgets to tell a story.

The film has a straightforwardness in the narrative that retrospectively betrays a lack of inspiration but it provides a reasonable amount of laughs and some hilarious gags (the "Happy Birthday To You" one killed me), setting the tone quickly and by quickly, I mean immediately. When you have the Columbia Lady turning into a cartoon pin-up, tossing her robe to reveal a sexy cowgirl shooting all over the screen in pure 60s animation, you know this is a movie that is aiming rather high in terms of laughs.

Then our eyes are gratified with the irresistible sight of Stubby Kaye and Nat King Cole as official minstrels and officious Greek Chorus introducing us to the Ballad of Cat Ballou, played by a youthful Jane Fonda. Sadly, Cole would die a few months later of cancer and would never see the film be released, but he couldn't have a better ending role, he and Kaye form a wonderful matched couple.

So we discover the beautiful Cat Ballou waiting for the rope like Marie-Antoinette the guillotine and the film tells her story in flashback. We discover her as Catherine, a shy and prude soon-to-be teacher whose supporter leaves in a train next to the most respectable figure: a priest (Dwayne Hickman). 'Cat' had just caught the eye of a handsome escorted criminal Clay Boone (Michael Callan) and she's not indifferent to his charm.

There's something in Fonda's performance that is full of juvenile vulnerability and a repressed appetite for thrills of any sorts. In fact, no one is what he seems to be, the first time the priest opens his mouth, it sets the tone of unpredictability that drives every major supporting character, all deconstructing the myths of the Western in the funniest way. Even Frankie Ballou, the no-nonsense father played by John Marley mistakes his Native hand Jackson Two-Bears (Tom Nardini) from one of the "chosen people".

The Native mistaken for a Jew and played by an Italian is perhaps the sanest character of male persuasion in the whole film. The priest is a scam, Boone a coward and the father who should take the threats of Wolf Fort's people seriously (he refuses to sell his ranch for the railroad company) doesn't care. This is all played for laughs, and Cat Ballou is both the woman and straight man of the film.

But even the best oiled comedy machinery wouldn't have worked too long if it wasn't for the genius casting of Lee Marvin. It takes more than half-an-a hour but it's all worth it. I wouldn't call it a dual performance as we don't see much of Tim Strawn, the man who gives a reason to Cat to seek revenge, but as Kid Shellein, he's simply a constant delight.

It's one thing to play drunk, but Kid isn't any drunkard, he's a gunslinger who can't do with and without the liquor: if he's too drunk, he's ineffective, if he's sober, he's shaking and the way he expresses his need is borderline drama, he needs to have a few drops to get on his feet and not drop his pants, and for a brief amount of time, he's the best shot of the west, the rest of the time, he's hilarious as well and provides most the laugh.

Marvin was responsible for the good and jovial atmosphere during the shooting and Silverstein credited him for that. Interestingly, Fonda didn't get along with him, maybe she resented having the less juicy role despite being the titular, but it's true that those who're looking for the equivalent of our "girl power" movies will be disappointed, "Cat Ballou" is bad ass all right but her incredible good looks and soft sexiness are the best assets she exhibits... the script doesn't give her much to value, even the crime that brings her to jail is rather played in an anticlimactic way.

In fact, Lee Marvin is the star and that the film isn't titled "The Legend of Kid Shellen" is because he's a supporting role, which brings me to a point: he should have shared with the horse his Oscar for Bet Supporting Actor. The year after, Mathau would win in Supporting for "The Fortune Cookie" where he was clearly the co-lead, got to wonder how the Academy works sometimes. But that doesn't diminish the film's merit, it's a classic Western comedy, bu is it a classic Western?

To be honest, I've held an unfair grudge against "Cat Ballou" and I blame it on the AFI. When it unveiled its Top 10 Westerns, two titles rang like abnormalities to me: "McCabe & Mrs. Miller" and "Cat Ballou". Never heard of any, saw each, and I thought Altman's film wasn't just one of the best Western but one of the best movies, period. But "Cat Ballou" kept me more skeptical.

I just rewatched two films that could have made decent tenth entries: John Ford's classics "My Darling Clementine" or "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance". "Rio Bravo" or "The Magnificent Seven" would have been relevant. Or "The Ox-Bow Incident", "True Grit", "Little Big Man". "Cat Ballou" is an entertaining Western, but Top 10? Not sure it's Top 50 material.

These considerations put a considerable weight on my initial judgment and made me look at the film as something that stole a lousy spot in a list, instead of a fun, daring, sometimes hilarious parody of the Western genre, and had it dared a little more, perhaps its reputation would have equaled "Blazing Saddles", a film I found a tad overrated.

But if a comedy had to make it in the Top 10, I'm glad it was "Cat Ballou".