It's not uncommon to hear frustrated filmmakers, realizing in post that their stirring drama doesn't work, to say, "Let's shoot some funny scenes and cut it into a comedy!"
According to legend, Cat Ballou was one case where that really happened.
That's a little hard to believe considering that it opens with Cat meeting a very drunk Uncle Jed, who is on the train to rescue Clay before he goes to jail. That whole scene is comedic.
Plus, the whole Greek chorus supplied by Cole & Stubbs--surely that wouldn't be part of serious film.
I've never heard this particular rumor. It seems to me they set out to make a comedy.
I heard, or read somewhere, maybe it was in the DVD commentary;
Cat Ballou was based on a serious book but it was decided to make it into a comedy before filming began.
There are no scenes in the film, that I can recall, which would work in a serious drama. Even the tragic shooting of her her father is shot as comedy: 'now let me breathe! Bang!'
Since the crew had only 28 days to film it everything had to be done very quickly and there would be no time for reshoots.
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