This movie is so underrated and unappreciated. The storyline is great, and it has everything that a Western should have: action, a love story, good plot, and good characters. The cinematography is just fabulous with the luscious scenery. Sarah Miles and Bert Reynolds have great chemistry together, and Lee J. Cobb is good as the lawman.
Mommy to two little monsters
I wasn't too impressed when I had first seen it years ago, but upon a recent second viewing, I enjoyed it very much. The film captures a fine quality and overall mood.
As of now, there was only one external review listed on the IMDb, that of Variety. With my good feelings about the film, I was a little put off by how quickly the reviewer dismissed THE MAN WHO LOVED CAT DANCING. From the Variety site, there was a link to The New York Times' review, and I thought perhaps someone would have commented with more depth.
I don't know if these two reviews were indicative of a trend from the period, but if so, evidently this film was frowned upon its release, at least by the hoity-toity reviewers. I'll reproduce the Times' brief review below (written by Roger Greenspun, June 29, 1973):
Richard Sarafian's "The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing" is set in the post-Civil War West and is about a former Army officer-turned-train robber (Burt Reynolds) who was once married to an Indian girl named Cat Dancing. Hence the title. It's also about the high-born lady (Sarah Miles) whom he apparently liberates when he teaches her how to cook and make love.
Most of the movie is a desultory chase: the officer-gentleman-train robber, the woman and some outlaws (including Jack Warden) in the lead, pursued by a sherif (Lee J. Cobb), the woman's husband (George Hamilton) and a posse. When one of the lesser outlaws gets fresh with Miss Miles, Jack Warden kicks him in the groin. When Mr. Warden rapes Miss Miles, Mr. Reynolds shoots him in the groin. When Miss Miles asks Mr. Reynolds why two people fall in love, he answers: "I dunno. I suppose it's like two drops of rain that fall together and become one."
The film's poetry is as numbing as its violence.
"The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing" is, indeed, a kind of festival of incompetence. Each shot is held slightly too long or too short, and is somehow off-center. Each performance is uncertain, like something seen in an early rehearsal. Even the Indians look fake, including good old Jay Silverheels, who is real.
The screenplay, based on Marilyn Durham's novel, is by Eleanor Perry ("David and Lisa," "Diary of a Mad Housewife"), who can do much, much better.
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I guess I loved this movie when I first saw it when I was about 9 years old. Nostalgia could be the answer. I named my daughter Katherine, (with a K born last year), because I really liked the name from the character of this movie. She was a late in life baby.
The Divine Genealogy Goddess
"Even the Indians look fake"?!
What kind of skunkweed had that 'reviewer' been smoking?
Personally, I think much of the movie was way ahead of its time. Honesty in sexual relationships, violence, and Native American culture were not often shown on screen in the early 70s. I didn't catch the entire comment, but at the end of the movie Robert Osborne (TCM) mentioned something about this movie harming Sarah Miles career. I can only imagine it must have been the partial nudity.
I remember hearing about the movie "in hushed tones" as a kid growing up. I think it is going to be one of those that age very well and has a much better reputation in years to come than it did at the time of its release.
I was very impressed with Burt, Sarah, and Lee J. Cobb, but then they're all great actors. Too bad Burt went off and did so many silly comedies, but I'm sure they were a lot more fun than trudging through the snow.
The only weak spot to me, was the the lack of development of the relationship between Sarah and George Hamilton. Why was she running away from him? What did he do to her? There wasn't sufficient development of that part of the story, and it would have made the movie richer if it had been more fully developed.
SPOILERS
It was a good 70's Western.
I have to say though, I got tired of the abuse of Catherine and her constantly having to fear of being raped.
She was saved all that time, only to have Dawes actually do it. I wish she would have been able to at least hold him off until Grobart would be alerted and help.
How did you feel after it is revealed that Grobart killed his wife who was innocent?
Catherine shrugs if off. First, she marries a rich man to please her father. She finally leaves him only to be near raped multiple times, actually raped another, and then ends up with a man who killed a woman (his wife at the time) who was raped and he thought had cheated on him.
Not exactly a feel good story.
The Wikipedia summary reveals stuff in the first paragraph not found out until later. It is not written very well. It doesn't even mention that Grobart was the one who killed his wife. That is an extremely huge character point.
Maybe the reviewer was thinking of F Troop.
share"Each shot is held slightly too long or too short, and is somehow off-center."
Each shot?! Ya think the Times reviewer was exaggerating much?
Most of the so-called "too long" shots were probably extended to help us appreciate the beauty and flavor of the Southwestern landscape. Even for someone (myself for example) who has watched very few Westerns, it's obvious that such atmosphere is a key ingredient of this kind of movie... at least for viewers who want to get the most out of it.
"...somehow off-center..."
eqxander, although I love your F Troop theory, I stand by my skunkweed interpretation of his review, based on the (**cough**) evidence above.
I agree that the Miles-Hamilton relationship should have been addressed in more detail; however, Sarah Miles' character does talk about feeling trapped in an 'arranged', and probably loveless, marriage.
The Miles scandal actually involved adultery and suicide during the making of this film; it's covered in the Trivia section.
It's too long and drawn out.
It looks like a rated R episode of Bonanza.
"You work your side of the street, and I'll work mine"
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