Cat Ballou - You should hang out in Wyoming

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Movie
German title Cat Ballou - You should hang in Wyoming
Original title Cat Ballou
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1965
length 95 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Elliot Silverstein
script Walter Newman
Frank Pierson
Roy Chanslor
production Harold Hecht
music Frank De Vol
Mack David
Jerry Livingston
camera Jack A. Marta
cut Charles Nelson
occupation

Cat Ballou is an American western comedy from 1965. Director Elliot Silverstein directed the film based on a novel by Roy Chanslor. In the style of morality , two traveling musicians, Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye , tell the story of Catherine Ballou, who turns from a young lady raised in a girls' boarding school into an outlaw. Cat Ballou wants to find and convict her father's murderers and their backers. To do this, she and her helpers not only violate numerous laws, but also hire a wounded gunslinger.

action

Catherine "Cat" Ballou has just completed her teacher training. On the train to her hometown of Wolf City, she meets the cattle thief Clay Boone, who is traveling in police custody, and his uncle and accomplice Jed, who disguised as a priest frees Clay. On the run, Clay hides in Cat's sleeping car cabin and not only comes closer to her, but also leaves a lasting impression on the young woman.

Arriving at the farm of her old father Frankie, Cat learns from his Indian servant Jackson about her father's problems: The powerful developing company wants to invest in Wolf City and is targeting Frankie Ballou's farm. Since the old man refuses to sell his land, he is marginalized and pressured by the whole city. Eventually, hired killer Tim Strawn shows up to intimidate Frankie. When Cat accidentally meets Clay and Jed again, she hopes that the two wanted criminals will help her against Strawn, but the two turn out to be rather conflict-averse pacifists. Finally, at Jackson's suggestion, Cat writes a letter to the legendary gunslinger Kid Shelleen, the hero of many Wild West novels, and asks for his help.

But when Kid Shelleen arrives, Cat and her friends have to realize that he is now a tired alcoholic who is only halfway usable when drunk. Kid Shelleen is sleeping off his intoxication when Strawn shows up at the farm and murders Cat's father. But the sheriff of Wolf City, who, like the whole city, has been bought by the Developing Company, covers Strawn for Cat's allegations, and the farm is expropriated. Cat swears vengeance and retreats to Poker Village with her friends Clay, Jed, Jackson and Shelleen, a shabby hideout for worn-out scoundrels.

In order to get money and to begin her revenge, Cat persuades her friends to rob a transport of wages from the Developing Company with her; she uses a plan from one of Kid Shelleen's novels to do this. The attack succeeds, but now Cat is a wanted criminal, and Clay no longer feels safe in Poker Village from the rich owner of the Developing Company, Sir Harry Percival. He tries to persuade Cat to start a new life elsewhere with the money, but Cat continues to thirst for revenge.

This leads Kid Shelleen, who loves Cat, to finally face Strawn. With Jackson's help, he sobered up and regained his old class. He puts Strawn in town and kills him. It is only after his return that Cat and the others find out that Strawn was Shelleen's brother. Now the whole city of Wolf City is after them. Shelleen, who is completely euphoric, wants to face the attackers in one final, glorious battle, while Clay tries again to persuade Cat to flee. She is more inclined to his opinion, but when Clay suggests they could get married, the cat put them off.

Cat flew out of Poker Village and presented himself to Sir Harry Percival in a seductive guise. When she has managed to be alone with him in his bedroom, she draws a gun and tries to force him to sign a confession of the murder assignment for her father. Sir Harry doesn't think Cat is ready to actually shoot him, and a scuffle ensues and a shot is released.

Sir Harry is dead, and the whole city of Wolf City is angry with Cat over the murder of the major investor. She is sentenced to death. But when she already has the noose around her neck, Jed, again disguised as a pastor, manages to free her. Shelleen and Jackson cover their escape when Cat and Clay finally set off into a new life.

Reviews

  • Joe Hembus judges that the film is "the first and best-known copy of the 'New Western' propagated by the American cultural philosopher Leslie Fiedler , which raises awareness that the Western is essentially a comic genre".
  • Phil Hardy notes that the film isn't the first western comedy, but it is the most successful, with revenues exceeding $ 20 million. Numerous jokes failed, however, and Silverstein's direction was lacking in sensitivity. The film's success is largely due to Marvin's Oscar-winning actor performance.
  • The time of September 17, 1965: Parodies of westerns usually have something stale about them, because it is difficult to parody a genre that lives from the conscientious repetition of familiar gestures and constellations and already anticipates the method of parody itself. Elliot Silverstein's film debut received a lot of applause at the Berlinale, people laughed and the critics wrote friendly lines. Unfortunately, the German dubbed version doesn’t let you guess why, with the language of the original, his joke has also been destroyed, what is left is a piece of Upper Bavarian style clothes that are not worth visiting.
  • On the other hand, the Protestant film observer is full of praise: A well-made western musical that has fun with the venerable elements of real western stories without getting out of tune. This ensures carefree enjoyment for old and young from 14.

Awards

  • 1965 - Berlinale 1965 Silver Bear : Best Actor (Lee Marvin)
  • 1965 - Berlinale: Special mention to Walter Newman and Frank Pierson
  • 1966 Oscar : Best Actor (Lee Marvin)
  • 1966 Golden Globe : Best Actor, Musical / Comedy (Lee Marvin)
  • 1966 - Golden Globe nomination for Best Young Actor: Tom Nardini
  • 1966 - National Board of Review: Best Actor (Lee Marvin)
  • 1966 - British Film Academy Award : Best Foreign Actor (Lee Marvin)
  • 1966 - Laurel Award for Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin, 2nd place for the song The Ballad of Cat Ballou by Jerry Livingston and Mack David

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Joe Hembus: Western Lexicon - 1272 films from 1894 to 1975 . 2nd Edition. Carl Hanser, Munich / Vienna 1977, ISBN 3-446-12189-7 , p. 83.
  2. ^ Phil Hardy: The Encyclopedia of Western Movies. Woodbury Press, Minneapolis 1984, ISBN 0-8300-0405-X , p. 290.
  3. film . In: Die Zeit , No. 38/1965
  4. 17th year 1965, Review No. 272, p. 493