It was adapted by Walter Newman and Frank Pierson from the novel by Roy Chanslor. It was directed by Elliot Silverstein. The novel was originally a serious Western, but was turned into a comedy for the movie.

Synopsis

Catherine Ballou, an aspiring schoolteacher, is traveling by train to Wolf City, Wyoming, to visit her rancher father, Frankie Ballou. En route she unwittingly helps accused cattle rustler Clay Boone elude his captor, the sheriff, when Boone's Uncle Jed, a drunkard disguised as a preacher, distracts the lawman. She reaches the ranch to find that the Wolf City Developing Company is trying to take away the ranch from her father, whose only defender is an educated Indian, Jackson Two-Bears. Clay and Jed appear and reluctantly offer to help Catherine. She also wires legendary gunfighter Kid Shelleen to come and help protect her father from fast-drawing Tim Strawn, alias Silvernose, the hired killer who is threatening Frankie. Shelleen arrives, a drunken stumblebum who is literally unable to hit the side of a barn when he shoots and whose pants fall down when he draws his gun. Strawn kills Frankie, but the townspeople refuse to bring him to justice, and Catherine becomes a revenge-seeking outlaw known as Cat Ballou. She and her four associates rob a train carrying the Wolf City payroll, and Shelleen, inspired by his love for Cat (unrequited because she loves Clay), shapes up and kills Strawn. Later he casually admits that Strawn was his brother. Cat poses as a prostitute and confronts town boss Sir Harry Percival, owner of the Wolf City Developing Company. A struggle ensues; Harry is killed; and Cat is sentenced to be hanged. Just as the noose is being placed around her neck, however, her gang arrives and stages a daring rescue.

Awards won

• Winner of the Best Actor Prize at the 1965 Berlin Film Festival - Lee Marvin

• 1965 Best Actor in a Leading Role - Marvin

• 1965 British Academy Award Winner for Best Actor - Marvin

• 1965 Golden Globe Award Winner for Best Actor - Marvin

Awards nominated for

• Best Film Editing

• Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment

• Best Music, Song - Jerry Livingston and Mack David for "The Ballad of Cat Ballou"

• Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.

Trivia

• Nat King Cole died of cancer several months before the film was released.

• Kirk Douglas turned down the role of Shaleen. Jack Palance desperately wanted the role but was never offered it.

• Ann-Margret was first choice for the title role but turned it down.

• At his acceptance at the Oscar's, Lee Marvin opened by saying, "Half of this probably belongs to a horse out there somewhere".

Goofs

• The two men who sing and play the banjo in the beginning of the film are quite obviously not playing their instruments.

• Kid Shelleen mistakenly sings "Happy Birthday To You" when he sees the candles Frankie Ballou's coffin. The tune was published as a kindergarten song "Good Morning To All" in 1893 (the movie takes place in 1894), but it's doubtful the song would have spread to the wild West within a year; but, more importantly, the "Happy Birthday to You" lyrics didn't appear until 1924.

• There is a scene later in the movie (the second time) which Lee Marvin is shooting objects thrown into the air. If one pays attention to the background, right after he shoots a stick, it is possible to see a small plane in the sky.

External link

• Cat Ballou at the Internet Movie Database

• Cat Ballou at the TCM Movie Database