The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing is a 1973 American film adaptation of Marilyn Durham's novel directed by Richard C. Sarafian, and written by Eleanor Perry and William W. Norton.
Plot
Jay Grobart is an outlaw who was married to Native American woman Cat Dancing. After Cat is raped and murdered, a distraught Grobart kills the man responsible for the crime, before being arrested. After his release, he soon pulls a train robbery with the help of his friends Dawes, Charlie and Billy, and is now on the run from the law.
While on the run, Grobart and his partners in crime come across Catherine, a woman escaping her abusive husband Crocker. Catherine is abducted by Dawes and Billy, but Grobart protects her from them. Lapchance, a veteran railroad detective with a posse, is on their trail for the train robbery. Accompanying the posse is Catherine's husband William Crocker, an arrogant millionaire, who is obsessed with retrieving his wife, even though he knows that she does not love him. As Grobart and Catherine get to know each other, they find themselves falling in love, and despite his criminal past, she admires him for avenging the death of the woman he loved.
Dawes beats Billy, causing internal injuries that should soon kill him. Grobart leaves the others at an old cabin for a day. A few maurading Indians attack the cabin, killing Billy and Charlie while Dawes runs of with some of the money. Grobart returns and kills the marauders in an intense battle. He and Catherine continue their journey. Catherine admits her feelings for Grobart and they make love. Dawes finds them, rapes Catherine, and plans to kill Grobart for the remaining money, but is killed by Grobart.
Grobart and Catherine travel to the Shoshone village where Grobart lived with Cat Dancing and their children â€" their very young daughter and Dream Speaker, their young son, who live with Cat Dancing's brother, Iron Knife. He discovers that his children have bonded with the Shoshone and wish to remain in the village. It is also revealed that Grobart had pushed his son aside and strangled Cat Dancing, thinking that she had chosen to sleep with the man who had, in fact, raped her. Grobart leaves Catherine and the railroad money at the village and departs, not wanting to place her in further danger.
The posse arrives at the village and retrieves the money. Crocker insists on pursuing Grobart in order to kill him. The posse spends the night at the village. That evening Catherine and Dream Speaker leave to find Grobart, with Dream Speaker guiding her to a cave in the hills where Grobart is camped out. Grobart bids his son farewell and reunites with Catherine.
The following morning, as they prepare to leave, Crocker arrives and shoots Grobart from the tree line. Grobart is wounded and Catherine rushes to his aid. Catherine grabs Grobart's pistol from his holster and shoots Crocker dead as he charges them. Lapchance orders his men to put Crocker's body on a pack horse and, having already retrieved the railroad's money, leaves Crocker's horse for Grobart. Grobart pulls himself to his feet and embraces Catherine.
Principal cast
Production
It was filmed in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, Gila Bend, Arizona Kanab, Utah and Old Tucson, Arizona.
While filming, Sarah Miles' personal assistant, David A. Whiting, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in his hotel room. His death was ruled suicide; however, there were rumours of foul play. It was later revealed that Miles and Whiting had been having an affair, and this, together with the resulting publicity, contributed to the disintegration of her marriage to Robert Bolt.
Original screenwriter Eleanor Perry later claimed much of her work was rewritten.
Critical reception
Roger Greenspun of The New York Times did not care for the film:
In contrast, Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times liked the movie. In his review for the John Williams Web Page, he noted the complications in making the picture. He concluded his review: "In spite of the difficulties faced by the actors and filmmakers, The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing boasts gorgeous widescreen location photography, an interesting feminist spin on traditional western formulas â€" with Miles' strong-willed Catherine Crocker an engaging screen presence throughout â€" and strong support from virtually the entire cast; in particular, the film proved once and for all that Burt Reynolds was capable of handling a straight dramatic role as well as a lightweight comic one."
"There's nothing to talk about in Cat Dancing except that it brings me pain," said Reynolds later. "So I'd rather not talk about it."
See also
- List of American films of 1973
References
External links
- The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing on Internet Movie Database
- The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing at AllMovie
