The Cat Came Back (1988 film)

Last updated

The Cat Came Back
The-cat-came-back.jpg
Directed by Cordell Barker
Written byCordell Barker
Based on The Cat Came Back
by Harry S. Miller
Produced by Richard Condie
Cordell Barker
StarringRichard Condie
Distributed by National Film Board of Canada
Buena Vista Pictures (theatrical)
Release date
  • 22 June 1988 (1988-06-22)
(with Who Framed Roger Rabbit )
Running time
8 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

The Cat Came Back is a 1988 Canadian short animated comedy film by Cordell Barker, produced by fellow award-winning animator Richard Condie in Winnipeg for the National Film Board of Canada. It is based on the children's song "The Cat Came Back" by Harry S. Miller. It was in UK theaters alongside the theatrical release of Disney's Roger Rabbit .[ citation needed ]

Contents

In May 2017, the NFB and Canadian publisher Firefly Books adapted the film as a children's book. [1]

Plot

The film portrays the increasingly desperate efforts of the elderly Mr. Johnson to rid himself of a small yet extremely troublesome yellow cat that will not leave his home. He first tries to leave the cat in the woods only to get lost himself. An attempt to drown it at sea ends in him nearly drowning. He then tries to send the cat away in a hot air balloon, but winds up getting dragged into the sky himself when he cuts the balloon free. For his fourth attempt, Mr. Johnson tries to take it away on a pump trolley, running over many damsels in distress and even a cow tied to the train tracks until he hits a bug crossing the railroad track, causing the trolley to jump the rails and send him plummeting into an abandoned mine where he is attacked by rats, snakes and bats. Not only does the cat find its way back each time, but it becomes increasingly destructive after each attempt until Mr. Johnson finally has enough and tries to blow up the cat with a large pile of dynamite only to blow himself up instead when he accidentally lights his hair on fire. Thinking himself finally rid of the cat, Mr. Johnson's spirit proceeds to tease his foe when his human remains fall on top of it, killing it and releasing all nine of its lives to bedevil Mr. Johnson for all eternity.

Voice cast

Reception and legacy

The film received over 15 awards, including a Genie Award for Best Animated Short, [2] as well as an Academy Award nomination, but lost to the Pixar CGI-animated short Tin Toy . [3] It was also chosen for inclusion in animation historian Jerry Beck's 50 Greatest Cartoons , placing at #32. [4] It was also included in the Animation Show of Shows. [5]

Mr. Johnson and the cat were later used in two adverts for Hula Hoops, with one of the ads having surfaced on YouTube. [6] [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Film Board of Canada</span> Public film and digital media producer and distributor

The National Film Board of Canada is a Canadian public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary films, animation, web documentaries, and alternative dramas. In total, the NFB has produced over 13,000 productions since its inception, which have won over 5,000 awards. The NFB reports to the Parliament of Canada through the Minister of Canadian Heritage. It has bilingual production programs and branches in English and French, including multicultural-related documentaries.

The History of Canadian animation involves a considerable element of the realities of a country neighbouring the United States and both competitiveness and co-operation across the border.

<i>The Big Snit</i> 1985 film

The Big Snit is a 1985 animated short film written and directed by Richard Condie and produced by the National Film Board of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Cat Came Back</span> 1893 comic song written by Harry S. Miller

"The Cat Came Back" is a blues-folk gallows comedy song written by Harry S. Miller in 1893. It has since entered the world of folklore and became a famous children's song.

Paul Augustin Driessen is a Dutch film director, animator and writer.

<i>The 50 Greatest Cartoons</i> 1994 book by Jerry Beck

The 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals is a 1994 book by animation historian Jerry Beck, with a foreword written by Chuck Jones.

Richard Condie, is a Canadian animator, filmmaker, musician and voice actor. Condie is best known for his 1985 animated short The Big Snit at the National Film Board of Canada and has won six international awards for Getting Started in 1979. Condie lives and works in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cordell Barker</span> Canadian animator

Cordell Barker is a Canadian animator, director and screenwriter based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He began animating in his late teens after taking on an apprenticeship at Kenn Perkins Animation. A two-time Academy Award nominee, Barker is an animation filmmaker with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).

John Weldon is a Canadian actor, composer, animator and movie director, known for his National Film Board of Canada (NFB) animated shorts.

Strange Invaders is a 2002 short animated film by animator Cordell Barker. It tells the story of Roger and Doris, a couple who lead a quiet life. When a child crashes into their living room, the couple are initially enthralled. However, the child becomes increasingly destructive and proceeds to ransack their home and ruin their lives. Things become increasingly bizarre until Roger realises the true nature of It.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerald Potterton</span> British-Canadian animator and director (1931–2022)

Gerald Potterton was a Canadian director, animator, producer and writer. He is best known for directing the cult classic Heavy Metal and for his animation work on Yellow Submarine.

La Salla is a 1996 animated short by Richard Condie, produced in Winnipeg by the National Film Board of Canada.

Getting Started is a 1979 animated short by Richard Condie and produced in Winnipeg by the National Film Board of Canada.

<i>Runaway</i> (2009 film) 2009 Canadian film

Runaway is a 2009 short animated comedy film by Canadian animator Cordell Barker. It received a special jury award for short films at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and was named the best animated short film at the 2010 Genie Awards. In 2010, the film won the Yorkton Film Festival Golden Sheaf Award for Best Animation.

The Apprentice is a 1991 animated short by Richard Condie, produced in Winnipeg by Ches Yetman for the National Film Board of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animation Show of Shows</span> Exhibition of animated short films

The Animation Show of Shows is a traveling selection of the year's best animated short films. It is curated and presented by Acme Filmworks founder Ron Diamond. The show began in 1998 with the aim of showing the most original, funny, and intelligent short animated films from all over the world by presenting them to major animation studios, in hope of inspiring their influential animators and directors. Since 2007, a number of the films have been released as DVDs.

How Wings Are Attached to the Backs of Angels is a 1996 animated short by Canadian animator Craig Welch, produced by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).

Subconscious Password is a 2013 3-D animated film by Chris Landreth offering an imaginary, comedic look at the inner workings of Landreth's mind, as he tries to remember someone's name at a party.

Get a Job is a 1985 comedic musical animated short by Brad Caslor, featuring a rendition of the song of the same name, made famous by The Silhouettes. Produced by the National Film Board of Canada in Winnipeg, the project took Caslor seven years to complete, from conception to release. Caslor began the film as a social guidance film for the Canadian government, however, during production it evolved into a more comedic work, incorporating a wide range of classic animation characters and techniques, including the styles of Tex Avery and Bob Clampett. Al Simmons and Jay Brazeau performed the music in the film, which received the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television Award for Best Animated Short at the 8th Genie Awards.

No Problem is a Canadian animated short film, directed by Craig Welch and released in 1992. The film centres on a lonely man who wants to be in a relationship with a woman, but every time he goes on a date his id and superego both come out to wreck the opportunity.

References

  1. Amazon.com: Books
  2. "The Cat Came Back". Collection. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved 22 October 2007.
  3. Cuthbert, Pamela (2003). "Cordell Barker". Canadian Film Encyclopedia. The Film Reference Library. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 22 October 2007.
  4. Beck, Jerry (1994). The 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals . Turner Publishing. ISBN   1-878685-49-X.
  5. The Cat Came Back, by Cordell Barker-Animation Show of Shows
  6. Hula Hoops - The Cat Came Back - Volcano (1991, UK)-The Hall of Advertising on YouTube
  7. Hula Hoops - The Cat Came Back - Shark (1991, UK)The Hall of Advertising on YouTube