The Cat from Outer Space

The Cat from Outer Space (1978)

Runtime: 104 minutes

Directed by: Norman Tokar

Starring: Ken Berry, Sandy Duncan, Harry Morgan, Roddy McDowall, McLean Stevenson

From: Disney

Would you believe this was another movie I saw once as a child? No, not theatrically… I am not that old! Rather, this Disney live-action picture was on TV one night in the late 80’s and as far as I can remember, bedtime hit for me before the ending could be watched. Except for a few fragments, this might as well have been a first-time-experience. Without a doubt, how weird this project was not remembered by me. I mean, even weirder than when you hear this is about an alien feline that looks just like an Abyssian cat crashes its spaceship on Earth and eccentric Caltech scientist Ken Barry & fellow scientist Sandy Duncan can help it because the kitty has a magic collar of near-unlimited power and can communicate telepathically.

After all, a key plot point revolves around the magical collar being used to manipulate sporting events for the purposes of betting so gold could be purchased for usage in the spaceship repairs. Apparently it is easy to purchase a giant bar of gold worth $120,000! There’s the expected hijinks along the way, both Harry Morgan & McLean Stevenson from M*A*S*H, a girlfriend for Jake, the titular cat striking up a relationship w/ a female cat… no, really.

The movie is bizarre and for certain silly; that said, it’s also inoffensive, with the biggest offense being the lengthy 104 minute runtime. Otherwise, it was an easy watch with the crux of the laughs focused on the magic collar & its effects; it was also nice seeing Roddy McDowall in a crucial supporting role. It shouldn’t have been in early 2024 that a loop from the late 80’s was finally closed, but it was nice to finally see this in full… one of the many oddball Disney live-action films that we witnessed in the first 20 or so years after Walt passed away. Looking through a Wiki list, there’s plenty that even I hadn’t heard of (what in the heck is The Biscuit Eater, Treasure of Matecumbe or Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog?) but they did make movies about a mule that plays American football (Gus), Kurt Russell getting zapped by a computer so he now is as smart as one (The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes) and a duck that lays golden eggs (The Million Dollar Duck)… why not a movie about a cat from outer space?

One last note: in a case of “Impeccable Timing,” the opening logo for this movie was a wacky multicolored drawing of Mickey Mouse celebrating its 50th birthday. I had a hearty laugh seeing such a sight in 2024… already, multiple horror movies featuring the Mickey Mouse image have been announced due to that copyright lapsing.