Cats Don't Dance is a 1997 American animated musical comedy film directed by Mark Dindal (in his feature directorial debut), written by Bobs Gannaway, Theresa Pettengill, and the writing team of Cliff Ruby and Elana Lesser, and featuring the voices of Scott Bakula, Jasmine Guy, Ashley Peldon, Kathy Najimy, John Rhys-Davies, George Kennedy, René Auberjonois, Hal Holbrook, Don Knotts, Betty Lou Gerson (in her final film role), Matthew Herried, Frank Welker, David Johansen and Dindal.
The film originated in 1993 as a proposed film collaboration between Michael Jackson and David Kirschner. It was announced as a film combining live action and animation, with Jackson attached to star and consult on the music and choreography. By late 1994, Jackson had dropped out of the project. It was reverted to Turner Feature Animation. It features six original songs written by Randy Newman, and an original musical orchestral score composed by Steve Goldstein. It was the only fully animated feature film produced by Turner Feature Animation, which was absorbed into Warner Bros. Animation when Turner Broadcasting System merged with Time Warner during the post-production of Cats Don't Dance in 1996. The film's production took four-and-a-half years to be completed.
Turner's ownership rights were extricated by late-September 1996. The release of Cats Don't Dance was conducted in October 1996, and the film was theatrically released in the United States on March 26, 1997 by Warner Bros.. The film received generally positive reviews from critics. However, it was a box-office failure, grossing $3.5 million domestically. The film's producer David Kirschner blamed Warner Bros. for a failed marketing campaign and a lack of promotional tie-ins. Cats Don't Dance won two Annie Awards, Best Animated Feature and Best Music in a Feature Production, becoming the first non-Disney animated film to receive these awards.
Plot
In an alternate world, in 1939, where humans and anthropomorphic animals coexist, Danny, an optimistic orange tabby cat from Kokomo, Indiana, travels to Hollywood in hopes of starting an acting career there. After meeting a young penguin named Pudge, Danny is selected by agent Farley Wink to feature in a film that is in production at Mammoth Pictures called Lil' Ark Angel, alongside Wink's secretary, a cynical Turkish Angora cat named Sawyer. Upon joining fellow animals—Tillie the hippo, Cranston the goat, Frances the fish, and T.W the tortoise—Danny is dismayed on learning how minor his role is and tries weaseling his way into more time in the spotlight. Danny unwittingly angers the film's star Darla Dimple, a popular yet spoiled child actress; she promptly has her gigantic butler Max intimidate Danny against further attempts to enlarge his part.
Danny learns from the studio's mascot Woolie the elephant that human actors are normally given more important roles than animals, whereas animals themselves end up getting minor and often thankless roles to the point of having little to no leverage in show business. The next day, Danny reminds the other animals of their past aspirations by instigating a mass musical performance in an alleyway, which draws Darla's attention. Overhearing Danny's intention to make an appeal to Mammoth Pictures head L.B. Mammoth, Darla invites Danny to her mansion and grants him and the animals full use of the Li'l Ark Angel stage on the day of a press conference held by Mammoth, on the condition that Danny not reveal her involvement in this ostensibly charitable act. Danny happily accepts the offer, unaware that Darla is secretly setting the animals up for failure to prevent them from stealing her spotlight. As the animals prepare their performance on the ark, Darla and Max create a catastrophic flood that washes through Mammoth studios, for which Mammoth blames and dismisses the animals. When the satisfied Darla arrives to thank Danny, he is admonished for his naivety and advised by Woolie to return to Kokomo.
That night, Sawyer takes to heart Danny's attempts to keep the animals' dreams alive and tries catching him at the bus stop, but narrowly misses him. However, after a comment from the bus driver and seeing Pudge wander the streets, Danny stops the bus and secretly invites Sawyer, Woolie, Tillie, Cranston, Frances and T.W. to the Lil' Ark Angel premiere. During the event, Danny evades Max and sends him flying away on a deflating Darla balloon. At the screening's end, he calls the audience's attention and convinces his friends not to give up on their dreams no matter what the humans have said or done. The animals put on a musical performance that is drastically enhanced by Darla's covert sabotage attempts, entertaining and impressing the audience. During the standing ovation, an enraged Darla admits responsibility for the flood, inadvertently exposing herself to the public and irrevocably disgracing her. Danny and Sawyer admit their feelings for each other and the animals achieve their dreams for larger roles.
Voice cast Scott Bakula as Danny, an ambitious, optimistically naïve, yet well-meaning orange tabby cat. Jasmine Guy as Sawyer, a beautiful yet jaded and sarcastic Turkish Angora cat secretary, and Danny's love interest. Natalie Cole provides her singing vocals. Ashley Peldon as Darla Dimple, a spoiled and ornery human child star who maintains a sweet, innocent facade. Lindsay Ridgeway provides her singing vocals. Kathy Najimy as Tillie Hippo, an optimistic hippopotamus. Betty Lou Gerson as Frances Albacore, a sarcastic fish. Hal Holbrook as Cranston Goat, an elderly, cranky goat. Don Knotts as T.W. Turtle, a neurotic, superstitious turtle. Rick Logan provides his singing vocals. John Rhys-Davies as Woolie the Mammoth, an aging Asian elephant who is an aspiring composer but portrays the mascot for Mammoth Pictures. Matthew Herried as Peabo "Pudge" Pudgemyer, a small penguin who befriends Danny. George Kennedy as L.B. Mammoth, the human head of Mammoth Pictures. René Auberjonois as Flanigan, the human film director of Li'l Ark Angel. Mark Dindal as Max, Darla's gargantuan valet. Frank Welker as Farley Wink, a human agent for animals and Sawyer's boss. David Johansen as a bus driver Other non-speaking mammals, reptiles, and birds like: Cow, Pig, Wildebeest, Anteater, Giraffe, Lion and a Lioness, Camel, Mouse, Grizzly Bear, Raccoon, Walrus, Horse, Elephant seal, Gorilla, Monkey, Orangutan, Alligator, Chameleon, Stork, Hummingbird, Blue Jay, Quetzal, Cocaktoo, Ostrich, and a Dodo.
Production
Development
In October 1991, Ted Turner's namesake company Turner Broadcasting System announced it had acquired Hanna-Barbera for $320 million. Two years prior, Carl Lindner Jr. recruited David Kirschner, who had headed his own production company and created the original story concept for An American Tail (1986) with Steven Spielberg.
In March 1993, Kirschner and Michael Jackson negotiated with 20th Century Fox to establish a production company specializing in live-action and animated films. Meanwhile, Jackson would enter into the exclusive, three-year agreement in ten months, following the expiration of his first-look deal for Nation Films at Columbia Pictures. Initially a hybrid live-action/CGI animated film, Jackson was intended to act, produce, and consult on the music and choreography. By November 1994, it was implied that Jackson was no longer involved in the film.
Gene Kelly was the choreography consultant. The production staff met Kelly three of four times, socializing about approaching musicals and the conception of older musicals. Painting service for the animation was finished by John Whitney's USAnimation.
Concept and writing The first script for the film was completed by June 1993, which featured animated depictions of multiple celebrities from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Another script included four non-anthropomorphic stray cats living in the sets and studio backlots. The final screenplay was inspired by a story from executive producer Sandy Russell Gartin. The production pitched the concept in multiple variations from featuring a non-speaking animal to a universe with animals and humans.
During production, management at Turner Feature Animation changed repeatedly and each member attempted to revise the film's concept drastically. One executive suggested updating the film's setting to the 1950s and include rock-and-roll music in the middle of the film.
Cast In May 1994, it was announced that the film would feature the voices from Natalie Cole, Scott Bakula, Kathy Najimy, Ashley Peldon, Ed Asner, Hal Holbrook, John Rhys-Davies, and Don Knotts. Asner's voice was not included in the final film. On February 5, 1995, Parade revealed that Bakula was doing the voice for the character Danny. On May 17, 1995, The Hamilton Spectator confirmed that Knotts would be the voice actor for T.W. Turtle.
On June 10, 1996, The Patriot-News reported that René Auberjonois did the voices for the film. Dindal's portrayal of Max was initially a temporary scratch track. Dindal wanted Max to be voiced by a professional actor; he kept his vocals in as the film ran out of money.
Music At the beginning of development, Cats Don't Dance was going to include songs from older Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films and composed by Jackson. David Shire and Richard Maltby Jr., the songwriting team for the Broadway musicals Baby and Big, also hired to compose and write five songs for the film. By May 1994, they were replaced by Randy Newman, who wrote many songs for the film. The film's opening and end credits song "Our Time Has Come" was composed by Martin Page, and was performed by James Ingram and Carnie Wilson. For the film, Newman was awarded the Annie Award for Best Music in an Animated Feature.
Release Cats Don't Dance was first pitched to 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures. Then-Turner subsidiary New Line Cinema also expressed interest in releasing the film. But when Turner Broadcasting was merged with Warner Bros.' parent company Time Warner for $7.5 billion, New Line put the film into turnaround in 1996, where ownership fell into Warner Bros.. Outside of North America, where they handled the release, Turner Pictures Worldwide distributed it foreignly.
Although originally scheduled to be released in the fall of 1996, Cats Don't Dance was theatrically released on March 26, 1997 by Warner Bros. through their Family Entertainment label. Pullet Surprise, a newly produced Looney Tunes short film featuring Foghorn Leghorn, preceded the film's theatrical release. A merchandise campaign was planned but failed.
Home media Cats Don't Dance had its first home video release by Warner Home Video on VHS and LaserDisc on August 19, 1997. To promote the release, Warner partnered with Continental Airlines, in which the buyer received an in-pack coupon worth $125 in savings on a Continental flight. A $2 instant savings coupon with the additional purchase of either Dennis the Menace (1993), Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Richie Rich (1994), or the 25th anniversary edition of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was also included. The film had also its first DVD release on September 3, 2002, in a pan-and-scan format with bonus features. It was later released on Blu-ray.
Reception Box office With failed marketing and a few promotional tie-ins, Cats Don't Dance was a box-office failure. In the U.S. and Canada, the film only grossed $3.5 million against its $32 million production budget. Dindal told Animation World Magazine: "I think very objectively [Warner Bros.] looked at it and decided there wouldn't be a market for it. It wasn't something they responded to, they didn't think people would eat it up."
Critical response