Cats Don't Dance And Why It’s Remembered 

Cats Don’t Dance managed to be the little film that could. So what makes it special to you?

Ironic how the story was about unrecognized talent and that’s what happened to the movie.

One thing that always impresses me is that Darla's voice actress was twelve years old. Not only was her voice acting good but her singing in Big and Loud was fantastic.

Fun Fact: This was the first Non-Disney animated film to win the Annie Awards for Best Animated Film.

Cats Don't Dance is criminally underrated It definitely deserved better

I didn't realize this movie was such a complete financial failure. Cats Don't Dance is one of my childhood favorites. It's such a gem!

Cat’s Don’t Dance is a perfect film. I think it’s the go to example that sometimes a box office flop can be the best thing ever made. I just wish this movie gets more and more attention.

Ironically, Cats Don't Dance, Pagemaster and Iron Giant are some of my favourite movies from my childhood.

Wow, if I had a nickel for every time a Warner Bros animated movie was a failure at the Box Office but aged into a classic I have 2 nickels It's not a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice

I can’t remember the last I clicked on the video that instantly. That and the fact that I just love this movie so much!

When Sawyer said they don't care,it really hit hard. No matter how good/talented you are, to your oppressors you're still you at the end of the day.

I may also add that there’s gonna be a Blu-ray cover of Cats Don’t Dance coming in September 26 which is tomorrow actually. It is under the Warner Archives Collection brand.

The film does act as a direct allegory for the racist casting practices that were prevalent in Hollywood in its "Golden Age." I didn't understand that context as a child when I watched this film. However, when I got older, it made sense. It's very much an underrated classic.

I’m 40 and this film came on because of a RU-vid misclick recently… I was over cartoons like this about 30 years ago. I ended up watching it all the way through and was loving it. Even the songs were good. I love the attitudes and facial expressions and slapstick. It’s written so well. I figured it must have been a big classic that I just missed.

This movie came out when I was in 2nd grade. I was obsessed because I love cats. I dressed up as Sawyer for Halloween, I had a big white bushy cat tails sewn to a brown skirt, the whole outfit. Went to school and not one kid in my class knew the movie. I didn’t find another person who had seen it until my college roommate! Love this damn movie

Thank you, Mann of 1000 Thoughts. As an aspiring filmmaker, I'll remember what you've said here.

I strongly have fond childhood memories of watching Cats Don't Dance on Cartoon Network more than once during way back in the days of the early 2000s. I'm glad this underrated gem is getting more attention and recognition on it now because I always loved everything there is about this movie, from the great catchy songs and music and the classic fuild toony animation including witty humor and characters & its touching on discrimination of how minority actors were treated then. It's such an overall fun, enjoyable, animated movie. 👍🏾

One of my childhood favorites. Tell Me Lies is stunning

An underrated classic, wish we got more animated movies like this one.

this movie is such an underrated animated CLASSIC

Cats Dont Dance: "Sir, this movie is really coming together were thinking its gonna do real well." WB: "I think its gonna flop." *Does zero marketing* WB: "See what did I tell you!" Iron Giant: "Sir, we got a real good movie here." WB: "Oh really?" *Zero marketing/ inaccurate marketing* WB: "See what did I tell you!"

I watch this movie all the time non stop when I was little. I thought no one knew about this movie, but happy to see I was wrong

I remember this movie. Every so often, I get "Big and Loud" stuck in my head.

I like that it's an animated movie that didn't treat it's audience (target and non-target) as stupid. They used the 'show don't tell' smartly, knowing their audience would easily get what they were conveying. I love this movie. It's definitely one of those that flies under the radar but worth the time to watch it (and it's just over an hour which isn't long compared to films now). And 'Big and Loud' is in my favorite villain song category in the top three for certain.

I watched this movie so many times on VHS when I was a kid, I had memorized all the songs! Also feel you on the fact that you cant listen to the soundtrack except on you tube, a travesty!

Scott Bakula sang all of Danny's vocals. He did a great job.

I am not a 90s baby nor did i see this movie when i was small but i did see some parts when i was teen and its a classic indeed. I dont think we will see this type of film in a long time. The singing is wonderful and the acting is good 10/10 in my book.

Now that the strike's down, nothing's gonna stop you now.

I'm a little sad that it wasn't mentioned that contrary to Darla and Sawyer having different folks for their singing voices, Scott Bakula provided both the speaking and singing voice for Danny...which surprised folks who knew who it was since it wasn't exceptionally known that he could even sing...let alone do it as phenomenally well as he did in this movie.

A movie I didn't appreciate till I was older, as I think is the case for most kids who watched this. Great stuff

I will NEVER understand why this film hasn't gathered as much attention as others in its genre. Yes it lost a lot of money in its time but it deserves the cult classic status. Great film that should be more widely known.

To anyone who hasn't seen this movie yet, its free with ads on RU-vid. Or at least last I checked.

14:26 RIP Sandwich with all that damn mustard.

10:15 my guy… I LITERALLY watched this movie easily over 50 times growin’ up and just listened to it on an hour and a half long trip home AND for the FIRST TIME EVER I caught the line the bus driver says, at the end when Danny almost goes home, and I KNOW he’s talking about the ANIMALS BUT… he says “I’m not calling’ you a noodle head but i-i-its just that, they don’t belong in pictures. You know what I mean? They belong, back on the farm.” Bruh WHAT?! He’s talkin’ about animals but I caught that THAT line sound kinda r@ci$t. It blew mind mind that I’d never caught that.

But I AM ready for the storks conversation...! And a Sherlock Gnomes conversation... it's way too amazing to be lumped in with Gnomeo and Juliet. Was just checking your channel for that before I found this vid, and crazily, I watched Cats Dont Dance yesterday on yt, with ads in 480p. But it was free so ú_ù My bro suggested it recently and whaddya know, it blew my socks off. I had avoided it for many reasons, like it being a musical, but this is now one of my favs and I actually think everyone does an amazing job singing, and I liked the direction and shot composition of the numbers. BIIIG AAAAND LOUD is looping in my head. Every scene feels purposeful and carefully made to be the best version of itself. My only problem is all of the cringe humor this film employs. I'm way too sensitive to moments where a character is in a misunderstanding, unintentionally disappoints/torments/ enrages everyone, or the always-nice characters get ridiculed, and resentful, even if its all being played for laughs. And the dreaded third act low point split-up. All those things happen from start to finish in CDD. 5 mins couldnt go by without me pausing to work up the will to go on, every time Danny was about to make another great thundering oopsie, I'd cover my eyes screaming NO, NO DON'T DO IT(had to skip the "meow" solo 😭) Excluding all the things that go wrong in this movie, I enjoyed it more with every passing minute. The animation, backgrounds, and coloring impressed me especially. The vibrant spectrum of character movement is some of the most deliciously fluid cartooning I have ever enjoyed. The expressions are peppered with hilarious exaggerations and humanly earnest (for cartoon animals) flashes of inner turmoil. Moments like the turtle reading his fortune: "give it up, you loser", the fish lady going "I need a drink", splashing herself deadpanly, and Danny laughing for one second then doing this face at 4:08 with a "huh", can be replayed infinitely with no loss in comedic factor. The snappy timing really goes well with the down-to-earth line delivery. How some crazy shit will happen and everybody under-reacts is so funny. Gags come rapid-firing one after another. I sounded like Darla Dimple dementedly giggling at the cutaways between the animals' show going horribly wrong backstage at the hands of Darla, and the rich dude extensively singing the praises for the imminent premiere and the very child star ruining it moments before walking in on a tidal wave. And the animal jokes! The figures of speech Sawyer uses that offend someone of that species standing right there. The physical humor like the elephant making stuff in his trailer fly around every time he steps, while Danny and the penguin slide around on their chair helplessly and the piano absolutely demolishes them. Intense cartoon violence abound, but nobody says ow. Except when Danny slammed Sawyer's tail in the door, 😬 aiiee. The fondness that builds for the entire diverse animal cast as you follow them through hardships, looking past their appearances, reputations, failings and eccentricities, to how in their element they are when they get to perform, it runs perfectly parallel with the message of the movie. No one should think they don't deserve for their dreams to come true, for their talents to be appreciated, to try for a better life, because they're "not the right type of people" even though they DO have what it takes and they're just trying to show the world. Trying to make people happy. Just trying to BE happy. The slog these out-of-luck actors go through, failing to get dignified roles or ANY roles for untold years, facing all manner of abuse, being kicked out of Hollywood, standing in a soup line, is compelling and dark. When Sawyer, the secretary who tolerates prejudice and exploitation daily, who's been dry and aloof in every appearance is revealed to have once loved to dance, and still does, but has buried it so deep inside herself, you have to imagine what made her hang it up for good (Probably was told, cats don't dance...). How she looks away in regret and defeat every time someone tries to tell her to go for what she wants, like she had given up long ago on her happiness being more than a dream, it's heartbreaking. I could say so much more of what makes this movie special but I've been at it long enough. If you read this all the way and liked it, let's just get married, cuz I'm like this all the time. I'll draft my hyperfixation essay for Sherlock Gnomes next

To answer: HELL YES!!!😊❤ this is my all time favorite animated film of all time next to Hunchback and Secret Of Nihm!

May have been a financial failure, but certainly not a failure of music and animation.

as i was saying, IT IS A GREAT GENE KELLY ANIMATED TRIBUTE and the best animated musical produced by WB animation with the second being Quest For Camelot and the third being SmallFoot (when it comes to Happy Feet movies wouldnt count because first it is a jukebox musical, and second was just distributed by WB like any other animated film presented by it) and the authentic musical CATS movie since the irony is that there was supposed to be a CATS adaptation in the original release year by Amblimation

If I can recall, in some of the early livestreams Vivziepop said she got her inspiration on Cat's Don't Dance and where her style came is based from. I noticed a little in Helluva Boss where the gang are dressed in cat suits and Moxxie and Millie have a similar cat design that looks like Danny or Sowyer

I was shocked to see it referenced in South Park

Love this movie!

13:00 To me, Natalie Cole’s voice (while beautiful) is just too jarring when it comparing it to Jasmine Guy’s. You can tell it’s 2 different voices & when you do that without making sure the 2 sound at least somewhat similar, it can make it very distracting. It’s why Darla’s 2 voice actors for speaking & singing actually work. Plus I would’ve liked to hear Jasmine’s singing too.

3:08 So the same studio almost gave us a PG-13 Osmosis Jones and The Iron Giant as a musical almost cast Michael Jackson in a film that could have been space jam.

Replayed this movie so many time, I’m surprised the VHS didn’t break.

The old Hollywood esthetic is something I really love about this movie too. I really liked that aspect when I was a kid as well. I love the story and the characters as well.

Wait a minute... Frozen 2 is great. Although it is just one opinion I think the second is better than the first. But I only noticed that rewatching it. I recommend it.

A cartoon movie about the hidden racism in Hollywood casting. I’m on that.

This would make a great double feature with Robots.

I love it because it’s of part my childhood and I love the song ,big loud and also the 1930s and 20s

🎉🎉🎉Been Waiting for this! Thanks Man ❤

I never knew Cap Archer could sing.

I miss watching this on Cartoon Network back in the day

It would've been if the Lonney Tunes made a cameo in the film since it stars anthropomorphic animals

Hey there actually is a Batman and Robin film in the 40s.

Warner bros animated releases had more flops in the past than the ones that Disney had in recent years.

Great video. Also great movie

Cats don't dance is the children's version of Meet the Feebles... watch it if you haven't (or watch it again to see)... yay Peter Jackson

Yes

I don’t dance, but I say you can! 💃

Sir, step away from the reverb.

5:27-5:35 Is it me, or does it seem like Hollywood was burning more than usual this summer? There's a part of me that wonders if South Park's gonna do an episode of this recent surge of celebrity cancellations, but another is certain that they already did.

Thinks

Yo did you hear about the Rise of Tmnt season 3 fan project?

The original sing

Big and Loud

They called this movie Cats Don’t Dance despite the fact that the cat did in fact dance. The whole movie is false advertising.

First!

Learn the difference between woke and actually having a good commentary on social issues.