The Aristocats

Reviewer: Alyice Edrich

The Cartoon

The Aristocats, 1970

The Plot

An eccentric millionairess, living in Paris, decided to leave her entire fortune to her cats with the stipulation that when all the cats have passed away, the remaining fortune will transfer to her loyal and faithful butler. The butler, however, has other plans and decided get rid of the cats.

Starring

Phil Harris, Eva Gabor, Liz English, Gary Dubin, Dean Clark II, Pat Buttram, George Lindsay, Sterling Holloway, Scatman Crothers, and more.

The Review

Disney’s The Aristocats was my all time favorite cartoon as a young child. I still have the book version my mother bought me and though it’s worn, torn, and in a very fragile state, it’s something I shall never part with so when I was asked to review the special edition of The Aristocats I couldn’t refuse. It’s just as charming today as the day I first watched it. A true classic.

Duchess is a single mother raising three little kittens under the care of her mistress—a very wealthy millionairess, so hardship isn’t something she’s accustomed to. But when Edgar, the butler, decides to throw them out with the trash everything changes and Duchess soon discovers a side of life she’d never known before and an inner strength she never knew she had.

Stuck in the middle of nowhere and determined to return to the safe haven of her mistress, Duchess befriends an alley cat by the name of Thomas O’Malley. O’Malley, smitten by Duchess, introduces her to his gang of friends and soon discovers that he’s ready to put his bachelor ways behind him. As O’Malley helps Duchess find her way back home, he grows very attached to her kittens and to Duchess.

Will Duchess and O’Malley hook up or will their worlds collide forever?

If you have an older version of The Aristocats, you just may want to trade it in. The special edition can also be played on your computer and includes a screensaver, a wallpaper, and an interactive game designed to help your child learn to care for his (or her) very own kitty. There’s also a look backstage and a deleted scene: She Never Felt Alone.

Your Task

After watching The Aristocats take a few moments to talk to your children about stranger danger. Explain to them how the world today has changed from the day Duchess and her kittens got lost and what your children can do to protect themselves when they find themselves lost or scared. Who can they trust? Who can they call? Where can they go? Should they stay on lighted streets or take a short cut down a dark alley?