ferbs54 The presence of Patrick McGoohan, one of my favorite actors of the modern era, was my motivation for renting out the 1964 Disney picture "The Three Lives of Thomasina," but as it turns out, this charming film has much to offer besides his usual sturdy support. In this one, McGoohan doesn't play a secret-agent man or gay-smashing king, but rather a widower veterinarian named Andrew MacDhui living in the small town of Inveranoch, Scotland, in 1912, with his young daughter, Mary, and their 4-year-old ginger cat, Thomasina. Their peaceful domestic life is shattered when MacDhui is forced to put Thomasina to sleep, after the cat contracts tetanus, and Mary becomes walled off and unforgiving. Fortunately, Thomasina, after a surprisingly FX-laden dream sequence, during which she encounters the Egyptian cat god Bast, does return, and sets off on life #2.... It is almost impossible to speak of this film, even as a middle-aged adult, without using the words "cute" and "charming." If Paul Gallico's 1957 source novel, "Thomasina," which I have not read, is half as appealing as this adaptation, it must be very likable indeed. Besides a sweet and compelling story, the film offers sterling support by a raft of fine British, Irish and Scottish character actors, such as Laurence Naismith, Wilfrid Brambell (who will always be Paul's very clean grandfather to me!) and Finlay Currie. Beautiful Susan Hampshire stands out as Lori MacGregor, the nature girl "witch" with a superempathic way with animals, and the child actors are all wonderful, especially newcomer Karen Dotrice as Mary. Throw in some gorgeous Highland scenery, a catchy theme song, and even an action-packed and emotionally fraught finale, and you have one winning entertainment indeed, as suitable for the adults as the kiddies. Way to go, Walt!

editortwo I adored The Three Lives of Thomasina as a child. It stuck to me so much that over 40 years later I looked it up again and was not disappointed. Very engrossing and sweet. I'm not much of a sucker for a happy ending, because they often feel so contrived, but this is a wonderful movie for kids and adults, especially all those who love animals. I know a few vets who would profit from seeing this movie. Many of them seem to have lost sight of the fact that a pet is more than just a paycheck. This was made in the days before the Humane Society and PETA had so much power, so I wonder how all the animals fared. Hysterical to see McGoohan in this, as his role in The Prisoner is so memorable and associated with him. Susan Hampshire I don't know. I had forgotten that the two kids were in Mary Poppins as well, although they certainly seemed familiar to me.

Lee Eisenberg "The Three Lives of Thomasina" is a Disney movie, so you know what that means. One of the surprising things is that the dad is played by Patrick McGoohan, who more recently played King Edward in "Braveheart". How do ya like that: in one movie, he lived in Scotland; in the other, he invaded it! Overall, I think that the movie goes a little too far in trying to tug at your emotions. My favorite cat-themed movie is "Cat's Eye", based on a Stephen King novel. As for movies with "three" in the title, I most recommend "Three Days of the Condor".So, there are better movies out there, especially considering that this came out the same year as "Dr. Strangelove", "A Fistful of Dollars" and "Zorba the Greek". And I thought that the portrayals of the gypsies was kinda racist. The only other cast member whom I recognized was Wilfrid Brambell, better known as Paul's grandfather in "A Hard Day's Night".I know that it's a little weird that in a review of a movie about a magical cat, I mentioned "Braveheart", "Three Days of the Condor", "Dr. Strangelove", "A Fistful of Dollars", "Zorba the Greek", the Beatles and Stephen King, but that's just the kind of person that I am.

moonspinner55 Superb, sentimental live-action drama from Walt Disney concerns a young Scottish girl's love and devotion to her sickly pet cat, who gets a new lease on life from a "magical" mountain woman whom the townspeople believe is a witch. The screenplay, from Paul Gallico's book, tries packing too much plot into its 100 minutes and, as a result, the midsection of the movie doesn't feel fully played-out. Still, the majority of the film is captivating, beautifully shot, and the characters are engaging and believable. Karen Dotrice (best known as Jane from "Mary Poppins") is quite the little thespian here, and her tears and youthful anger are convincing; she's as good a child actress as I have ever seen (Walt must've had a soft spot for wholesome British lasses, Dotrice and Hayley Mills seem sprung from the same boarding school). The production is plush and Thomasina is one gorgeous feline. *** from ****