The Cat from Outer Space

"A close encounter of the 'furred' kind!"

1978 1h 44m EN

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 156

ComedyFamilyScience Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A UFO is stranded on earth and impounded by the US government. Its pilot, a cat with a collar that gives it special powers, including the ability to communicate with humans, has eluded the authorities and seeks the help of a scientist in order to reclaim and repair his ship and get back home.

“A close encounter of the 'furred' kind!”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Disney PlusSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Ken Berry
Frank
Sandy Duncan
Liz
Harry Morgan
General Stilton
Roddy McDowall
Mr. Stallwood
McLean Stevenson
Link
Jesse White
Earnest Ernie
Alan Young
Dr. Wenger
Hans Conried
Dr. Heffel

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Norman Tokar
Writers: Ted Key
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

48 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Norman Tokar, shot by Charles F. Wheeler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Lalo Schifrin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Cotton Warburton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ken Berry and Sandy Duncan and Harry Morgan carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A close encounter of the 'furred' kind!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0077305 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Norman Tokar directs. Charles F. Wheeler behind the camera. Lalo Schifrin scores. Cotton Warburton cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
248 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Norman Tokar, shot by Charles F. Wheeler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Lalo Schifrin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Cotton Warburton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Ken Berry and Sandy Duncan and Harry Morgan carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "A close encounter of the 'furred' kind!".
8IMDB entry: tt0077305 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Charles F. Wheeler
Original score: Lalo Schifrin
Editing: Cotton Warburton
Costume design: Emily Sundby
Makeup / hair: Lola Kemp
Stunt coordinator: Dick Warlock
Runtime: 104 min · 1h 44m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $4,000,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): G
IMDB: The Cat from Outer Space (1978)

Also by

Norman Tokar

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

r96sk2020-08-28
★ 5/10
Nice idea, just not one that's executed well at all. <em>'The Cat from Outer Space'</em> is mundane. The concept of an alien cat invading is cool, but they choose to do it in a way that is boring - the cat, Jake, speaks via voiceover only, so there are many shots of the cat just staring whilst Ronnie Schell speaks. That just doesn't work, to get attached/become interested in a character you need emotion and/or expression... you get none of that here. I never cared for Jake, and that's coming from someone who loves cats. Also with the plot they spend most of the time focusing on the cat helping the humans with dull things, like betting and freezing people. Quite inconsistently too, there's a number of times where the cat could solve their problem instantly but they avoid using him for some reason. It's only at the end when they, truly, tackle the overall story arc - which itself is held back by the (understandably, I guess) lame special effects. Cast-wise it's very flat, none of them are particularly bad but they all give forgettable performances - even Harry Morgan (Stilton), who has done some fine things for Disney in these early decades. I can think of at least ten worse live-action flicks from this studio up until 1978, but that's not to say this is anything worth watching - it isn't, unfortunately.

Production companies