The Three Lives of Thomasina Movie

The Three Lives of Thomasina
Rating:
Run Time: 95 min
MPAA Rating: PG
Released: 1963
Directors: Don Chaffey
Genre/Type: Drama
Fantasy
Mystery
Children's/Family
Animal Picture
Producers:
Plot Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Based on a whimsical novel by Paul Gallico, Disney's Three Lives of Thomasina is an imaginative tale of a resourceful cat. Thomasina is the pet of Karen Dotrice, the daughter of taciturn Scottish veterinarian Patrick McGoohan. When Thomasina falls ill, McGoohan coldly diagnoses the cat as suffering from tetanus and declares that the pet must be put out of its misery. As Dotrice and her friends sadly prepare to bury the "dead" Thomasina, backwoods girl Susan Hampshire, who is said to be a witch, shows up and runs off with the kitty corpse. Using equal doses of intuition and love, Hampshire revives Thomasina, who of course wasn't dead at all. While in limbo, Thomasina ascends to Cat Heaven, where her case is heard by the Cat Goddess (this is a wonderful piece of special-effects wizardry, even if you don't like cats). Returned to life, Thomasina has no memory of her previous existence. Thus, the cat runs off in terror when Dotrice sees her again during a torrential downpour. Now it is Dotrice who becomes seriously ill, necessitating a collaboration between the cold, cut-and-dried ministrations of her father and the tender loving care of the "bewitched" Hampshire. As it turns out, Thomasina is the catalyst for both Dotrice's recovery and the film's happy ending.

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I Am Thomasina -A Most Unusual Cat...They Say I'm Enchanted, and I Am!
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Howard Thompson of the New York Times (12 December 1963) found the film "a nice one, but...far from top-drawer Disney." He thought it was a "sentimental and extremely genteel little movie...best suited for small girls," ...
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Cast

Actors Character Born
Patrick McGoohan Andrew MacDhui Mar 19, 1928 in New York, NY
Susan Hampshire Lori MacGregor May 12, 1938 in London, England, UK
Karen Dotrice Mary MacDhui
Vincent Winter Hughie Stirling Dec 29, 1947 in Aberdeen, Scotland
Denis Gilmore Jamie McNab
Laurence Naismith Rev. Angus Peddie Dec 14, 1908 in Ditton, England
Finlay Currie Hughie's grandfather Jan 20, 1878 in Edinburgh, Scotland
Wilfrid Brambell Willie Bannock Mar 22, 1912 in Dublin, Ireland
Jean Anderson Mrs. MacKenzie
Francis de Wolff Targu Jan 7, 1913 in Essex, England
Jack Stewart Birnie Mar 22, 1913 in Larkhall, Lanarks, Scotland
Ewan Roberts Constable McQuarrie Apr 29, 1914 in Edinburgh, Scotland
Oliver Johnston Mr. Dobbie
Matthew Garber Geordie Mar 25, 1956 in England
Gwen Nelson
Charles Carson Doctor Aug 16, 1885 in London, England, UK
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Back to the topReview

Review by Craig Butler
The Three Lives of Thomasina is a lovely and gentle but spirited children's tale that adults will also enjoy. Although it occasionally skirts with "cutesiness," it never really succumbs; more importantly, unlike many other children's films, it is not afraid to acknowledge the deep emotions of childhood, and how disturbing these can be. While never delving too deeply, it also addresses the problems that can arise when an adult does not take into consideration the gap between a child's emotional experience and her ability to understand and cope with that experience. This makes for some very powerful moments, such as Mary's feverish and heartbreaking calls for her missing pet. There's also a great deal of humor, much of it provided by Thomasina's wry comments upon the action. Karen Dotrice does extremely well as Mary, giving a believable and detailed performance that is impressive in one of her years. Patrick McGoohan is a powerful and formidable presence as her father; he is not afraid to show exactly how gruff and stern the character can be, making the audience experience some of the same conflicting feelings about him that his daughter does. Don Chaffey's direction is smooth and unobtrusive, letting the story tell itself without any unnecessary embellishments. Although some very young children may find Thomasina a little disturbing, most will thoroughly enjoy getting to know this delightful cat and her loving owner.
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