The Richest Cat in the World (1986)

The Richest Cat in the World (Greg Beeman, 1986). 

By 1986 Walt Disney branded feature films had all but died out, the studio finding greater success with movies released through its adult oriented Touchstone Pictures division. Conversely the opposite was true on television where the success of the fledgling Disney Channel (launched in 1983) and the re-invigorated Disney anthology TV series had created a demand for new made-for-television feature content. One such feature was The Richest Cat in the World. 

Palmer the cat stars as Leo, a pampered puss left $5 million in the will of his deceased owner Oscar (Ramon Bieri). When Oscar’s nephew learns of this he and his wife set out to kidnap and dispose of Leo, thereby inheriting the cash themselves. Leo confides his ability to speak (!) to an employee’s children who determine to protect the cat and stop the catnappers from stealing his fortune. 

Recalling previous Disney theatrical feline features That Darn Cat (Robert Stevenson, 1965) and The Cat from Outer Space (Norman Tokar, 1978), it would be fair to suggest that a decade earlier The Richest Cat in the World would too have been considered for cinema exhibition. But in a year where the only Disney live action release in cinemas was Flight of the Navigator (Randall Kleiser) it was, instead, destined for television; debuting on the newly re-titled The Disney Sunday Movie on the ABC network.

In truth, TV is where this modest comedy-thriller belongs. Greg Beeman directs with a smooth efficiency but cannot disguise the movie's TV origins. The teleplay by Marshall Efron and Alfa-Betty Olsen is satisfactory enough, but with marked similarities to Disney's animated The Aristocats (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1970) is not particularly original. To describe the slapstick humour of The Richest Cat in the World as broad would be an understatement. To be fair, there are some laughs to be had, not just ironically; there is something inherently funny about a cat using a touchpad telephone to order a pizza! 

The Richest Cat in the World is just silly enough to appeal to young audiences and nostalgic enough to appeal to adults who enjoyed it when they were young. It is wholly innocent and appealing in a ramshackle kind of way, especially if you like cute cats. It is the kind of movie where you can predict the ending in the first five minutes but, if you are in the right mood, it should raise the odd chuckle and honestly, I can think of worse ways to waste 90 minutes.