Cat Ballou

Cat Ballou is a Western comedy set in the town of Wolf City, Wyoming. Catherine "Cat" Ballou, a schoolteacher, returns home to her father's ranch and finds that a powerful local interest wants his land. When her father is killed by a hired gunman, Cat abandons her teaching life and gathers a small, inexperienced gang to go after those responsible. Her plan hinges on a notorious sharpshooter named Kid Shelleen, but the man she hires turns out to be far less reliable than his reputation suggests. Jane Fonda plays Cat, with Lee Marvin in the dual role of Kid Shelleen and the gunman Tim Strawn. Michael Callan, Dwayne Hickman, Tom Nardini and John Marley round out the main cast, and the credited cast numbers 25. The film was directed by Elliot Silverstein from a screenplay by Walter Newman and Frank Pierson, and produced by Harold Hecht for Columbia Pictures. It runs 97 minutes.

Cat Ballou was Silverstein's first feature as director, followed by A Man Called Horse in 1970 and The Car in 1977. It earned 21 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.8 out of 10 from around 17,000 votes, while on TMDB it has 6.4 out of 10 from 289 votes. A film critics' rating of 7.3 out of 10 from 31 reviews places it above the audience scores on both platforms.