BroadcastChic Excellent, a Must See

Stellead Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Mr-Fusion It was famous stuntman Hal Needham's memoir that first clued me in to this movie ("But that was nothing compared to the time I helped Burt dodge a possible murder rap during the filming of THE MAN WHO LOVED CAT DANCING"). Burt Reynolds in a western? I've gotta see this. And for the most part, it's pretty good. A leisurely-paced movie, to be sure - which is completely fine - but the added somber tone makes the film drag for stretches at a time. But if you stick with it, there's a rewarding finish.Regardless of that, this is easily Burt Reynolds' best performance (at least of those movies I've seen), and he's the heart and dark soul of the film. If you need to see why Reynolds was such a star at the time, this is Exhibit A. George Hamilton is the other surprise, playing a real sleaze, which is something you really don't expect with that guy. And that's not to say that the rest of the cast is lacking (Sarah Miles, Lee J. Cobb, Jack Warren). But the real treat here is seeing Burt Reynolds nail it in a serious role.6/10

classicsoncall I always liked Burt Reynolds, but have generally seen him in self effacing roles that allow his humorous and devilish side come through; that's probably why "The Longest Yard" is my favorite Reynolds film. I think he handles his movie Western roles well enough, but it's not the genre I prefer seeing him in. In "The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing", Reynolds' character is a driven man on the trail to retrieve his two children from a Shoshone tribe, left behind we come to learn, after he killed the man who raped his wife, the 'Cat Dancing' character of the film's title. That he also killed his Indian bride in a jealous rage is a point that seems to be glossed over in the story, and doesn't square with the sense of honor and justice that Indian tribes maintain for their own personal conduct. I was left wondering why Jay Wesley Grobard (Reynolds) was even allowed to return to the Shoshone camp, and once there, why he wasn't called on to atone for his past. In fact, Grobard wasn't even an honorable character at the start of the movie, but a train robber who's gang is disrupted by the intrusion of a woman on the run from her husband. The story's twist is that her own name is Catherine/Cat, thereby completing the connection with the title character.Of course, Catherine's (Sarah Miles) husband hires on a tracker (Lee J. Cobb) to find his wife who he believes is kidnapped. You never get the impression that Crocker (George Hamilton) isn't a decent enough guy in his own right, only that his wife doesn't love him enough to want to stay married. With Grobard's gang, Catherine gets more than she's bargained for, having to fend off the lecherous likes of Bo Hopkins' Billy, and Jack Warden's Dawes. Dawes in particular turns out to be the vile snake of the bunch, just check how many kidney shots he gives to old Billy Boy. Reflecting back on that now, the arrival of Catherine turns out to be the undoing of just about everyone in the picture.It was cool to see Jay Silverheels in one of his last movie roles, but gee, they went kind of heavy on the old warrior makeup to portray him as Shoshone Chief Washaki. The Chief had one of the better lines in the picture as he parleyed with Grobard - "The cigar was one of the white man's good ideas" - an interesting observation. But probably the best was Billy's description of Catherine after she cleaned herself up on the trail - "Well, if she don't look as fresh as a daisy next to an outhouse"! What wonderful imagery.

wildwiltedrose will this ever be put out on DVD? Burt Reynolds best movie. Burt was so good looking in this movie. I love him as a cowboy. I have this on VHS and I would love to have it on DVD. They don't make many good westerns anymore. I wish they did. Burt was so good in this movie. I even love where its filmed looks rugged and so old west. Even the old mining town looks just like a very old mining town. The horse Sarah Miles rides such a pretty horse. She should have took more riding lessons before the movie and couldn't they have let her just ride instead of riding on the side like a girl. Burt riding his horse up in the snow till he breaks his leg is hard to watch that part.

moonspinner55 The kind of cynical '70s western that might have turned John Wayne's stomach: runaway wife Sarah Miles (as Cat, née Catherine) hitches a ride with a gang of scurrilous train robbers, and ends up falling in love with their leader. Overwrought picture gives Miles in particular an insulting role (she can't even mount a horse without falling off), and Jack Warden's scummy Dawes gets a bullet wound he'll never forget, but leading man Burt Reynolds slides right through this without ever leaving a trace he was here. Outdoor locations and colorful support from Lee J. Cobb gives mangy, depressing film a slight boost. *1/2 from ****