Cat Ballou (DVD)

The sleeper hit of 1965, CAT BALLOU was declared an instant classic when its sly blend of Western parody and rapid-fire action hit the screen. Lee Marvin won an Oscar(r) for Best Supporting Actor in his dual role as both Tim Strawn, a noseless (it got bit off in a fight) gunslinger, and as Kid Shelleen, the woozy, boozy, has-been who goes up against Strawn at high noon. In accepting the award, Marvin said, I think half of this belongs to a horse somewhere in the Valley, referring to the hilarious scene where Marvin and the horse both lean against a shed in a drunken stupor (certainly one of the most famous sight gags ever). Jane Fonda, at the height of her sex-kitten period, stars as Catherine Cat Ballou, the schoolmarm-turned-outlaw who teams with Kid to protect her father's ranch from a greedy railroad tycoon. Filmed in just 32 days, CAT BALLOU went on to become one of the biggest box office hits of 1965, proving the popularity of the Western spoof. Singer Nat King Cole and comedian Stubby Kaye also appear in this wild and wooly Western comedy classic, singing the title song, The Ballad of Cat Ballou.