You won't be disappointed!

Please don't spend money on this.

Charming and brutal

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

"The Three Lives of Thomasina" is a very good movie. No questioning, this is one of Disney's best live-action movies. Maybe it's not one of their best known, but it sure is one of the great Disney ones. Curiously, the movie's title doesn't refer to the traditional nine lives of a cat, it refers only to three of them. Curiously, the opening scene is made in one of the strangest ways too, but I like the way that's made for being quite unusual.The movie can be considered a family drama above all things, but it also has numerous moments of fun. There is very little soundtrack (unlike in many - if not most - Disney movies), but the song "Thomasina" is nice.The story is set in Scotland, particularly in the town of Inveranoch. The year is 1912. The Scottish scenario makes this a very rich production. Words are not enough to describe these sceneries/landscapes: dazzling, wonderful, beautiful, magnificent, inspiring, fantastic, completely natural and pure. The purity of nature and the surrounding vistas always make a more than perfect panorama. The pleasant sound of the bagpipes accent the Scottish atmosphere.Our story centers mostly around Andrew MacDhui (a cold and distant veterinarian who doesn't show much feelings for pets), his daughter Mary and Mary's beloved cat Thomasina. Not only on these characters, but also on Mary's friends Hughie, Jamie and Geordie.Mary's 3 friends make the movie's funniest moments, especially whenever they peek at Lori (the beautiful and kind young woman who cures all injured and sick beings) and runaway from her. It's hilarious when one of the boys says «She's crazy», a line which sounds even funnier because of the way he says it and especially because of his English with a Scottish or Scottish gaelic accent.This is the first of 3 films which Matthew Garber and Karen Dotrice star together. Matthew is Geordie, Karen is Mary. Both are excellent. The fact that these 2 lovable kids are here is great. It's impossible not to laugh with Geordie. Yet at the same time he is adventurous and carefree, he is kind and shy. In any of the 3 movies with Matthew and Karen, the funniest of the two is always Matthew.Thomasina is a beautiful orange tabby cat. She doesn't speak "per se", but in some parts we can hear what she feels. That means, a voice narrates her feelings. For me, this is a more interesting solution that to literally put them talking (moving lips and all). Elspeth March does a great narration job for Thomasina.Susan Hampshire is great in her role as Lori. Patrick McGoohan is tremendous as Andrew MacDhui. The film was directed by Don Chaffey, the same man who directed "Pete's Dragon".The movie is generally simple, but there is a scene with spectacular special effects for its time: the sequence which Thomasina is going on a fantasy trip to "Cat Heaven" and encounters Bast (the ancient Egyptian Cat Goddess). Another very well made scene among others is Thomasina's "almost" funeral.The puppy that Mr. MacDhui tries to offer his daughter is really cute and adorable. Mr. MacDhui changes later in the movie, becoming a better person, more sensible and generous.This should definitely be on Top 250.

A film with a lovely story that appeals to both adults and children. There are few cat films of note and Disney's "Thomasina" can take its place as one of the best in content and performance. The principals are excellent with Susan Hampshire as the kindhearted, pretty "witch of the glen" taking top honors with one of her finest performances. The secondary performers are sterling with the village clergyman and the family's housekeeper especially engaging. Juvenile actress Karen Dotrice as Mary McDhui is superb with her co-worker Matthew Garber turning in an excellent performance as her playmate. (Dotrice and Garber would one day appear as the Banks siblings in Disney's masterpiece "Mary Poppins.") A word of warning! Many film viewers today are sensitive to the treatment animals receive during production and sadly "Thomasina" is marred with the evident abuse its performing feline star receives: the poor cat is soaked with water for several rainy scenes and in the dream sequence she appears to have been dropped from a height, twisting and turning to regain her balance. Additionally, the cat was likely anesthetized for the funeral scene (anesthetization during film production is forbidden by today's ASPCA) and there are other scenes in which the viewer may wonder not only about the cat's treatment during production but the treatment of other animals as well. The film was made at a time when ASPCA regulations regarding animal abuse during film production were less stringent than today's regulations. A fine film in content and performance but some viewers will have issues with the treatment of the cat during production.

THE THREE LIVES OF THOMASINA, in my opinion, is a very heartwarming movie about a family that's brought together through their cat's mysterious death and reappearance. I thought that Andrew (Patrick McGoohan) was a little cold-hearted, but Lori (Susan Hampshire) was a very sweet kid. Beethoven was a sweet dog, though. She even brought her family together when two people were having difficulties with each other. Way to go, Thomasina! If you ask me, that's one thing that made the bond between her and her family special. When Thomasina was revived, I felt really moved inside. In conclusion, I highly recommend this movie to all you cat lovers or Disney fans who have not seen it.

This movie was on NBC's Walt Disney, while the Beatles were on CBS's Ed Sulivan show (or at least that was the line-up in Portland, Oregon). I remember my friend Tom was the only kid in the neighborhood who had his own TV. So we were at his house, when his parents came in to bring us all out to the main TV, where the Beatles were on. We watched it, wasn't much impressed, and went back to Disney in our own room. I mention this from time to time when we have trivia quizzes, and everyone always looks at me like I'm 100 years old. I agree with other reviews, that this is a very fine movie, that is well produced, and the acting is top-notch.