1/4  Shoot yourself instead of the cat
A snails-paced, melodramatic mess with overbearing performances, whether it be Beulah Bondi's bible-thumping wretch, Robert Mitchum's soulless ranch-owner or drunken pervert Philip Tonge; the photography is good, but this is a repetitive ... (read full)

0.5/4  Track of the Cat Quick Review
One of William Wellman's worst movies.

5/5 great movie, with mitchum!
  by grokLF (Tennessee)
I'm a Bob Mitchum fan, and this film is another great performance, with a great cast including Tab Hunter. Gorgeous cinemtography, with striking use of color. Another film version of a Walter Van Tillburg Clark novel, by same director who filmed Clark's "The Ox-Bow Incident." Recommended.


1/5 Beautiful print, dreadful picture
  by Kerry Smith (Toronto, Canada)
This picture isn't 'minimalist', it's empty. The scene that sums it up best for me is where Mitchum, having made his way over the snowy wastes, barricaded himself in a cave, and said to no one in particular, 'well, I have a week's grub to last me', puts his hands into his pockets and -- omigosh! -- no grub! Yup -- he dies because he failed to secure those peanut-butter sandwiches. And yes, Tab Hunter's hero is such a pliable mama's boy, it's inconceivable that any girl, much less Diana Lynn, could find him attractive. Don't let this 'Cat' litter your living room.

3/5 Bleak western has dysfunctional family fearing a black panther...
  by Neil F. Doyle (USA)
A disturbingly dysfunctional family is at the heart of TRACK OF THE CAT, which tries to impose symbolic significance on the threat of the creature that is being stalked by the two oldest brothers. But the tale, filmed in muted color with Mitchum's red jacket dominating the screen, tends to be a somber and talky character-driven tale exploring deeper meanings but never quite connecting with them.

The performances are standard except for Mitchum who does a believable job as the loutish oldest brother in an underwritten role. TERESA WRIGHT, DIANA LYNN and TAB HUNTER do fairly standard work, under William A. Wellman's slow-paced direction.

It's a stark and brooding story of an isolated farm family living in a remote area and haunted by the symbolic "cat" of the title. Photographed in muted WarnerColor with effective background music by Roy Webb, its somber wintry atmosphere is well captured in the opening scene but becomes tedious before the story reaches a midway point because a real connection with the troubled characters is never really made.

All the cast members have done better work elsewhere. It's hard to believe how matronly and severe TERESA WRIGHT became for this role. She's almost unrecognizable as the spinsterish sister, only a few years beyond her delicate work as a leading lady in many films of the '40s. WILLIAM HOPPER is effective as Mitchum's outspoken brother.

All the interiors are filmed in a style that seems more like a filmed play than a film. BEULAH BONDI as the embittered mother manages to give some gravitas to the story. ROBERT MITCHUM gives his usual sturdy and colorful performance as the oldest son hellbent on tracking a killer cat. TAB HUNTER as the weakest younger brother has less to work with and plays the majority of his scenes with nothing more than a solemn gaze.

A fairly interesting, harsh, character-driven tale that should have been much more effective with better dialog and family dynamics.



5/5 Track of the cat 1954 ( Special Collector's Edition )
  by John W . Ford (Los Angeles , California . U.S.A)
A Snowbound ranching family is threated by both internal conflicts and deadly , cunning predaor in this offbeat Western from John Wayne's Batjac production company . (Robert Mitchum 1917 - 1997) stars as Curt Bridges , one of the three sons born to Stern Matriarch ( Beulah Bondi 1888 - 1981) and her weak , alcoholic husband (Philip Tonge 1897 - 1959). With the ranch's cattle falling prey to the elusive killer cat , Bridges and his two brothers , Arthur (William Hopper 1915-1970) and Harold ( Tab Hunter 1931 - ) , are forced to confront the beast to save family's herd . (Theresa Wright 1918 - 2005) is their bitter , unmarried sister , and (Diana Lynn 1926 - 1971) is the young neighbor who tensions - and passions - aflame aminds the family's mounting crisis . Many Special Features . Recommended . High Quality transfer

5/5 Tab Hunter and Robert Mitchum Make the Movie
  by Jason Crawford (San Francisco)
Absolutely everyone in this movie was sensational. Everyone! Even the scary "so called" Indian Joe Sam. But Tab Hunter really held his own against the more seasoned and less handsome star - Robert Mitchum. I have watched this movie over and over for years, but when I saw it on DVD - on AMAZON, it was well worth buying this copy. The commentary is excellent and Tab so funny and charming disucssing his feelings about the director and his costars. I really enjoyed the lady who discussed how training the horse who played "Kentuck" as well as other horses trained in Hollywood. She was really good too. I keep hearing people say - "But we didn't get to see the cat!" And hearing Mr. Wellman's son say his dad sort of regretted not showing us the "black panther" was a mistake, I have to disagree. When the cat kills "Arthur" in the movie - having his reaction to knowing he was about to die and seeing the fear in his eyes and not seeing the cat was perfect! I like not seeing the cat, it makes me wonder really how big was this cat really. I like the old saying - less is more - it really gives us an impression the way the old films did. They gave us more imagination. This is lost in today's movie making. I sure would suggest you buy this movie, it's well worth it and Tab Hunter is great in everything he does.