Cat Ballou is a 1965 comedy-western film which tells the story of a woman who hires a famous gunman to avenge her father's murder, but finds that the man she hires isn't what she expected. The movie stars Jane Fonda, Lee Marvin (in his Oscar-winning dual role), Michael Callan, Dwayne Hickman, Nat King Cole, and Stubby Kaye.
The screenplay was adapted by Walter Newman and Frank Pierson from the novel by Roy Chanslor. The film was directed by Elliot Silverstein. The novel was originally a serious Western, but was turned into a comedy for the movie.
This pilot was filmed for the 1969-70 season, but was rejected by NBC and sat on the shelf for 18 months before finally being aired.
This pilot was aired the day before NBC aired another pilot also titled Cat Ballou (1971/ii) (tv) which starred Jo Ann Harris and Forrest Tucker.
NBC developed two pilots based on the 1965 Cat Ballou film with completely different casts and crews. They were aired on consecutive evenings in September 1971. Never pilot was picked up as a series.
Cat(herine) Balou's family farm is being threatened by the Rail Road. She sends for Kid Shelleen, finding him to be the drunkest gunfighter in the west. When her father is killed by the rail road magnate's gunman, she vowes to fight on. Shelleen manages to ride sideways in several scenes, while minstrels sing the ballad of Cat Ballou in between scenes. Written by John Vogel
