The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (film)

The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Richard C. Sarafian
Produced by	Eleanor Perry Martin Poll
Screenplay by	Eleanor Perry William W. Norton (uncredited)
Based on	The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing by Marilyn Durham
Starring	Burt Reynolds Sarah Miles Lee J. Cobb
Music by	John Williams Michel Legrand
Cinematography	Harry Stradling Jr.
Edited by	Tom Rolf
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date	28 June 1973 (USA)
Running time	114 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$3,600,000 (US/ Canada rentals)

The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing is a 1973 American film adaptation of Marilyn Durham's novel directed by Richard C. Sarafian, and written by Eleanor Perry and William W. Norton.

Jay Grobart is an outlaw who was married to Native American woman Cat Dancing. After Cat is raped and murdered, a distraught Grobart kills the man responsible for the crime, before being arrested. After his release, he soon pulls a train robbery with the help of his friends Dawes, Charlie and Billy, and is now on the run from the law.

While on the run, Grobart and his partners in crime come across Catherine, a woman escaping her abusive husband Crocker. Catherine is abducted by Dawes and Billy, but Grobart protects her from them. Lapchance, a veteran railroad detective with a posse, is on their trail for the train robbery. Accompanying the posse is Catherine's husband William Crocker, an arrogant millionaire, who is obsessed with retrieving his wife, even though he knows that she does not love him. As Grobart and Catherine get to know each other, they find themselves falling in love, and despite his criminal past, she admires him for avenging the death of the woman he loved.

Dawes beats Billy, causing internal injuries that should soon kill him. Grobart leaves the others at an old cabin for a day. A few maurading Indians attack the cabin, killing Billy and Charlie while Dawes runs of with some of the money. Grobart returns and kills the marauders in an intense battle. He and Catherine continue their journey. Catherine admits her feelings for Grobart and they make love. Dawes finds them, rapes Catherine, and plans to kill Grobart for the remaining money, but is killed by Grobart.

Grobart and Catherine travel to the Shoshone village where Grobart lived with Cat Dancing and their children – their very young daughter and Dream Speaker, their young son, who live with Cat Dancing's brother, Iron Knife. He discovers that his children have bonded with the Shoshone and wish to remain in the village. It is also revealed that Grobart had pushed his son aside and strangled Cat Dancing, thinking that she had chosen to sleep with the man who had, in fact, raped her. Grobart leaves Catherine and the railroad money at the village and departs, not wanting to place her in further danger.

The posse arrives at the village and retrieves the money. Crocker insists on pursuing Grobart in order to kill him. The posse spends the night at the village. That evening Catherine and Dream Speaker leave to find Grobart, with Dream Speaker guiding her to a cave in the hills where Grobart is camped out. Grobart bids his son farewell and reunites with Catherine.