Cats Don't Dance

Cats Don't Dance (1997) is an animated musical from Turner Animation you can watch online on iFILM. Directed by Mark Dindal, the film drops an earnest, tap-dancing cat named Danny into Hollywood's golden age of 1939.

The rules are clear: animals bark, meow, and stand in the background. Speaking parts, close-ups, and real stardom belong to humans only. Danny, voiced by Scott Bakula, refuses to accept that. Standing in his way is child star Darla Dimple — sweet on camera, ruthless off it — and her enormous enforcer Max. Natalie Cole contributes to a score built around tight jazz-era choreography that outpaces a lot of what live-action musicals were doing at the time.

The film flopped on release but built a loyal following over the years for exactly the reasons studio marketing couldn't figure out how to sell: it's a genuine musical comedy about ambition and exclusion that works for adults as much as kids. Stream Cats Don't Dance (1997) online on iFILM.