The Three Lives of Thomasina (1964)

Directed by: Don Chaffey

This review contains an Implied Kitty Carnage Warning!

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: Thomasina (voiced by Elspeth March) is the independent yet loving pet of Mary MacDhui (Karen Dotrice) who is traumatized when her veterinarian father Andrew (Patrick McGoohan) cold-heartedly refuses to treat the cat, causing Thomasina to experience different lives.

Featured Feline: Thomasina is a beautiful marmalade tabby who considers herself to be a self-made cat; serious, patient and devoted to her little girl. She has little care for Mary’s father, however. Adopted by the MacDhui family when they moved to the town of Inveranoch, Scotland, they originally named her Thomas but when they got to know her better they changed it to Thomasina.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat on little girl's lap
The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat on little girl's lap

Despite the indignation, Thomasina is even tolerant when Mary dresses her up in a bonnet and dress and plays with her as if she were a doll.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat being dressed in bonnet

Kitty Cameo: Andrew is the town’s veterinarian who treats the local livestock but has a reputation for being pragmatic and cold-hearted when it comes to treating household pets, whom he looks down upon as frivolous and pampered by their owners. One woman is sitting in his office with her pet tuxedo cat.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - Andrew MacDhui's veterinary waiting room including woman with tuxedo cat

Andrew reacts in the same callous manner when Mary has Thomasina sitting at the dinner table.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat at dinner table with Mary MacDhui Karen Dotrice

He also objects to letting Thomasina sleep in Mary’s bed, although the cat simply climbs the tree outside and comes in through Mary’s window once Andrew puts her out.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat being taken away from Mary MacDhui Karen Dotrice by Andrew Patrick McGoohan
The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat winking at Mary Karen Dotrice animated gif
The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat climbing tree to bedroom window of Mary Karen Dotrice animated gif

Thomasina sneaks to the local fish market to find something to eat. She is then chased by dogs and falls from some crates.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat sniffing at fish

Kitty Cameo: When Thomasina doesn’t return the next day, Mary and some local boys look for her. Hughie (Vincent Winter) finds a ginger tabby that turns out not to be Thomasina.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - Hughie Vincent Winter finding ginger tabby cat with Mary MacDhui Karen Dotrice

Implied Kitty Carnage Warning! When the children realize that an accident has befallen Thomasina, Mary carries her to her father’s office and begs for his help. Unfortunately at the same time the seeing-eye dog of a local blind man has been struck by a car and Andrew is trying to save the dog’s life. He makes a quick diagnosis of tetanus and orders his assistant Willie (Wilfrid Brambell) to put the cat down. He saves the dog but breaks the news to Mary that her precious Thomasina could not be saved.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - Mary MacDhui Karen Dotrice carrying limp marmalade tabby cat into her father's office

As the local children hold a funeral for Thomasina, the cat goes through an other-worldly experience, falling through space.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - extreme close up of marmalade tabby cat
The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat falling into void animated gif
The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat falling

Cat Cattle Call: Eventually she climbs a long staircase into a cat heaven where the great cat god Bastet presides, along with countless Siamese cats.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat climbing heavenly stairs
The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat walking up heavenly stairs animated gif
The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat climbing steps with Siamese cats
The Three Lives of Thomasina - close up of marmalade tabby cat
The Three Lives of Thomasina - the cat God Bastet

When Thomasina awakens, she is surrounded by flowers in the box where the children have placed her. Before they can build a cairn, they are interrupted by Lori MacGregor (Susan Hampshire), a beautiful young woman who lives alone in the woods. Because of her isolation from the village and uncanny way with woodland creatures the children are convinced she is a witch and run away. Lori rescues Thomasina and takes her to her cottage.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat lying in box surrounded by flowers
The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat held by Lori Susan Hampshire

Kitty Cameos: In the meantime, Mary has decided that her father no longer exists and refuses to even acknowledge him. Word has spread throughout the village about how Andrew killed his daughter’s cat, perpetuated by Mary’s friends Hughie, Jamie (Denis Gilmore) and Geordie (Matthew Garber). They stop Mrs. MacCleod (Gwen Nelson) before she takes her black cat to see Andrew and convince her not to go.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - Mrs. MacCleod Gwen Nelson with longhair black cat in basket

The boys suggest that townspeople take their pets to Lori instead. Lori has nursed Thomasina back to health and introduces her to her other animals, including two cats; a brown tabby named Molly and a longhair black cat named Whiskers (possibly the same cat that played Mrs. MacCleod’s pet?) Thomasina is taken aback at how she is no longer treated as someone special.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - Lori setting down marmalade tabby cat with other animals
The Three Lives of Thomasina - brown tabby cat Molly
The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat and longhair black cat Whiskers

With his former clients taking their pets to Lori, Andrew decides to pay her a visit with the intention of reporting her to the authorities for practicing veterinary medicine without a license. But when Andrew meets Lori and sees the natural way she has with animals, he is forever changed. Observing Andrew with Lori brings back lost memories for Thomasina who recognizes him only as someone she hates.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat sitting in cottage window
The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat reacting to Andrew MacDhui Patrick McGoohan animated gif

Spurred on by this repressed memory, Thomasina returns to the MacDhui home during a rainstorm.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat outside of window in the rain

Having spotted her at the window, the already frail Mary races after her into the cold night. Andrew finds her in the street, crying out for her beloved cat. She falls desperately ill and Andrew’s dear friend Reverend Angus Peddie (Laurence Naismith) urges the usually agnostic Andrew to find it in his heart to pray for his little girl.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat running through rain
The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat running through rain being chased by Mary Karen Dotrice animated gif

Thomasina returns to Lori’s cottage, feeling protected and loved there.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - Lori drying wet marmalade tabby cat

Eventually Mary declines so much that Andrew, in desperation, calls on Lori to come to her. Left alone in Lori’s cottage during a raging storm, Thomasina feels something pulling at her. A tree is hit by lightning and a window blows open, giving Thomasina the means to escape. She then remembers her life with the McDhui’s and runs through the rain to their home.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat looking at rain through window
The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat running past burning branch

Everyone is shocked to see Thomasina sitting outside the window as Mary cries out for her. Lori explains she has been caring for the cat all along.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - wet marmalade tabby cat outside window in rain

Andrew opens the window but Thomasina runs away from him. Lori explains that Andrew must be the one to give Thomasina back to his daughter to regain her love and trust. As he begs Thomasina to return, she realizes she has all the power to exact revenge on her killer.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat sitting in rain
The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat looking at Andrew MacDhui through window in rain animated gif

But because of the kindness shown to her by Lori, Thomasina decides she doesn’t want revenge, she just wants to come home. She goes to Andrew who hands her back to Mary.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat on tree in rain with Andrew MacDhui calling to her from window
The Three Lives of Thomasina - Andrew MacDhui handing marmalade tabby cat back to Mary Karen Dotrice with Lori Susan Hampshire

In the end Andrew marries Lori and Thomasina begins her third life with everyone living happily ever after.

The Three Lives of Thomasina - Mary Karen Dotrice holding marmalade tabby cat in pretty dress at wedding

For more information about the film, read our Behind the Scenes story!

The Three Lives of Thomasina - marmalade tabby cat wearing bib at dinner table

Final Mewsings: We’re still waiting for the sequels covering Thomasina’s next six lives!

Relevant Links:

IMDb logo
tcmlogo
Amazon logo




To discuss this film and other cats in movies and on television, join us on Facebook and Twitter.

Share this with your cat and movie loving friends!