A beloved tabby cat becomes the catalyst for healing and hope between a young girl and her widowed father in Disney's 1964 classic, based on the enchanting fable by Paul Gallico. Set in the Scottish highlands in 1912, the story focuses on Andrew MacDhui (Patrick McGoohan) a veterinarian who, after the death of his wife, has closed his heart to goodness and empathy-- toward his animal patients and his only child. Left essentially an orphan, Mary (Karen Dotrice) finds love from her cat, Thomasina, until a tragedy injures the cat and her father orders it to be killed. A tenderhearted maiden (Susan Hampshire) finds Thomasina, detects a heartbeat, and nurses the feline back to health. Her healing powers eventually move beyond the animal kingdom into the lives of MacDhui and Mary. The stellar cast includes standout performances by Dotrice and Matthew Garber (who plays Mary's loyal chum)--better known as the duo, Jane and Michael Banks, in
Mary Poppins. Best watched with kids and Kleenex. (Ages 5 and older)
--Lynn Gibson
1 Memories...
as a young girl, i loved this movie, now my kids watch it. parts made me cry - i was a sensitive kid, and i loved animals, especially cats (still do.) when the dad wouldn't listen, and Thomasina was in trouble, ohhh man, sniff.. well, i won't give it away. but, as a kid - my bigest question was - why only 3 lives? don't cats have 9 lives? i asked my mom this, and she said, the movie would be too long if they did all 9 lives. humm, ok, well, i bought that for awhile. now i want the honest truth - hummm Disney? the kids in the movie are the "mary poppins kids" cute. great movie. get it.
2 Disney Charmed Cat
I really can't say it better than the other reviewers regarding the story of Thomasina. The DVD is excellent quality and the picture and sound are clear and sharp and couldn't be better. It is letterbox format. The Scottish scenery and sets are beautiful. The DVD includes:
* "Disney's Beautiful Witch"
* "Disney's Purrfect Cat Stars"
* Trailer
"The Disney's Purrfect Cat Stars" featurette has Walt Disney talking about the story, movie, and includes a montage sequence with cats from the Disney movies. The "Disney's Beautiful Witch" feature is an interview with Susan Hampshire talking about her part in the movie. There is a trailer from when the movie was originally released. This is a great Disney classic and it is a movie the whole family can enjoy.
3 It's OK
I think this is one of those movies that if you grow up watching it, you will probably really like it, but if you watch it for the first time as an adult, odds are that you will not. I found the main little girl's behavior toward her father irritating; indeed, even creepy at times (like when she says that she killed her father in her mind because she is mad at him). Besides that, the plot seemed very slow and anticlimactical, although since kids don't seem to mind that sort of thing, they will probably like it.
4 The Three Lives of Thomasina
This classic Disney movie brought me to tears the first time I saw it on the Disney Channel, when I was 7 years old. I wanted a cat soo bad after this movie!!! So, a year laterI got one, (allwhite), I loved her soo much and I named her Thomasina!!! This movie is soo important to me now, because MY cat Thomasina died a couple of years ago at age 17. But she lived a happy and content life as my pride and joy of life. I'll never have a cat like her again, and I'll never love a movie as much as I loved this one!
5 Always Magical
Quality vintage Disney.
One of those films that permeate your being from first view.
Integral to any childhood lessons on morbidity.
Classic themes of faith,hope,charity and redemption along side modern ones of single parenthood,witchcraft and the afterlife.
Mind expanding fare for all ages.
6 MAGICAL JOURNEY
40 years later, Disney's charming and whimsical THREE LIVES OF THOMASINA is a must for families to sit down and enjoy together. Grab some Kleenex though---it has some sad moments. Aside from the joy of the wonderful story itself, savor in the marvelous ways these children get along and bond, how they are there for each other. How the people in the village are all friends and share their joys and griefs. Delight in the performances of Patrick McGoohan (The Prisoner) and Susan Hampshire (Forsyte Saga); enjoy the children played with gusto and wonder by Karen Dotrice, Vincent Winter and Matthew Garber. THOMASINA is a fable for all ages and in today's world of so-called children's movies (Spy Kid, etc.), an oasis in a desert of mediocrity.
7 Thomasina is da bomb!
I'm a cynical person who hates any kind of emotional manipulation in a film, I'm easily bored by most things except hip hop and drum n bass.
I have watched this film many times and always on my own as it is guaranteed to reduce me to tears. The funeral scene is especially moving.
Perfect Sunday afternoon viewing after a hectic saturday night if you know what I mean. ;)
Guaranteed to melt you heart and leave you feeling that the world is a loving place, full of fluffy animals and wise children.
8 This is a boring movie!
I watched this movie and I fell a sleep so many times that I can't event count them it was that boring! I can't believe people are giving this five stars and saying it is a good movie because it is so the opposite!
9 Yea! Great film and Disney released the DVD in Widescreen!
Finally. Here's a great Disney film that the studio has wisely chosen to release on DVD in a widescreen version. The letterboxing is correctly mild (1.66:1), and is SO WELCOME after, sadly, Disney has released so many of its classics from this era in crappy full-screen cropped versions. Thanks, Disney, for this DVD. Please keep releasing films in their correct aspect ratios...
10 The Three Lives of Thomasina
My all time favorite movie! This movie is perfect for all ages!
11 The best live action Disney movie EVER!!!
I am so excited that this movie is finally coming out on DVD! "Thomasina" is one of Disney's lesser-known films, but it's definitely one of the best. It's a very touching story about a young girl's relationship with her widowed father and her beloved cat. I will be first in line to purchase this DVD on the day it is released!
12 Paul Gallico's enduring classic turned into a Disney classic
Paul Gallico's charming little story "Thomasina" is turned into an equally lovely little Disney film from 1964 directed by Don Chaffey ("Greyfriars Bobby"). Veterinarian Andrew MacDhui (Patrick McGoohan) is a widower who is raising his young daughter Mary (Karen Dotrice) in Scotland in 1912. Andrew has no empathy for the townsfolk who love their pets and when Mary's beloved cat Thomasina is injured he quickly decides the animal should be killed. Mary is distraught and Andrew simply cannot understand why the logic of the situation is not clear to the girl. Mary and her friends prepare an elaborate funeral for Thomasina, at which point Lori MacGregor (Susan Hampshire) shows up. The children think she is a witch, but in truth she lives in the woods and nurses injured animals back to health using love and common sense. Lori recognizes the cat is not dead and takes it home to help it recover, during which time Thomasina goes to Cat Heaven in a marvelously fanciful sequence. Andrew has a bad reputation with the locals because he killed his daughter's cat and they start taking their pets to Lori. Andrew finally goes to see her and is not so busy being impressed by her healing skills that he fails to fall in love with her. But then Mary sees Thomasina walking outside her house and chases after her in a driving storm and ends up catching pneumonia. The doctors hold out no hope to the frantic Andrew, and Lori tells him that only he can help Mary recover using the power of love.
Lots of Disney movies have a cold-hearted adult transformed into a human being, and "The Three Lives of Thomasina" is one of the best of this type of film, even better than "Pollyanna. " This is mainly because it has the virtue of a first-rate cast, from McGoohan, Hampshire and Dotrice as the three principles to Finlay Currie and Laurence Naismith standing out in the supporting cast. Elspeth March supplies the voice of Thomasina, who gets to comment on the action from time to time, and Matthew Garber, who went on with Dotrice to play the kids in "Mary Poppins," also has a small role. But at the heart of this film is Paul Gallico's endearing fable. I think this is just a nice little film and I am not even a cat person.
13 I've always loved Thomasina
I saw this in the theater when I was very little. My dad teased me later when I told him it made me "get a tear in my eye." It still does.
I watched it today with my 5-year-old neighbor girl. She said she "loved it." I bought the movie for my son when he was a preschooler. (He particularly loved the scenes with Jodie--the little boy--and the beautiful "witch.") My son 12, and his friend, 10, also watched much of the movie today. There are plenty of scenes that made them laugh. Some parts drag a bit (the father and the vicar had several scenes dull to a child, but important in developing the plot).
I was looking for a DVD version because I know that my video has a few scenes slightly edited. The Disney channel version some years back was a little more complete.
I don't think it's so terrible for a child to experience a little human emotion. Yes, the movie has some tear-jerking potential, but it has a happy ending. The 5-year-old didn't shed a tear today. I was just a bit less stoic. I am sentimental about orange tabby cats & have always had at least one . . .
14 enduring classic: full of heart, magic and tenderness
magical reminder of how innocence, empathy and love for living creatures enhances the lives of both children and adults -- how much they have to teach us about ourselves and the world. One of my favorite films!
15 Paul Gallico's endearing fable turned into a Disney classic
Paul Gallico's charming little story "Thomasina" is turned into an equally lovely little Disney film from 1964 directed by Don Chaffey ("Greyfriars Bobby"). Veterinarian Andrew MacDhui (Patrick McGoohan) is a widower who is raising his young daughter Mary (Karen Dotrice) in Scotland in 1912. Andrew has no empathy for the townsfolk who love their pets and when Mary's beloved cat Thomasina is injured he quickly decides the animal should be killed. Mary is distraught and Andrew simply cannot understand why the logic of the situation is not clear to the girl. Mary and her friends prepare an elaborate funeral for Thomasina, at which point Lori MacGregor (Susan Hampshire) shows up. The children think she is a witch, but in truth she lives in the woods and nurses injured animals back to health using love and common sense. Lori recognizes the cat is not dead and takes it home to help it recover, during which time Thomasina goes to Cat Heaven in a marvelously fanciful sequence. Andrew has a bad reputation with the locals because he killed his daughter's cat and they start taking their pets to Lori. Andrew finally goes to see her and is not so busy being impressed by her healing skills that he fails to fall in love with her. But then Mary sees Thomasina walking outside her house and chases after her in a driving storm and ends up catching pneumonia. The doctors hold out no hope to the frantic Andrew, and Lori tells him that only he can help Mary recover using the power of love.
Lots of Disney movies have a cold-hearted adult transformed into a human being, and "The Three Lives of Thomasina" is one of the best of this type of film, even better than "Pollyanna. " This is mainly because it has the virtue of a first-rate cast, from McGoohan, Hampshire and Dotrice as the three principles to Finlay Currie and Laurence Naismith standing out in the supporting cast. Elspeth March supplies the voice of Thomasina, who gets to comment on the action from time to time, and Matthew Garber, who went on with Dotrice to play the kids in "Mary Poppins," also has a small role. But at the heart of this film is Paul Gallico's endearing fable. I think this is just a nice little film and I am not even a cat person.
16 Love this movie
The two child leads Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber are as fresh, unaffected, and appealing as they were in "Mary Poppins." I saw this movie as a child and never forgot it. I've seen it several times since and still adore this movie about a girl's love for her cat Thomasina. (By the way, the cat is a good actor also!) Patrick McGoohan and Susan Hampshire are the appealing adult leads. Charming and disarming. Disney hits another home run with this bittersweet tale of love and loss.
17 The Three Lives of Thomasina
I watched this movie with all of my children. Now they are grown and wish to watch it with my grandchildren. It's a wonderful story, wonderully written and so enjoyable. Please try to get this video as soon as possible. I will buy it and many people I know will buy it.
18 Three Lives -- One Cat for all
No one seems to get the point of this movie. I saw it recently, and then about five years ago, plus a few times before that. But I noticed that they used at least two noticeably different cats in this production.
No problem. At least no one painted one cat to look like the other!
This movie was about grief and loss and getting on with one's life in spite of it. The veterinarian (Patrick McGoohan) who has been trained to be scientific, lost his wife five years prior to the happenings in this film. When his daughter (Karen Dotrice) believes her father responsible for the death of her beloved Thomasina, she withdraws and almost dies of pneumonia, save for the fact that her beloved red tabby came back from cat heaven.
I love this movie now and I did when I was a kid, but it reveals different dimensions to me now. I noticed how it addresses the apparent power of gossip to overcome good deeds. Patrick McGoohan's character saved the life of a blind man's guide dog when his daughter's Thomasina needed help, and after that, a campaign of gossip against him by Mary's friends caused some clients to turn away from his veterinary service.
However, the movie did present friends arguing in his favor, and he did visit with the "witch" woman, Lori (played by Susan Hampshire), to begin a healing process which ultimately led to the conclusion of the film:
Andrew MacDhui (Patrick McGoohan0, his new missus (Susan Hampshire), their housekeeper, Mary MacDhui (Karen Dotrice) and Thomasina (played by herselves), seating around their dining table enjoying a family meal together.
19 FEY SCOTTISH TALE
I remember watching this little gem on television in Concord, California around 1964! I loved this film as a child and just got my kids the video last night for a peek after some 37 (!) years. It's every bit as charming as Disney's earlier GREYFRIAR'S BOBBY (with Donald Crisp), and, thanks to a strong cast led by Patrick McGoohan and Susan Hampshire, infinitely more enjoyable! The film tells the story of a Scottish veterinarian Andrew MacDhui and daughter Mary, whose affection for a beautiful cat named Thomasina comes between them. When the cat is seriously injured, Mary's father "puts the cat to sleep" but Thomasina is disovered by Lori MacGregor, who nurses the cat back to health. Her love and understanding finally reunite father and daughter in the touching climax. Although the film wasn't a huge box-office success, it was considered one of the best foreign productions released by the Disney studio in the sixties.
20 A wonderful family video
I adored this movie as a child! Now our five year old daughter is asking us to rent it so often, we're finally buying it! Just a lovely story of families, children, pets, and love!
21 Execellent, The Excellent.
I watched this movie just by chance on TV, It is superbly done, the story, kids, their actions, feelings, emotions.The Best. After many months passed & my family joined me, I wanted them to watch this movie, Started to search on internet to find full name of the movie. I am sure many will love this old classic, today. Give your kids & family nice gift. Unfortunately, this classic was some how forgotten & we don't see much movie like this one.
22 One of Disney's Greatest!
I, like many people, enjoy most of if not all Disney movies. Thomasina is definetly one of the best Disney ever came out with. It rates right up there with Mary Poppins and Old Yeller. Unfortunately, this classic was some how forgotten through the years. If you give Thomasina a chance, I garuntee you and your kids will not be disappointed!
23 One of my favorites that still makes me cry.
There is so much intergrity in this story that could be called sentimental. The two kids were also in Mary Poppins. Patrick McGoohan was very gruff, but of course, shows his love for his daughter eventually. You'll love the cat, even if you're not a feline fan.
24 Wonderful, this movie is for all animal lovers
I saw this movie as a child and my two children love it also. It is a classic story of the love between a father and daughter and the love animals bring into our lives.
25 A WONDERFUL children's movie the whole family will enjoy!
This is the story of a little girl who loses her beloved cat, Thomasina, because her widowed veteranarian father refused to treat it, seeing "pets" as easily replacable. Enter the mysterious beautiful "witch" in the glen who takes in hurt animals and nurses them back to health, trusting in God and love to do the healing her hands cannot. This movie is not only a well done, entertaining story for all ages but it teaches a very valuable lesson we'd all do well to heed. I rated the movie itself a 5 but the scale does not go high enough to rate it's message. An excellent gift for children. God bless END
