http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cats_dont_dance.jpg

''Cats Don't Dance'' is a 1997 film, and the only one made by Turner Entertainment's animation unit before Warner Bros. took over.

The film takes place in the GoldenAgeOfHollywood (late 1930's-early 1940's), and the plot centers around a singing and dancing cat named Danny, who dreams of being a big movie star. He gets a role in the latest movie starring [[TastesLikeDiabetes sickeningly adorable]] child star Darla Dimple, only to find out the hard way that [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything animals in Hollywood only get minor roles]]. Determined to show Hollywood their talent, Danny rounds up some of his newfound friends, and tries to find a way to impress the studio exec producing the film. When Darla finds out about this, she starts to show her true (read: evil) nature, and decides to sabotage the animals' plans, so they don't steal her spotlight.

This movie contains many {{shout out}}s to the classic films of the decade, most notably ''{{Singing in the Rain}}'' and ''SunsetBoulevard''. Although it was underpromoted and it underperformed at the box office, it has a loyal following to this day (particularly among the FurryFandom).
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!!This film contains examples of:

*AccidentalPublicConfession
*{{Almost Kiss}}: Danny and Sawyer
*AngelFaceDemonFace: Darla could turn this off and on at will, going from adorable moppet to demon child.
*AttentionWhore: Darla.
*BattleButler: Darla's butler, Max.
*BigRedButton: ''Grand-Daddy of All Swtiches''.
*CrowningMusicOfAwesome: A lot of it. "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now", "Big and Loud" (both the original and the DarkReprise) stand out the most.
*CurseCutShort
*DarkReprise: "Big And Loud." Now in VillainSong flavor.
*DisneyAcidSequence: See previous.
*EnfanteTerrible
*EvilLaugh
*FantasticRacism
*FetishFuel: Sawyer.
*FlamboyantGay: ''KingKong''. Don't get him started.
*FreudWasRight: Darla appears to be trying to seduce Danny in part of her show-stopping [[http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=oC82RLVdcsY "Big And Loud."]] "Leaves ya kinda speechless, don't it?"
**I don't know if it's creepier because she's a kid or he's a cat.
*** Rather, it's creepier because she's a kid AND he's a cat.
**"Get hot, Miss Dimple!" [[{{Squick}} Oh dear]] . . .
*FridgeLogic: Wooly the Elephant was only hired to play the mascot before every Mammoth film; why didn't they just film him ''once'', and reuse the footage?
**RuleofFunny
*FurryConfusion: If all animals are sapient, what about that [[http://toonguru.com/CDD/screens/scenes/17/pages/CDD017_048.htm mink stole]]?
** Well, that ''is'' [[FurAndLoathing Darla's wardrobe]].
*** "I know a ''divine'' taxidermist, darling. Did my first husband."
*** Though, there ''have'' been cases of that happening with people in real life…
*GettingCrapPastTheRadar:
-->'''Danny:''' "Looks like we're gonna be the only two cats on the ark."
-->'''Sawyer:''' "[[DeadpanSnarker So much for preserving the species!]]"
*HappyEnding: Danny and company do get their big break.
** EarnYourHappyEnding: Though they have to go through alot to get it (Danny personally has to go through ''hell'').
*HeyItsThatVoice: [[QuantumLeap Scott Bakula]] as Danny, [[ADifferentWorld Jasmine Guy]] (speaking) and Natalie Cole (singing) as Sawyer, [[TheAndyGriffithShow Don Knotts]] as T.W. Turtle, [[VeronicasCloset Kathy Najimy]] as Tilly, [[BoyMeetsWorld Lindsay Ridgeway]] as Darla Dimple's singing voice...to name a few.
*HollywoodHealing: When Danny first addresses the audience after his rooftop fight, he has a black eye. As he fixes his ruffled clothes, his black eye completely heals.
*IAmSong
*IdeaBulb: Max dutifully holds a little lightbulb over Darla's head.
*IronicEchoCut
*LyricalDissonance: The first bit of Darla's ''Li'l Ark Angel'' song "[[http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=imKPenpVyPQ My Little Boat on the Sea]]" is appropriately minor-key and matches its lyrics as it describes TheGreatFlood, but Darla's TastesLikeDiabetes cheerful performance of same matches neither. And then it's MoodWhiplash into the ''really'' cutesy-wootsy part.
*MyNameIsNotDurwood: "Donald? Dino?"
*NiceCharacterMeanActor: Darla, obviously.
*NightmareFuel: "Big and Loud", and Darla in general. What makes her scary is just how disturbingly straight her sociopathy is played.
*NoAnimalsWereHarmed
*NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Mammoth Studios, run by "L.B. Mammoth," is clearly MGM. Also, Darla's looks are obviously [[http://www.cdd4ever.com/Backlot03/CDDMSheets/DarlaMS01.gif based on]] [[http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/CLASS/130-127~Shirley-Temple-Posters.jpg Shirley Temple]] with some Jane Withers thrown in, and her first name is taken from [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darla_Hood another child star]].
*NonSingingVoice: With a few characters:
**[[TheAndyGriffithShow Don Knotts']] (T.W. Turtle) brief singing role is filled by session singer Rick Logan.
**For the singing role, Ashley Peldon (Darla Dimple) was replaced by [[BoyMeetsWorld Lindsay Ridgeway]]
**For Sawyer, non-singing voice was provided by [[ADifferentWorld Jasmine Guy]]. Singing, Natalie Cole takes over.
*PantyShot: Darla gives these ''constantly''. They're ''very'' noticeable. [[FanDisservice And she looks like she's]] ''[[FanDisservice five]]''.
*ParentalAbandonment: Where are Darla's, exactly?
** She probably [[SelfMadeOrphan killed them]].
*** [[ImAHumanitarian And ate them]].
** Max probably did it for her.
*PretentiousLatinMotto
*[[ScrewedByTheNetwork Screwed by the Studio]]: Just before the film came out, Time Warner purchased Turner and put it up against Disney's Hercules while giving it next to no marketing whatsoever.
*ShowWithinAShow
*SorryILeftTheBGMOn
*SpoiledBrat: Darla, obviously.
*StealthHiBye: Max.
*StepfordSmiler: Darla.
*TastesLikeDiabetes: Parodied with ''Li'l Ark Angel'', and Darla in general.
*TrashCanBand: In the middle of the movie revolves around this.
*TwitchyEye
*VillainWithGoodPublicity
*WideEyedIdealist
*WingdingEyes
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