The “Master of Suspense“, Alfred Hitchcock, was a man who carefully controlled every frame of his films. He built fear like a conductor builds a piece of music, shaping actors and scenes to fit his exact vision. But even with all his skill, there was one thing he could not beat: a hundred cats that would not do what he wanted.
This story comes from the director himself in the famous book ‘Hitchcock/Truffaut‘. It shows a rare moment when Hitchcock lost control while making his 1932 forgotten thriller, ‘Number 17‘. It also proves that even the greatest director in Hollywood could not tell animals what to do.
Alfred Hitchcock Gunfire and Cats Plan for Classic Suspense Scene
The idea was classic Hitchcock, a mix of suspense and dark humor. The movie was set in a dark house where gangsters were hiding out. Hitchcock wanted a scene where gunfire and scared cats would create a kind of organized chaos. He explained his plan this way: “It occurred to me that it would be an intriguing idea if we used this house also as a refuge for all the stray cats of the neighbourhood.” His big idea was simple: every time a gun went off, a “hundred cats would run up or down the stairs.” It was supposed to be a moment of total craziness, a funny break from all the tension.
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However, real life did not care about his plans.
Cats Scatter All Over the Studio Despite Alfred Hitchcock’s Direction
The first sign of trouble came on the morning of the shoot. Hitchcock showed up and found the set packed with people. But they were not actors; they were the owners of the cats. Every single cat had its own person to look after it. It was complete chaos, the opposite of the controlled set Hitchcock was used to.
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Still, he decided to try anyway. The crew blocked off the bottom of the stairs, and the owners put their cats in place. Everyone held their breath. The prop man fired the gun. But instead of a hundred cats running up the stairs all at once, the animals ran everywhere. They scattered in all directions, running “all over the studio.” It was pandemonium, but not the kind Hitchcock had in mind.
The crew tried again as they really wanted to make it work. This time, they put up a wire net around the staircase to keep the cats from escaping. The owners put the cats back, and the prop man fired the gun again. And this time, it was even worse. In Hitchcock’s own words, it was a “disaster.” “This time, only three ran up the stairs,” he said. “All the rest turned and clung desperately to the netting.” The great director had lost. He felt embarrassed and was running out of time, so he gave up on the whole idea.
Alfred Hitchcock Lost Battle With Animals Like ‘The Birds‘
This difficult experience would show up again later, during an even bigger fight with animals while making his 1963 masterpiece, ‘The Birds‘. The movie used 25,000 live birds and brought all kinds of danger and mess to the set. But it was the cats that won the battle on ‘Number 17,’ which is now just a small note in Hitchcock’s long career.
Even though ‘Number 17‘ was not a hit, the story of the cat disaster has become a famous piece of Hollywood history. W.C. Fields once said, “Never work with children or animals.” It is a rule that Alfred Hitchcock, a man who could scare audiences and command big stars, could only agree with completely.
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