The 1965 film That Darn Cat is a comedy thriller directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Walt Disney Productions. The film stars Hayley Mills as Patti Randall, a teenage girl who forms an unlikely partnership with her pet cat D.C. (short for Darn Cat) to solve a kidnapping case.
One night, while on his usual wanderings around the neighborhood, D.C. comes across a woman who has been abducted and trapped in a bank vault. The woman manages to scratch the initials "S.W." on D.C.'s collar before passing out. When Patti discovers the writing on her cat's collar, she immediately realizes that something is wrong and tries to alert the authorities. However, the police are skeptical of her claims and dismiss her as an over-imaginative youngster.
Desperate for help, Patti turns to FBI agent Zeke Kelso (played by Dean Jones), who initially scoffs at her theories. But when it turns out that the kidnappers are holding another victim, a banker named Gregory Benson (played by Roddy McDowall), Kelso reconsiders and enlists Patti and D.C.'s help in cracking the case.
As Kelso and Patti follow a string of clues, they start to unravel a complex web of criminal intrigue involving a group of sophisticated bank robbers who are hiding in plain sight in the small town. Along the way, they encounter a cast of eccentric characters, including a nosy neighbor, a bumbling FBI agent, and a group of suspicious newcomers to the community.
The film is notable for its use of humor and suspense, as well as for the delightful performance by Mills and the scene-stealing antics of the feline star. The film is a fondly remembered entry in the Disney canon, and has since become a cult classic among fans of family-friendly mystery comedies.