Cosmic comedy was on the prowl when The Cat From Outer Space landed in theaters on this day in 1979, telling the tale of an extraterrestrial cat named Jake who is forced to crash land his spaceship on Earth. Jake then proceeds to lead a physicist, his girlfriend, the Army, and a team of baffled scientists on endless escapades during his unscheduled and hilarious visit! Two of the film’s human stars each played a colonel in the TV series M*A*S*H. McLean Stevenson, who is allergic to cats, played Colonel Henry Blake. Ken Berry, another of the film’s stars who was allergic to cats, also played a TV character in the military, starring in F-Troop amongst other successful series. Perhaps the performer with the biggest challenge was Sandy Duncan, who is so allergic to cats that she breaks out in hives and her throat closes. At the time, Sandy said, “I’m allergic to all cats, not just Lucy Belle. And I must say cats don’t seem to like me for some reason.” In fact, on one occasion during the shooting of the film, Lucy Belle clawed Sandy’s arm so severely she had to get a tetanus shot, and her arm was so swollen she couldn’t work. The animal lover confided, “I love all animals! But maybe I just don’t have a natural affinity for cats.”
