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Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats facts for kids

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Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats
Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats.jpg
Genre Animation
Adventure
Comedy-drama
Written by Barry Blitzer
Directed by
  • Paul Sommer
  • Charles A. Nichols
  • Ray Patterson (supervising director)
Voices of
Theme music composer Hoyt Curtin (arranged by Sven Libaek)
Ending theme "The Most Effectual Top Cat" (Instrumental)
Composer(s) Sven Libaek
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
Production
Executive producer(s) William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Producer(s) Berny Wolf
Jeff Hall
Editor(s) Gil Iverson
Robert Ciaglia
Running time 92 minutes
Production company(s) Hanna-Barbera Productions
Distributor Worldvision Enterprises
Release
Original network Syndication
Original release March 20, 1988 (1988-03-20)
Chronology
Followed by The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound

Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats is an animated TV movie from 1988. It was made by Hanna-Barbera as part of their Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 series. This two-hour film was shown on many TV channels. The story is a longer version of two episodes from the original Top Cat show: "The Missing Heir" and "The Golden Fleecing".

Plot Summary: A Rich Adventure

The movie starts in Hoagie's Alley, which seems to be near Beverly Hills for this story. Top Cat and his friends are pretending to be Boy Scouts. They are trying to do good deeds to earn rewards.

Benny's Big Surprise

During their good deeds, Benny the Ball helps an older woman who looks like a bag lady. Benny doesn't know it, but she is actually a very rich woman named Gertrude Vandergelt. She plans to leave her money to her missing niece, Amy.

Meanwhile, Officer Dibble arrives to stop Top Cat's tricks. Brain had tried to wash Dibble's police car, but it didn't go well. Just as Dibble is about to arrest the gang, he gets a call. His request to retire from the police force has been approved! So, he drops the charges against Top Cat and his friends.

A few days later, Benny gets surprising news from Mrs. Vandergelt's lawyer, Sid Buckman. Mrs. Vandergelt has passed away, and she put Benny's name in her will. Top Cat and the rest of the gang go with Benny to the Vandergelt mansion. Officer Dibble is now working there as a security guard.

Meeting the Sneaky Butler

At the mansion, they meet the tricky butler, Snerdly, and his dog, Rasputin. Rasputin acts a lot like Muttley. Buckman reads the will. It says that Benny inherits the fortune because the true heir, Amy, cannot be found. But there's a catch: nothing bad must happen to Benny within the next two days.

Snerdly is very upset because he wanted the fortune for himself. So, he and Rasputin start planning ways to get rid of Benny. Top Cat and his friends move into the Vandergelt mansion with Benny to protect him.

Snerdly's Failed Plans

Snerdly tries several times to harm Benny, but he fails. He then realizes that to get to Benny, he needs to get rid of Top Cat first. Snerdly calls a charming female cat named Kitty Glitter. He tells her he has set her up on a date with a handsome, rich cat, describing Top Cat. Kitty is very excited to marry a rich cat; she even puts on a wedding dress for the date!

However, her plan goes wrong when she mistakes Brain for Top Cat. Snerdly calls her again, wondering where she is, and she realizes her mistake.

Benny's Capture and Escape

That night, Snerdly throws a costume party. He makes Benny wear a bulldog mask. Then, Snerdly calls the local dogcatcher and his Doberman, Dobey. He tells them there's a stray dog at the Vandergelt estate. Sure enough, the dogcatcher arrives and captures Benny.

It doesn't take long for Top Cat and the gang to notice Benny is missing. They go looking for him. Officer Dibble gives them a tip: Benny has been taken to the animal pound. So, they take the limousine to the pound and help Benny escape. As they get away, the dogcatcher chases after them.

The Real Heir and the Big Reveal

It turns out that the missing Amy (who is a bit like Little Orphan Annie) has been working at a car wash. This was part of Snerdly's evil plan. While running from the dogcatcher, Top Cat and the gang end up at the car wash. They recognize Amy from a painting at the mansion. They decide to bring her back so she can rightfully get the inheritance.

They arrive too late, though. It's already midnight, and Snerdly has just inherited the Vandergelt fortune. But then, Sid Buckman reveals a huge secret: he is actually Gertrude Vandergelt, alive and in disguise! She faked her death to expose Snerdly's dishonest plans. Snerdly tries to escape by wearing the bulldog mask, but he and Rasputin are caught by the dogcatcher.

In the end, Top Cat and his friends return to their usual life in Hoagie's Alley. Officer Dibble rejoins the police force. Kitty Glitter shows up again, still wanting to marry the rich cat she thinks Top Cat is. But she quickly leaves him when Brain accidentally lets it slip that they are broke. Later, Amy visits them for a picnic with Top Cat's gang and Dibble.

Voice Cast: Who's Who?

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Don Gato y su pandilla en Beverly Hills para niños

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