M&C Interview: Actor Gary Dubin talks Aristocats

By April MacIntyre Feb 4, 2008, 19:16 GMT

This enchanting tale begins in Paris, when a kind and eccentric millionairess wills her entire estate to her family – a family of adorable high-society cats. But when Edgar, the greedy butler, overhears her plan, he catnaps Duchess, the elegant, soft-spoken mother, and her three mischievous kittens and abandons them in the French countryside. Soon, they’re being escorted home by the charming Thomas O’Malley, a rough-and-tumble alley cat, who takes ...more

Actor Gary Dubin played the orange tabby with a tummy, Toulouse, and he was kind enough to answer a few questions regarding the re-mastered "The Aristocats" and his work in this timeless classic.

The Aristocats’ enchanting tale begins in Paris, when a kind and eccentric millionairess wills her entire estate to her family – a family of adorable high-society cats. But when Edgar, the greedy butler, overhears her plan, he catnaps Duchess, the elegant, soft-spoken mother, and her three mischievous kittens and abandons them in the French countryside.

Soon, they’re being escorted home by the charming Thomas O’Malley, a rough-and-tumble alley cat, who takes them to his "pad" along the way, where Scat Cat and his band of swingin’ jazz cats perform the memorable "Ev’rybody Wants To Be A Cat."

Enriched by "highstyle Disney animation" (The New Yorker) and toe-tapping music by Academy Award® winning songwriters the Sherman brothers, The Aristocats is a timeless treasure and the last animated feature to get the nod from Walt Disney himself.

The new Special Edition DVD of the film comes loaded with special features including:

'Disney Virtual Kitten' - Adopt Your Own Virtual Kitty. The More You Care For It, The More Hearts You Earn
'Virtual Kitten' DVD-ROM - Two Mini-Games And Your Very Own Printable Adoption License
'The Aristocats' Fun With Language Game - Play Along And Learn The Names Of A Variety Of Musical Instruments
'The Great Cat Family' (Excerpt) Hosted By Walt Disney
'The Sherman Brothers: 'The Aristocats' Of Disney Songs'
'The Aristocats' Scrapbook
New Never-Before-Seen Deleted Song

Dubin continues to act, do voiceover work and he appeared in a guest-starring role on "24." 

He shared his fond memories of filming the movie, and that he is proud of the legacy the film offers for generations of cat-lovers to come.

M&C: You were my favorite kitten, you held your own with that pushy Berlioz. Who was your favorite character as a child when you first saw the finished film?

Gary Dubin: well, I have to be honest and say Toulouse was my favorite! He made me laugh and I too liked his way of standing up and being a tough cat.

M&C: You worked with heavyweight talents for voice-over, do you have any recollections of Phil Harris, Scatman, Paul Winchell and Sterling Holloway?

Gary Dubin:  Unfortunately, I didn't have the pleasure of working with any other actors. We three kittens were always together, rehearsing, singing, playing.

M&C: Peter Cullen, who voiced Optimus Prime for Transformers, told me these old school voiceover titans were a wild bunch.  Did you witness any shenanigans, or have a really good story?

Gary Dubin: Because I was only 10 years old at the time, good behavior was always expected, and they controlled us pretty good.  Sorry, no good or bad gossip!

M&C: How much voiceover work are you still doing?

Gary Dubin: I still do quite a bit of voice-over work, doing a Japanese animation series for the last ten years…playing all kinds of characters, from monsters to pilots destroying the bad guys!

M&C: If there was any book or piece of literature you could option and make your own to produce, what would it be, and who would you play as an actor?

Gary Dubin: I would love to option the biography of fitness guru Jack LaLanne. I am a gym workout buff, and we are similar in stature and positive drive.

M&C: Did you watch the animation when you recorded the voice of Toulouse? Where you alone or with the group for the scene?  Explain how that worked back in 1970 for people to understand how you nailed the facial gestures with your vocal intonations.

Gary Dubin: I can clearly remember standing in front of a huge screen in the soundstage, with black and white drawings of the cats. We had headphones, and matched the movements with our voices. Also, recording the songs all together was great, a lot of fun, and memories I'll never forget.

M&C: Do you have any memory of the premiere of The Aristocats?  Are you gratified that you have been immortalized for eternity thanks to the Disney classic?

Gary Dubin: Unfortunately, there was no premiere, but very recently they had a great showing at The El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. I was introduced to the crowd, the only cat in attendance! And yes, what an honor to be in a classic Disney film like 'The Aristocats', bringing a lifetime of fun for all.

M&C: What is your favorite drama on TV that you would love to work on?

Gary Dubin: My favorite drama on TV is ' 24 ', watching from the start, and was lucky enough to have guest-starred last season, being pulled from a burning helicopter by Kiefer Sutherland!

The Aristocats (Special Edition) is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for this version of the DVD in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.