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Ron Holiday, Joy Holiday, Chuck Lizza

Decades before Siegfried and Roy were thrilling audiences with their breathtaking live act, husband-and-wife team Ron and Joy Holiday were performing alongside some of the most majestic felines ever t... read more read more...o take the stage. In the 1960s Ron and Joy would establish themselves as the world's first exotic cat entertainers. Later, in the 1980s, the duo found their act expanding into a three-person show with the addition of charismatic performer Chuck Lizza. As the years wore on the trio would endure tragedy, heartbreak, and loss while constantly striving to deliver one of the most unique stage shows around. Though the laughter and the tears, filmmaker Harris Fishman keeps his lens trained on these captivating and fearless performers to tell a story that's as inspirational as it is original. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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78% liked it

283 ratings

Unrated, 1 hr. 15 min.

Directed by: Harris Fishman

Release Date: January 1, 2008

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DVD Release Date: February 24, 2009

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Stats: 39 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (39)

  • SirPant
    April 6, 2011
    SirPant
    At first, Cat Dancers seemed to be just an interesting yet tragic love story of sorts about the Cat Dancers group told by a very honest Ron Holiday. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also couldn't stop thinking about it, it's quite haunting and that is one of its strengths. After a whil... read moree you will realise that not all that happened makes sense. Ron Holiday is a very colourful and entertaining character but I'm starting to wonder how honest he was really being. This film raises more questions than it answers but it is brilliant in its subtlety. This documentary reminded me of the excellent Capturing the Friedmans, its subtle, compelling and extremely haunting. Expertly edited and thought provoking, highly recommended!
  • TonyPolito
    August 25, 2010
    TonyPolito
    Don't watch this because it's (1) a kitschy story about a trio who live with and train tigers & leopards, (2) a kinky story about their on-going three-way, and (3) a sad story about a white tiger that kills Ron's wife Joy after six weeks earlier killing their shared young lover C... read morehuck.

    Rather, watch it to puzzle over the many subtle, unanswered questions about what did (or did not) actually happen.

    Ron's quite vague and/or conflicting on what should be straightforward, basic facts. Who first initiated the sexual trifecta, Ron or Joy? Who first wanted it? Who was there, the first time?

    Joy was liquored up at twice the legal limit at death; Ron changes up his explanation half-a-dozen times.

    What does Ron remember about Joy's attack? Only seeing her fly through the air.

    And Ron's plenty of odd duck that adds to the puzzle. He's teaching teenagers to train cats - by rambling on about Oriental tiger-pecker soup and his dead wife's breast implants. Hmmm.

    His house is filled with nearly-naked pictures/portraits of he and Joy, but none of Chuck.

    After the attack on Chuck, he doesn't want the cat put-down; after the attack on Joy, he demands it on-the-spot. Later, when he can't afford them, he has the rest of the cats put-down, instead of donating them away. These, the cats he loves so very very much.

    And just how did Ron feel about Joy when, after Chuck died, she stopped eating, lost 30 pounds and (according to Ron) "prayed to die?" Well, he turned away IVs and hospitalization, instead suggesting a stroll with the cats (in her feeble condition) would do her good.

    It didn't.

    RECOMMENDATION: For the truly intellectual viewer, there's a boatload of between-the-lines here to ponder over popcorn. And for such, well recommended.
  • wrinkleraisin
    January 2, 2009
    wrinkleraisin
    I LOVED THIS! IT IS A MESMERIZING BUT TRAGIC LOVE STORY AND IT HAPPENS TO BE TRUE BECAUSE IT IS A DOCUMENTARY.
  • msanthrope
    December 31, 2008
    msanthrope
    I happened to find this by accident when flipping though channels. I was completely mezmerized. WOW.

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Critic Reviews

Robert Koehler
February 23, 2012
Robert Koehler, Variety

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Rumsey Taylor
February 7, 2012
Rumsey Taylor, Not Coming to a Theater Near You

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