Disney before his death on December 20, The film is based on a story by Tom McGowan and Tom Rowe, and revolves around a family of aristocratic cats, and how an alley cat acquaintance helps them after a butler has kidnapped them to gain his mistress's fortune which was intended to go to them. Following two years of rewrites, Tytle suggested the project would be more suitable for an animated film, in which Disney temporarily shelved the project while The Jungle Book advanced into production.
When The Jungle Book was nearly complete, Disney appointed Ken Anderson to develop preliminary work on The Aristocats , making it the last film project to be personally approved by Disney before his death. The Aristocats was released on December 24, , to generally positive reviews from film critics.
It was also a commercial success. A live-action remake is currently in development, with Questlove attached to direct.
The cats are pampered pets that live a luxurious lifestyle and are very cultured in art and music, like their owner. While preparing her will with elderly lawyer Georges Hautecourt, Madame declares that her vast fortune will be first left to her cats, then revert to Edgar once they all pass away.
Edgar overhears this through a speaking tube and, after erroneously calculating that he will die before he can claim his inheritance, plots to eliminate the cats. He sedates them by putting sleeping pills in a dish of cream, then drives them on his motorcycle out to the countryside in a basket. There, he is ambushed by two hounds named Napoleon and Lafayette, losing his hat, sidecar , umbrella, shoes, and the basket before escaping. The cats are left stranded in the countryside, while Madame Adelaide, Roquefort the mouse , and Frou-Frou the horse discover their absence.
