to reform her, Archy realizes he liked Mehitabel for her wild ways all along and accepts her for "being what she has to be," content to be just friends. Voice cast Carol Channing ... Mehitabel Eddie Bracken ... Archy Alan Reed ... Big Bill John Carradine ... Tyrone T. Tattersall Hal Smith ... Freddie the Rat / Prissy Cat Joan Gerber ... Penelope the Fat Cat / Ladybugs of the Evening Ken Sansom ... Rosie the Cat Julie Dawn Cole ... Sally the Cat Sal Delano... Beatnik Spider Byron Kane ... Newspaperman Production In 1968, the film began pre-production, with meetings between the producers (Preston Fleet & John Wilson) and the writers (Dick Kinney, Marty Murphy, & David Detiege), they decided to take heavy inspiration from the writing and illustrations of Archy and Mehitabel, to set up a "visual jazz experience". But them, this presented a problem, and midway into pre-production the thought occurred to modernize the George Herriman illustrations in a contemporary style. Storyboards were drawn by Richard Kinney and Marty Murphy. In 1969, the designs of the characters were finalized, and animation and voice acting soon began. In 1970, a year before the film's theatrical release, it was screened at the Atlanta Georgia International Film Festival and won a Golden Phoenix Award. Reception Shinbone Alley did not fare well at the box office. However, New York magazine critic Judith Crist called it "a blend of literature, musical comedy and fine arts... pure sophisticated entertainment for all, and a refreshment for moviegoers." Vincent Canby, in his New York Times review, wrote: "'Shinbone Alley' is a little like the old mehitabel. It suffers from split personality being based, as it is, on works that must go over the heads of 8-year-olds .. but it's executed in a mostly juvenile style that's not too far removed from what the children see on television. It's a very mixed bag and this, in case you hadn't guessed, is a very mixed review." References External links Shinbone Alley on IMDb Shinbone Alley at Rotten Tomatoes Shinbone Alley at AllMovie 1970 films 1970 animated films 1970s American animated films 1970s musical comedy films Adaptations of works by Don Marquis Adaptations of works by Mel Brooks Allied Artists films American animated comedy films Animated films about cats Animated films about insects Animated musical films American musical comedy films Films about reincarnation Films based on adaptations Films