If it was on the Sci-Fi Channel, it was probably anime. My guess is Night on the Galactic Railroad, because that starred anthropomorphic talking cats: https://youtu.be/uOaNT5VXuEU

Or judging by the Cool World comparison, it could be a Hungarian movie from the 80s called Cat City, which I can’t find the English dub anywhere but trust me that there is one: https://youtu.be/NYRZOqCv2J8

Or possibly the 1971 American film Shinbone Alley. That also has cats and some risqué sexy stuff: https://youtu.be/tJUdojAevqY

Fair point. (I miss the wolf man.)

Doesn’t surprise me. His work with Anthony Newley was great, but without him, that man was arguably the Nickelback of show tunes. The Rex Harrison Doctor Dolittle? Leslie Bricusse. Those sappy songs from Hook? Leslie Bricusse (and he wrote even more of them, back when it was supposed to be a full-blown musical). That stupid poem that stops the first Superman cold? Bricusse. (Thank goodness that wasn’t sung as originally intended…)

I’m not sure how much additional time to capture the tone could surmount diabetes-inducing musical numbers, or costumes and set design that feel like Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny if it had an actual Hollywood budget. I remember that when I watched it after I was older, I and the other person I was watching it with both ragged on how dopey the costumes and sets looked.

We bought the VHS at McDonald’s. Remember when they’d occasionally offer certain movies for a discounted price with the purchase of food? (I have a suspicion that at least in the case of Babes in Toyland, the studio was trying to get rid of unsold inventory…)

I remember being disappointed with the movie even as a kid, and I can’t even remember if I ever finished it (though I eventually watched the whole thing to make fun of it, around the time I was in college; no fun was had, it was an utter slog).

Even as a child I think I could tell that the Disney version with Annette Funicello was better.

At least I wasn’t alive to watch the long version that originally aired on TV, which had even more awful original songs in it. I don’t think I can take more cringey Leslie Bricusse lyrics than what’s in the shorter version - and remember, we’re not talking Willy Wonka-era Leslie Bricusse, we’re talking Tom and Jerry: The Movie-era Leslie Bricusse.