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- “Ladies do not start fights, but they can finish them.”
- ―Marie[src]
Marie is a major character in the 1970 Disney animated feature film, The Aristocats. She is a white-furred kitten who is the middle and only female kitten of Duchess, the older sister of Berlioz and younger sister of Toulouse.
Background
Personality
Marie believes herself to be quite the little lady, and so tries to mimic the elegance and propriety of her mother, Duchess. As a result, she can be somewhat prissy and spoiled and is quick to tattle on her brothers when things don't go her way. Although Marie makes an effort to appear ladylike, she does enjoy the occasional tumble with her beloved siblings and has an insatiable curiosity once Thomas O'Malley opens her eyes to the wonders of Paris.
A hopeless romantic and daydreamer, Marie frequently is seen lost in her thoughts and sighing deeply. She also appears to be somewhat danger-prone, as she is consistently in harm's way throughout the movie. This may be because either her head is up in the clouds or because she is the kitten who has had the least practice of "biting and clawing", and thus the least capable of fending for herself in the wild.
Also, Marie is shown to be the most open and accepting of Thomas O'Malley and the most eager for him to become her and her siblings' new father. She loves romance as she eagerly watched O'Malley flirt with her mother and complimented on his poetry.
Physical appearance
Marie is a small white purebred Turkish Angora kitten. She has long, white fur and bright blue eyes with long lashes; out of the 3 kittens, she bears the strongest resemblance to her mother. Her nose and paw pads are light pink, and she has 3 or 4 whiskers on either side of her face. Marie wears a large pink bow around her neck and another pink bow, which is smaller, decorating a tuft of fur on her head.
Appearances
The Aristocats
Marie is first seen at the beginning, riding in the carriage with Madame Bonfamille, along with her mother and brothers. At home, she excitedly tries to be the first one in the door but ends up stuck in the cat door alongside her two brothers. Marie insists she should be first because she is a lady. She ends up fighting with Berlioz and Toulouse until Duchess scolds them and asks the three kittens to begin their lessons.
While Toulouse practices his painting, Marie and Berlioz have a music lesson. Berlioz plays the piano while Marie sings (though the former does some of the singing, too, as do their mother, and a painted-pawed Toulouse, who also pushes on the keys). In the beginning, Marie attempts to tattle on Berlioz after he strikes the keys in such a way that her tail gets caught. After the lesson, Edgar, the butler, brings them milk for dinner. He claims that it was prepared a special way, and it is in a way; the milk is laced with sleeping pills. The pills do their jobs and the cats are kidnapped by Edgar in their sleep and dropped off into the countryside. Unknown to the cats, they had been chosen to inherit Madame Bonfamille's fortune upon her death. Edgar had kidnapped them so that he could inherit it instead, as otherwise, he would not inherit until the cats had all died, which he thought would take years.
Marie and company awaken near a bridge, and after spending the night in the rain, are approached by Thomas O'Malley, an alley cat. Though he initially offers to help Duchess as he is enamored by her, he soon discovers that Duchess has children, after Marie appears and asks if his poetic description of Duchess applies to her as well. Once over his shock, he helps them into a milk truck bound to Paris. He sends them on their way but rescues Marie after she falls from the truck. Deciding to go along with them, O'Malley uncovers some milk for Marie and the other kittens to drink. Eventually, the driver notices the cats and runs them out of the truck. O'Malley decides to lead them to Paris on foot. On the way, they cross a railway bridge. The cats are forced to hide from an oncoming train, but Marie falls into the river beneath. O'Malley saves her life again.
After returning to Paris, Marie and the others spend the night at Scat Cat's pad. Like her siblings, she is impressed by the alley cats and enjoys a loud and colorful party. The next day, Marie returns home with her mother and brothers and sadly says goodbye to O'Malley. When they find that the cat door is locked, Marie comes up with the idea of meowing to get Edgar's and Madame's attention. Edgar traps the cats in a sack, with the intention of mailing them to Timbuktu, so that they cannot come back ever. Luckily, they are saved by O'Malley and the alley cats from Edgar that gets mailed away instead. Marie continued to live with Madame, Duchess, and her brothers, with the addition of O'Malley and the Alley Cats, who are the start of Madame's foundation for the alley cats of Paris.
Miriya & Marie
Marie is one of the two main protagonists of the manga Miriya & Marie. In the manga, Marie is Miriya's mentor and is capable of using magic. Marie's first appearance is when she magically appears from Miriya's phone and tells Miriya that she is preparing her to become a witch. She then sends Miriya back in time to 1910 in Paris, France by unwrapping the large bow around her neck as a form of transportation. Throughout the manga, Marie takes Miriya on various magical adventures throughout Paris. She also wears a pink necklace around her neck in the manga.
Other appearances
On some logos and promotional material for Disney Digital Network, Marie is featured as an illustration alongside Dopey, Pascal, and the Cheshire Cat.
In The Princess and the Frog, during the film's prologue showing Tiana and Charlotte as children. Charlotte owns a white kitten who resembles Marie.
In a video promoting the release of Ralph Breaks the Internet, a white kitten who resembled Marie complete with a pink bow makes an appearance. In some merchandise, Vanellope is seen riding on top of Marie (along with two other white cats that resemble Marie) as a giant who is seen firing lasers from her mouth and eyes.
Disney Parks
Marie posing for a picture at Disneyland.
Marie was notably the only one of the three kittens to appear as a walk-around character at any of the Disney theme parks until 2013 when Toulouse and Berlioz began appearing at the parks as well. She appears mostly at the Tokyo Disney Resort beginning in 2003 and Disneyland Resort Paris since 2005. During holidays or special events, Marie's bow and ribbon is recoloured to match the event, such as blue (for Disneyland Paris' 25th Anniversary), and green or red for Christmas. (seen at Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disney Resort).
Walt Disney World Resort
In Walt Disney World, she is seen at the French Pavilion at the World Showcase in Epcot, and near the flagpole in Main Street U.S.A in the Magic Kingdom. But as of March 2016, she has been replaced by Stitch but still makes occasional appearances such as the RunDisney event where she's located in the French Pavilion. At Disney Springs, "The Aristocrepes" stand which sells crepes, features silhouettes of Marie, Toulouse, and Berlioz on the stand's logo. At Disney's Riviera Resort, Marie alongside Toulouse and Berlioz are presented on some murals inside the resort. In 2022, she will return to join her fellow Disney characters in the Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade as part of the 50th anniversary of the resort.
Hong Kong Disneyland
Marie makes occasional appearances at Hong Kong Disneyland for special events. She made her Hong Kong Disneyland debut on July 7th, 2007 for the water-themed parade Mickey's Waterworks where's she's sitting on a perfume bottle on the back on Minnie's float. She also appears in the Hong Kong Disneyland version of It's a Small World.
Disneyland Resort
At the Disneyland Resort, Marie made her first appearance at the former dance party "Dancing With Disney Stars" at Disney California Adventure in 2014 before its closure. She occasionally appears at the resort in character cavalcades or special events. She currently makes meet-and-greets (via "social distanced meet-and-greets") at Mickey's ToonTown where's she's spotted at City Hall or Minnie's House. In the fireworks/projection show "Mickey's Mix Magic", Marie is the central focus of the "Everybody Wants To Be A Cat" section.
Tokyo Disneyland
Before becoming a meetable character in 2005, Marie made her Disney Parks debut during the Halloween season of 2003 for "Tokyo Disneyland Halloween Parade" where she's seen on a giant pumpkin float next to Minnie Mouse. Marie appears in Fantasmic! at Tokyo DisneySea during the grand finale. She also appears in the show Big Band Beat at the Broadway Music Theatre in American Waterfront at Tokyo DisneySea, and performs a song called "Jazz Babies". Marie also appears at Tokyo Disneyland's electrical parade Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade DreamLights starting sometime in 2008 during the It's A Small World finale section. Tokyo's former daytime parade Happiness is Here Parade (created for the park's 30th anniversary in 2013) had a dedicated float for The Aristocats featuring Marie, Toulouse, and Berlioz, with Roquefort hanging on the top. The parade also marked Toulouse and Berlioz's first appearance at the resort.
Shanghai Disney Resort
Marie also appears at Shanghai Disneyland for the daytime parade "Mickey's Storybook Express" along with Toulouse and Berlioz. For the daytime show "Fantasy Festival!" located in Fantasyland, Marie alongside Pinocchio, Winnie The Pooh, Tigger, Rapunzel, and Flynn Rider are the main characters for the show.
Gallery
Trivia
- Susan Olsen was considered to voice Marie.
- Despite not having the lead role, Marie is the most popular and most marketed character from the film.
- Marie won a manga series called Miriya & Marie. The manga was previously exclusive in Japan and Brazil in 2015, it later gained an English translation and released in the U.S. and Canada on June 2018 courtesy of "Tokyopop".
- Marie starred in her own Japanese music video called "Disney Marie - Walk in Paris" (パリのお散歩 ～ ディズニー マリー) released in 2014.
- Marie is named after Marie Antoinette, who was the queen of France from 1774 to 1791. One of the earliest concept art for the film featured had Marie named "Marie Antoinette".
- Marie has her own day called "Marie Day" which first began on February 22, 2015, the same day as "Cat Day" in Japan mainly celebrated in Tokyo Disney Resort.
- In a book called The Aristocats Join Scat Cat's Band, it is revealed that Marie knows how to play a washboard.
- In the British television series Doctor Who, one of the pins that the Sixth Doctor wears is a pin of Marie. The Doctor is seen wearing it in the episode "Revelation of the Daleks".
- In the Miriya & Marie manga, Marie owns her own house. Marie's house is colored pink and filled with jewelry and ribbons. As a result, she no longer lives with her mother Duchess but visits her instead.
- In the 2012 book The Aristocats: The Runaway Kittens (known in Sweden as "Marie på rymmen", "Marie on the run")[1], Marie becomes a stray kitten and wild cat for the day[2] after losing her bow and ribbon and getting very dirty. She befriends a wild kitten named Teo,[3] who knows everything about the streets of Paris (similar to Thomas O'Malley's role in the original film). After learning about the hard life of being a wild cat, Marie starts crying over losing her ribbon and bows since she no longer looks lady-like.[4] Teo is confused with Marie's reaction due to never living in a wealthy and rich lifestyle as she does. The book itself was part of the "Disney Wonderful World of Reading" collection published by Hachette Partworks. However, the book was only sold in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Sweden.
- Another Aristocats book that was part of "Disney Wonderful World of Reading" collection is Les Aristochats et l'oncle Antoine (The Aristocats meet Uncle Antoine) released in 2007, where Marie alongside her brothers meet Uncle Antoine. A adventurer who has fabulous stories to tell them, with Toulouse dreaming on going on an adventure with him one day. However, Uncle Antonine has some secrets that he refuses to reveal to the kittens.
- Marie, alongside her brothers Toulouse and Berlioz, starred in a spinoff comic series called "The Aristokittens" which ran from October 1971 to October 1975. The series featured the kittens going on various adventures in Paris, France and encountered various Disney characters (such as Dumbo[5] and Tinker Bell[6]). The most notable is Jiminy Cricket who shows up in the first issue.[7]
- The "Aristokittens" name would later be reused for a 2022 picture book and graphic novel series by Jennifer Castle starring the kittens. The picture book series involves Marie, Toulouse, and Berlioz reopening an abandoned cafe made for animals called Parisian critter café. The first two books to the series was released on April 19, 2022.
- In storyboards for the cancelled series The Aristocats: The Animated Series, Marie isn't seen wearing her pink bow around her neck. However, she does keep her small ribbon.
- Marie was going to be the main protagonist for the cancelled sequel, The Aristocats II, where she's a young teenaged cat alongside being voiced by Tara Strong.
- Marie is the only kitten who Thomas O’Malley actually refers to by her actual name. He never refers to Toulouse by his actual name, but instead gives him a nickname, Tiger. He also does not refer to Berlioz by his actual name at all or any kind of nickname for him.
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