The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing is a 1973 American Western film adaptation of Marilyn Durham's novel of the same name directed by Richard C. Sarafian, written by Eleanor Perry and William W. Norton, and starring Burt Reynolds and Sarah Miles.

After Cat is raped and murdered, a distraught Grobart kills the man responsible for the crime, before being arrested.

After his release, he soon pulls a train robbery with the help of his friends Dawes, Charlie and Billy, and is now on the run from the law.

While on the run, Grobart and his partners in crime come across Catherine, a woman escaping her abusive husband Crocker.

Accompanying the posse is Catherine's husband Willard Crocker, an arrogant millionaire, who is obsessed with retrieving his wife, even though he knows that she does not love him.

A few marauding Indians attack the cabin, killing Billy and Charlie while Dawes runs off with some of the money.

Grobart and Catherine travel to the Shoshone village where Grobart lived with Cat Dancing and their children — their very young daughter and their young son, Dream Speaker — who now live with Cat Dancing's brother, Iron Knife.

It is also revealed that Grobart had pushed his son aside and strangled Cat Dancing, thinking that she had chosen to sleep with the man who had, in fact, raped her.

Grobart leaves Catherine and the railroad money at the village and departs, not wanting to place her in further danger.

The following morning, as they prepare to leave, Crocker arrives and shoots Grobart from the tree line.

Catherine grabs Grobart's pistol from his holster and shoots Crocker dead as he charges them.

"[13] The filmmakers wanted Jane Fonda for the female lead and Candice Bergen was discussed.

[14] Carol Lynley said the female lead in the film was one of the two roles in Hollywood "every actress wants to do", the other being Daisy in The Great Gatsby.

[8] It was filmed in Bryce Canyon National Park, Kanab, the St. George–Hurricane area, Zion, Virgin River and Silver Reef in Utah as well as Gila Bend and Old Tucson, Arizona.

When they returned to the hotel, Miles spent several hours in Reynolds' room until 3 am (later claiming she was using the services of a masseuse there).

She told him, Whiting hit her, she screamed and was helped to escape by Miles' son's governess.

A doctor gave evidence that the death was due to a drug overdose, and the head injury came from Whiting falling against a table.

[25] It was later revealed that Miles and Whiting had been having an affair, and this, together with the resulting publicity, contributed to the disintegration of her marriage to Robert Bolt.

He says he, Sarafin and MGM were dissatisfied with the script and hired William Norton to work on it prior to shooting.

The screenplay, based on Marilyn Durham's novel, is by Eleanor Perry (David and Lisa, Diary of a Mad Housewife), who can do much, much better.

In his review for the John Williams Web Page, he noted the complications in making the picture.

He concluded his review: "In spite of the difficulties faced by the actors and filmmakers, The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing boasts gorgeous widescreen location photography, an interesting feminist spin on traditional western formulas — with Miles' strong-willed Catherine Crocker an engaging screen presence throughout — and strong support from virtually the entire cast; in particular, the film proved once and for all that Burt Reynolds was capable of handling a straight dramatic role as well as a lightweight comic one.