 Henry, seenc. 2012,portrayed Henri,le Chat Noir. | |
| Othername(s) | Henry |
|---|---|
| Species | Felis catus |
| Sex | Male |
| Born | 2003 |
| Died | 2020, aged 17 |
| Nation from | United States |
| Years active | 2007–2018 |
| Known for | Internet celebrity |
Henri, le Chat Noir (French pronunciation:[ɑ̃ʁiləʃanwaʁ];French for "Henry, the Black Cat") is aweb series ofshort films on theexistential musings of the catHenri, written and directed by William Braden. Henri was portrayed byHenry[1] (2003–2020), a malelonghairtuxedo cat. Videos featuring Henri have been viewed millions of times, and have been featured by news outlets such asThe Huffington Post andABC News.[2][3]
The first short film,Henri, was a project by William Braden, who was studying at theSeattle Film Institute.[1] Braden was inspired by the American perception ofFrench films as "very pretentious and self-involved. [...] And what could be more self-absorbed and pampered than a house cat?"[1]
Braden wrote the scripts while his mother, who is fluent inFrench, helped with pronunciation and proper usage.[1]Henri was written, filmed and edited in eleven days.[4]
Henri was released on May 27, 2007.[5] It was written and directed by Braden[1] and produced by the Seattle Film Institute.[1]
The second short film,Henri 2, Paw de Deux, was released onYouTube on April 6, 2012.[6]Henri 2, Paw de Deux won the "Golden Kitty Award" for "Best Cat Video On The Internet" at theWalker Art Center'sInternet Cat Video Festival.[7][8][9] On September 8, 2012,Henri 2, Paw de Deux was shown on television during the season finale ofAnimal Planet'sreality television showMy Cat from Hell.[10][11]
In receiving the award, director Braden toldMashable "This is a great honor. I don't think I've ever purred this loudly."[8]
The third short film,Henri 3, Le Vet, was released on YouTube on June 20, 2012.[12]
The fourth short film,Henri - Politique, was released on YouTube on September 27, 2012.[13]Henri - Politique was produced as an example entry forThe Seattle Times's political video contest.[14]
The fifth short film,Henri 4, L'Haunting, was released on YouTube on October 30, 2012.[15]
The sixth short film,Henri 5, "The Worst Noël", was released on YouTube on December 21, 2012.[16]
Friskies commissioned a series of four short films on the subject of "cat food boredom".[17][18][19][20]
The first part of this series,Henri - "On Cat Food Boredom", was released on YouTube on February 28, 2013.[21]
The second part was released on March 13, 2013.[22]
The third part was released on March 27, 2013.[23]
The fourth and final part was released on April 15, 2013.[24]
The eleventh short film,Henri 6, "Cat Littérature", was released on YouTube on April 30, 2013.[25]
The twelfth short film,Henri 7 - "The Cat is Sat", was released on YouTube on August 28, 2013.[26]
The thirteenth short film,Henri 8 - "Artiste", was released on YouTube on January 7, 2014.[27]
The fourteenth short film,Henri 9 - "Blight of Spring", was released on YouTube on May 6, 2014.[28]
The fifteenth short film,Henri 10 - "Reigning Cat and Dog", was released on YouTube on December 30, 2014.[29]
The sixteenth short filmHenri - "Bacon" was released on YouTube on March 18, 2015, and was sponsored byFriskies.[30]
The seventeenth and final short film,Henri 11 - "Oh, revoir", was released on YouTube on May 18, 2018. It announced Henri's retirement from the film series. The ending card reads, "Henri thanks all of his fans/worshippers for all their support. He looks forward to a healthy and productive retirement. He might even sit on a lap."[31]
Ten Speed Press, a subsidiary ofRandom House, released the bookHenri, le Chat Noir: The Existential Musings of an Angst-Filled Cat, written by Braden, on April 30, 2013.[32] A subsequent book, entitledReflections on Human Folly, was published in paperback in 2016 thanks to a successfulKickstarter campaign that raised $12,038.[33]
On November 13, 2014, Henry and Braden made an appearance as clients onAnimal Planet'sTanked in which Braden consults with Brett Raymer and Wayde King on building anaquarium for Henri.[34]
Film criticRoger Ebert calledHenri 2, Paw De Deux "The best internet cat video ever made."[35][36]Boing Boing's science editorMaggie Koerth-Baker also calledHenri 2, Paw De Deux "The best cat video on the Internet".[37]The Atlantic reviewed the short film as "a little bit arty, a little bit cheeky, decisively feline in focus ... it's perfect. Or, er, purrfect."[38]
The Huffington Post, in reviewingHenri 3, Le Vet, called Henri "almost like a felineSerge Gainsbourg, just without the singing, or the alcoholism, or the public scandal. Or maybe he's not like that at all. Maybe Henri, is, as he so eloquently states in his latest film, his 'own cat.'"[39]
Henry was adopted from the Seattle Animal Shelter inSeattle,Washington.[1] by Braden's mother.[40] Braden described Henry as "a good[-]natured and happy cat" who "never suffered a single existential crisis during his life," enjoyed chin scratches, and had nothing in common with the brooding character Henri he portrayed on film.[40]
On December 10, 2020, Braden announced that Henry had beeneuthanized at the age of 17 because of a debilitating deterioration of hisspine.[40]