Synopsis

The Stray Cats perform "Stray Cat Strut" in a gritty alley, surrounded by dancing extras and a distinctly hostile neighborhood resident. As the band plays, the irritated man hurls objects from above, turning the performance into a comic battle between rebellious rockabilly energy and domestic respectability. Animated excerpts from the 1949 MGM cartoon "Bad Luck Blackie" add a surreal slapstick element, linking the band's feline image to a classic tale of escalating bad luck and revenge.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was released in 1981 in the United Kingdom and later supported the song's American release in 1982.

• Its central performance setup is deliberately simple: the trio plays in an alley while an angry resident reacts from an apartment above. Dancing extras broaden the scene without taking attention away from the band.

• The clip incorporates footage from MGM's 1949 animated short "Bad Luck Blackie," in which a black cat's arrival repeatedly brings misfortune to an abusive character.

• The record label used the video to help introduce the Stray Cats to a wider American audience. It received heavy early MTV exposure during the band's commercial breakthrough.

• "Stray Cat Strut" initially stalled in the United States, but its re-release after the success of "Rock This Town" became a major hit, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1983.