Synopsis

The Cure perform "The Lovecats" inside and around a seemingly abandoned country house, surrounded by eccentric props, stuffed cats and a few unpredictable live animals. Robert Smith plays the song with theatrical mischief, while the band members appear in cramped rooms, corridors and outdoor settings. The playful imagery, crooked interiors and deliberately surreal behavior turn the video into a fitting visual counterpart to the song's jaunty jazz-pop arrangement and darkly comic feline theme.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed in September 1983 in Chalk Farm, London.

• The production reportedly gained access to a deserted house by telling the owner that the band was interested in buying it. The keys were returned the following morning.

• Real cats were originally intended to appear more prominently, but they proved difficult to work with. Stuffed and taxidermied cats were used for several shots instead.

• A large lampshade falling onto bassist Phil Thornalley's head became one of the video's most recognizable sight gags.

• Tim Pope was allergic to cats, despite making a video that required plenty of them. The situation was later treated as a joke when spiders, which Robert Smith dislikes, became central to the video for "Lullaby."

• The video was included on The Cure's 1986 compilation *Staring at the Sea - The Images*, helping preserve its place among the band's best-known early promotional films.