Origins and etymology
T. S. Eliot was a big fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle and the character of Macavity is a literary allusion to Professor Moriarty, the criminal mastermind in the Sherlock series. Evidence that Macavity was based on Moriarty was first presented by H.T. Webster and H.W. Starr in 1954, and later rediscovered by Katharine Loesch. In a letter to Frank Morley, Eliot wrote, "I have done a new cat modeled on the late Professor Moriarty, but he doesn't seem very popular; too sophisticated perhaps."David E. Chinitz, ''A Companion to T. S. Eliot'', page 231, John Wiley and Sons, 2009, The name "Macavity" is thus a pun on "Moriarty". The word 'cavity' also implies a hole or void or absence of something, and Macavity is described in the poem as being "not there" at the time or location of any crime.Poem
The poem "Macavity the Mystery Cat" is the best known of Eliot's '' Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'', the only book Eliot wrote for a younger audience. The poem is considered particularly suitable reading for 11- and 12-year-olds. Although originally published as part of a collection of poems, "Macavity the Mystery Cat" was published as a standalone book by Faber and Faber in 2015. In the poem, Macavity is a master criminal who is too clever to leave any evidence of his guilt. His nicknames include: the Mystery Cat, the Hidden Paw, and the Napoleon of Crime. Similarly, Sherlock Holmes describes Moriarty as "the Napoleon of Crime" in '' The Adventure of the Final Problem'' and a "Napoleon gone wrong" in '' The Valley of Fear''. According to the poem, even when the Secret Service decides that Macavity was behind a loss, they are unable to apprehend him, as "he's a mile away", "... rengaged in doing complicated long division sums". Doyle wrote that Moriarty "is never caught" as at the moment of the crime he is probably "working out problems on a blackboard ten miles away" ('' The Adventure of the Final Problem''). Macavity is described as being a ginger cat who is very tall and thin with sunken eyes, and "sways his head from side to side with movements like a snake". The poem also says: "His brow is deeply lined in thought, his head is highly domed; His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed." Once again, this description is a close parallel to that of Professor Moriarty: The poem accuses Macavity of misbehaviour that would be within the capabilities of an ordinary cat, such as stealing milk, but also holds him responsible for major crimes. He is referred to as a "fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity" and has been suspected of stifling Pekes, vandalism, theft, cheating at cards, espionage and controlling an organised crime ring with Mungojerrie, Rumpleteazer and Griddlebone among the members. Holmes in Doyle's narrative describes Moriarty as "the organizer of half that is evil and of nearly all that is undetected in this great city." Webster and Starr assumed that Eliot referred to the cases of Mr. Joseph Harrison ('' The Adventure of the Naval Treaty'') and Herr Hugo Oberstein ('' The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans'') when he wrote in the poem – "And when the Foreign Office finds a Treaty's gone astray,/ And the admirality loses some plans and drawings by the way". Macavity's "powers of levitation would make a fakir stare", as he "breaks the law of gravity".Musical
Film
In the film '' Cats'' (2019), Macavity is played by Idris Elba. This version has a major role as a deranged villain with the intent of getting to the Heaviside Layer by any means. Throughout the film, he kidnaps all the other contestants so that he can be made the Jellicle choice by default.In popular culture
Mystery Readers International presents the Macavity Awards annually in several categories, including Best Mystery Novel, Best First Mystery Novel, Best Bio/Critical Mystery Work, Best Mystery Short Story. Polish author Maciej Wojtyszko's children's books feature a character named Macavity the Cat (''polish'' Kot Makawity), a criminal mastermind who loses a chess duel with animal detective Kajetan Chrumps and is then persuaded to become Chrumps' assistant. In the 1976 movie '' Logan's Run'', Peter Ustinov's character says, "You're full of secrets as Macavity" and then quotes from the poem. Gillian Robert's schoolteacher detective Amanda Pepper has an elderly male companion cat whose métier seems to be relaxation. The following books by Roberts feature Macavity the cat: ''Claire and Present Danger'' (2003), ''Helen Hath No Fury'' (2001), ''Adam and Evil'' (1999), ''The Bluest Blood'' (1998), ''The Mummer's Curse'' (1996), ''How I Spent My Summer Vacation'' (1995), ''In the Dead of Summer'' (1995), ''With Friends Like These…'' (1993), ''I'd Rather Be in Philadelphia'' (1992), ''Philly Stakes'' (1989), '' Caught Dead in Philadelphia'' (1987). In 1995, New Jersey punk band Gimp released an album called '' Smiles for Macavity''. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, when still Chancellor of the Exchequer, was likened to Macavity by Liberal Democrat Shadow Leader of the House, David Heath, who labelled Brown "the Macavity of the Cabinet" when talking about tax credits during Business Questions on 23 June 2005. Lord Turnbull echoed this two years later, opining that "the chancellor has a Macavity quality. He is not there when there is dirty work to be done." AfterReferences
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