The Hatching Cat of Gotham

Regeneration, a 1915 silent film by Raoul Walsh, was shot on location in New York City’s Lower East Side (down on the docks and the Bowery). In addition to several cats and one dog, the film featured real prostitutes, gangsters, and homeless people as extras. It was the first film produced by Fox Film Corporation (a forerunner of the 20th Century Fox) and was released on September 13, 1915 to critical acclaim.