User Reviews

IF WE WERE to choose one word to describe today's honoree, THE GREAT RUPERT (George Pal/Eagle-Lion Films, 1950) it would have to be the above mentioned "Squirrely". Beyond that obvious pun and reference, the next one up in this lexicon would have to be offbeat.

BEING WHAT WOULD today be classified as a "G" Rating, as approved fare for Family Viewing, the cast and story,nonetheless, do manage to keep even an adult clientèle interested. In much the same way that future family oriented cute-animal movies such as BENJI (Mulberry Square, 1974) and DIGBY: THE BIGGEST DOG IN THE WORLD Walter Stehnsen Film 1973), manage to simultaneously balance story line with equal portions of the madcap-comic, romance and mini-dramatic happenings*;in the final analysis, RUPERT accomplishes the same sort of results.

EXAMINATION OF THE cast reveals an unusual, yet solidly balanced blend of veteran talent. We are presented with newcomer, Tom Drake, in the juvenile male lead and love interest for ingénue, Terry Moore.

TOPPING THE VETERAN cast is Jimmy Durante. The "Old Schnozolla", himself turns in a performance that was at once funny, dramatic and believably entertaining. With all of his vast experience on stage, the radio and in the movies, it was truly a part that Jimmy could have "phoned in"; which he obviously did.

IN SUPPORTING ROLES we have the always reliable characterizations from Frank Orth, Jimmy Conlin and Chic Chandler; whose character pulled the unlikely double-duty as both romantic rival and in saving the day by getting young Dingle's (Drake)song published (and even recorded, yet!).

BEFORE WE GO ANY further, let's get back to Miss Moore. This part would mark the second straight year in which she would find herself playing in a cast which featured a stop-motion animated character. It was in the previous year's MIGHTY JOE YOUNG Argosy Pictures/RKO Radio Pictures, 1949) that her costar was a movable doll character of a relative few inches in length. With this two picture run, that Miss Moore would work with three of the biggest names in animation; namely Willis O'Brien & Ray Harryhausen (in MIGHTY JOE YOUNG) and finally with George Pal (in RUPERT THE GREAT).

AS FOR THE ANIMATION that made up a truly small portion of RUPERT, it is outstanding. It was well blended and interspersed with footage of a real, live squirrel; in order to give the furry nut-eater the chance to dance and 'perform' what could be only described as cute comic relief.* OUT OF A CURIOSITY that has existed for some years, we forced ourselves to watch RUPERT THE GREAT, yesterday evening over the Cable Channel Turner Classic Movies; which described it as a Christmas Picture. Whereas Christmas did play a part in the beginning of the movie; it did cover a lot more of a time span.

AS SILLY AS the whole premise seems to us today, with a much more cynical and jaded view of the World, the story does give us a sort of latter day fairy tale; what with all ending well in the end.

WE ALL NEED this now and again, even you and I. Right Schultz?

NOTE: * As far as the interplay between Miss Terry Moore and Rupert, there is none. Other than dropping the ca$h, while unseen to Durante's wife and being 'saved' from a burning building by a Fireman, 'Rupert' only had scenes with Jimmy Conlin.

If you're as old as I am, you remember Jimmy Durante as the lovable and classic vaudevillian, who maintained his popularity well into the 1970s (I particularly remember his appearance on Sonny & Cher's variety series in 1972).

Of course, this movie doesn't give the Schnozzola the freedom to be as zany as he could be on television, but it is a nice way to remember Durante. It's a very pleasant family comedy about a trained squirrel who just happens to inadvertently help a family of down-on-their-luck vaudevillians get back on their feet. There's a little romance along the way, and their landlord -- a bit of a Scrooge -- is redeemed when he learns the true value of friendship.

Yes, it's a bit hokey, but I actually mean that in a good way! It begins around Christmas, so it is often classed as a holiday movie, although the second half of the film takes place well after Christmas.

Durante is vibrant. Terry Moore, a Durante's daughter and the love interest in the film is fine. Tom Drake, as the skinflint neighbor's son and Moore's beau is fine also...such a pleasant actor. The other supporting actors are fine, the only one of which you might really recognize is Sara Haden, who portrayed Mickey Rooney's aunt in most of the Andy Hardy films.

This is probably not one for your DVD shelf, but it is worth watching at least once, simply for the joy of Durante!

i've never liked or approved much of redneck gourmet cook Heidi Wilson "The Huntress", but after seeing this piece of Christmas schmaltz, i couldn't really think of a better purpose for Rupert the Christmas squirrel.

in the opening scene a actress and her agent come to see a old man who puts a Scottish kilt and outfit on a squirrel and makes it dance to his accordion. i pretty much related to the snobby actress who basically gives Rupert a look of disdain and boredom after his dance.

to say that there is much better Christmas fare than this is a understatement. this not only was the stooooopidest Xmas flick i've ever seen, it is amongst the most tryingly inane movies i've ever seen. i usually like movies that are so bad they're good, but this one was so bad you just wanted to start screaming for mercy.

i don't think squirrels are all that smart and talented. the beach front here in my town is infested with the nasty rodents and it ain't pretty. they run in and out of the rocks and they look malnourished and like they have rabies or something. i wouldn't wanna touch em. my friend, who by the way happens to love this stupid cheeseball of a movie, has some cuter, healthier looking squirrels in his backyard tree, but they ain't good for much except getting into the bird feeder and chasing away the birds. i think Rupert is probably worth half as much as the "real" thing and the "real" thing ain't much.

the only thing i thought was salvageable about this hokey pokey was Jimmy Durante's rendition of "jingle Bells". at least Jimmy Durante was good for carrying the slack when Rupert couldn't.

Rupert is a bad actor. i wouldn't even have him on a patty melt. i'm sure he would taste bad. like stinky, old Christmas candy from Christmas long past. pee-yew. there wasn't anything funny or cute about Rupert, he was just tedious and boring. he should have had more slapstick antics rather then trying to do God's work by being careless with other people's money. i usually like a religious element in film, but the idea that the good lord works miracles through Rupert approaches a kind of blasphemy of sorts. don't need no religious preachings from no mangy squirrel.

i assure you your Christmas is better spent with Rudolph, Frosty, Charlie Brown or whatever the heck gets you through the trying holiday season. only don't waste your time with Rupert, he will only try your patience and make you glad Christmas only comes once a year. no wonder chipmunks are more fashionable at Christmastime.

Knowing my love for older movies, my mother gave me the DVD titled A Chrismas Wish. I was leery as to whether I would enjoy this colorized and retitled film. What a pleasant surprise this adorable film is. The story begins during the holiday season, with out of work vaudevillian actors the Amendola family, Jimmy Durante, Queenie Smith, and daughter Terry Moore renting a small ground-floor dwelling from skinflint Mr. Dingle, Frank Orth who lives with his wife Sara Haden and son Tom Drake. The previous tenant had a very talented dancing squirrel named Rupert, who unknown to the Amendola family moves back into their room. The stingy landlord hides his money routinely in a hole made in a baseboard, which he believes is safe, but it actually is the home of Rupert who throws the money out of his nest. While praying for badly needed new shoes for daughter Rosalinda, Mrs.Amendola is shocked as money comes floating down landing on the floor. The Amendola's are overjoyed celebrating Christmas with all the trimmings. The money keeps coming and so does the charm of this story. Jimmy Durante is at his comical best, Queenie Smith is very sweet, beautiful Terry Moore and Tom Drake fall in love in this very delightful movie. I am not a fan of colorized films, but I appreciate that this film is at least available to enjoy, and I do every Christmas season.

If you approach this as what it is, unashamed feelgood family fare then you'll probably enjoy it without necessarily wanting to see it again for a few years. It's basically a morality tale in which good defeats bad and everyone lives happily ever after. In a nutshell - sorry about that - Jimmy Durante with wife and daughter, who haven't got change of a match between them, move into an apartment owned by miser Frank Orth, who deposits $1,500 behind the baseboard each week. The last resident was Jimmy Conklin and his vaudeville act The Great Rupert, a gifted squirrel who returns to the apartment when Conklin releases him, takes up a position behind the baseboard and drops the money into Durante's apartment as fast as Orth deposits it. The twist is that Durante uses it to do good and help those less fortunate. Love interest is provided by Durante's daughter, Terri Moore and Orth's son, Tom Drake and the only jarring note is Moore's unexplained volte-face when she ditches the sugar-daddy she's been dating in favor of Drake's penniless songwriter. This cavil to one side this is a seriously pleasant movie and if families still exist this is the sort of stuff they should be watching en masse.

No, this isn't the beloved pet teddy bear of "Family Guy's" Stewie. This is a cute little squirrel who has run off from his trainer (Jimmy Conlin) back to the old apartment that Conlin has been tossed out of. An old vaudeville pal of Conlin's (Jimmy Durante) moves in with his down and out family, and the little prankster squirrel plays a trick on the miserly owner (Frank Orth) by tossing down bills hidden by Orth in the walls. Thinking that a Christmas miracle has happened, the family's fortunes begin to rise but Orth becomes puzzled as his stash begins to dwindle.

This sweet low budget Christmas fantasy was created by George Pal, best known for some of the most groundbreaking science fiction films of the 1950's. The cheapness of the film is obvious, but it is done with such humanity that it really doesn't matter that you can tell that this is a mechanical squirrel. You really begin to care about this family as they go through a series of bad circumstances, and hope that the miserly Orth will learn some lessons from this and begin to care more about people than money, and that includes his long-suffering wife (Sara Haden). There are a lot of familiar character actors from the golden age of movies and television, including Frank Cady of "Green Acres" and that queen of the bit part Queenie Smith in a much larger role than normal. Terry Moore of "Mighty Joe Young" fame is the romantic heroine. While younger audiences of our high-tech era might find this silly and sappy, those of us who grew up in more innocent times can sit back and enjoy the film from a non-cynical point of view and hope the younger generation will eventually realize the charm of film like this.

"The Great Rupert" is a thoroughly ridiculous and silly film. I do NOT recommend you rush to see it. Yet, on the other hand, despite it being a rather trite film, there is a certain likability to it--mostly because the characters are so nice.

The film begins with a strange man teaching his squirrel (Rupert) to do an insanely impossible dance number. Today, it's very obvious that George Pal used his stop-motion skills to animate this squirrel in most of the scenes but back in the day, it must have been pretty cool seeing a mega-talented squirrel! But, no one seem impressed by this amazing act and the man and his squirrel are tossed out of their apartment because they can't pay the rent. The guy lets Rupert go and Rupert sneaks back into the apartment.

In the meantime, a family of actors moves into this apartment. There is no way they can afford the meager rent and their landlord isn't exactly an angel--so you assume they'll soon get tossed. But, when the lady of the house is praying for help, it soon arrives--in the form of cash that comes flying out of the ceiling. It seems that Rupert has found the landlord's hidden stash and he has decided to give it to the nice family. Naturally LOTS of complications arise--only to have everyone (even the landlord) live happily ever after thanks to Rupert.

A silly plot, I know. But Jimmy Durante (the dad) is sweet and so is his wife and daughter. In fact, everyone but the landlord seems very likable. And, because of this likability, the film works on a basic level. Deep? No way...but mildly amusing.