The Great Rupert (1950)


 Production Company: George Pal - Legend Films

Directed : Irving Pichel
Starring : Jimmy Durante, Terry Moore, Tom Drake
Plot : With Christmas Eve just around the corner, fading song-and-dance performer Joe Mahoney (played by Jimmy Conlin) finds himself forced to part ways with his extraordinary, indispensable, kilt-wearing companion Rupert, the squirrel. In the meantime, another struggling vaudevillian, Louie Amendola (played by Jimmy Durante), moves into the cold flat of miserly landlord Frank Dingle (played by Frank Orth)with his family, unbeknownst to them that an unexpected Christmas miracle is about to take place. However, as the underemployed Amendolas have a taste of the good life thanks to the godsent gift, the police start to suspect foul play. Does stealthy Rupert have something to do with their newfound happiness?.
Trivia : *The stop-motion animation used in creating the illusion of a dancing squirrel (Rupert) was so realistic that producer George Pal received many inquiries as to where he got a squirrel that was trained to dance.
*Jimmy Durante was actually a last-minute addition to the cast. As a result, Terry Moore's billing was dropped from first to second. The script was also modified to allow for Durante-style patter and songs.
*This was reportedly shot in 1948 but not released until 1950. It was later re-released as a holiday film under the title "A Christmas Wish".

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