Very Cool!!!

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

From my favorite movies..

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

It's hard not to like Jimmy Durante even though he was Jimmy Durante in all his movie appearances - no matter how you disguise him. He was a great performer on stage, screen or TV and in whatever material was provided for him. In "Rupert The Great" he injects life into what is basically a one-joke movie. He, his wife and daughter are out-of-work circus tumblers looking for place to stay in the Big City. As luck would have it they come across a fellow performer who has lost his living quarters and releases his trained squirrel as he is 'unable to support the two of them'. Durante and family take over his digs, and the squirrel, who has snuck back unnoticed. The squirrel funnels money from the landlord's stash above to the family below. Several funny sequences ensue, as you can imagine.The squirrel has precious little screen time, and this would have made a great kid's picture with a better screenplay. But there is enough Durante to save the day and this old veteran gives it all he's got, which is considerable. It must have been a good 'B' movie in its day and is passable entertainment now. At 87 minutes, length is no problem and is over before it wears on the viewer.

When i started seeing this movie I did not really have any idea what it was. But I was met with a scene with an old man playing music and a squirrel dancing. As I may be a bit crazy and love fantasy and adventure so I could see this movie go in interesting ways.But just as getting ready to follow the squirrel it took back seat in the movie to something that was a bland love story and I think maybe comedy. (not sure as I never laughed. But they did look like it should be funny)So would I recommend this movie? Yes if the 10 minutes the squirrel was in the movie to the whole movie. Otherwise no. After the 10 first minutes nothing really happens with the squirrel. It is only there a few short scenes. In my opinion none of persons in the main body was very likable or interesting.

Okay, it's not exactly Gone with the WInd or a great comedy, but this is a very cute movie. In fact, it's so sweet and innocent that it's a sort of live action cartoon that would be great for children. (There is one instance where the squirrel is said to be "dead" but he opens his eyes so quickly that I don't think children would be upset.One of the downsides I was going to say was that it wasn't in color, but I see that there is a colorized version. I would definitely recommend seeing that one over the black and white version I saw on TCM because as I say there is a real fairy tale feeling to the story and the color will add to that, especially if seen for Christmas. It even gives a good morality lesson about prayer and using it as a gimmick, but is not overly preachy about it. I had to laugh out loud when they said the animation was so "realistic." To our eyes today it looks (much like March of the Wooden Soldiers) as if the animation was done in a 3rd grade video class, but that is part of the charm of the movie and I think you will find yourself laughing at it as I did, from the charm and not out of cynicism.But of course the main attraction is Jimmy Durante in an endearing role in which he gets to crack jokes, sing sweet songs and just be his lovable self. This film will allow a whole new generation to fall in love with him.So definitely sit down and watch this movie, especially for the holidays, with the kids. It's a sweet, sentimental and silly story about a "saintly" squirrel. But if you don't watch it you'd be...ummm...nuts! :)

The Great Rupert besides being the first feature film of master Puppetooner George Pal is a pleasant, gentle, and innocuous family comedy about the innocent antics of a very smart squirrel and the changes he wreaks in a neighborhood. Ironically enough no one knows he's the responsible party right up to the highest levels of government.Rupert who is an animated squirrel courtesy of George Pal is a trained rodent by animal trainer Jimmy Conlin, but who can't sell the act to agent Chick Chandler and because of that he's evicted for lack of rent payment by landlord Frank Orth. As luck would have it another group of vaudevillians, the family Amendola which consists of Jimmy Durante, wife Queenie Smith and their daughter Terry Moore. Mainly because Orth's son develops big eyes for Terry, he rents them the place without a deposit nor hopes of getting one.But Rupert returns to his nest in the roof of that house and he causes miser Orth's fortune to fall upon the Amendolas, it's where the old skinflint stores his loot because he doesn't trust banks. Remember we were not too far from the Depression when many banks failed.I can't go any farther, but suffice it to say it all works out financially and romantically in the end. Along the way Jimmy Durante provides us with a couple of numbers in his unique style.The film is timeless in its humor, but it does show the age of the fashions involved. It probably could be remade today, I can see Steve Martin in Jimmy Durante's part.But not with the Schnozz.