Ascotrudgeracer Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Wherein an obnoxious rodent is the star. (And here Durante previously complained about following trained seals on the Keith Circuit!) Does there exist a record of the meeting when this concept was pitched? Who greenlighted it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clore Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 It wa George Pal's first feature film and after all of those Puppetoons that he made, it was probably a very viable concept. Hey, if Cary Grant can play to a dancing caterpillar... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingFan Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 > {quote:title=Ascotrudgeracer wrote: > }{quote}Wherein an obnoxious rodent is the star. > (And here Durante previously complained about following trained seals on the Keith Circuit!) > > > > > > > > > > Does there exist a record of the meeting when this concept was pitched? Who greenlighted it? Although I knew that THE GREAT RUPERT is a Christmas movie -- my favorite genre -- I had always avoided it because it sounded too cutesy. I just wasn't that interested in a story featuring a stop-motion-animated squirrel, even if it was by George Pal. A couple of weeks ago, however, I caught part of the movie on Saturday morning, in the slot where TCM is regularly running Christmas movies this month, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I saw most of the movie and learned that it actually focuses on the two human families (with Jimmy Durante as the father in one family and Frank Orth as the dad in the other) and their money troubles. Yes, the squirrel does play an important role in the plot, but from what I saw, it's not as though the squirrel is the star of the film. THE GREAT RUPERT is no masterpiece, even in the limited genre of Christmas movies, but it did seem enjoyable, so I'm now looking forward to making a DVD recording during tonight's showing so that we can add it to our collection of holiday movies. I'm sure we'll watch it during future Christmas seasons, even though it probably won't be one of the movies we watch every single year (like CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT, A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, REMEMBER THE NIGHT, and WHITE CHRISTMAS). Edited by: BingFan on Dec 13, 2011 1:23 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smileys Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Not breathless, because I've watched it each time TCM shows it. I love it. Not everyone here worships Noir, Joan Crawford, and all that is dark, ugly, and evil in the world. I find those pretty much awful, stupid, and unwatchable, but I don't complain about them. Some of us like the cute, the sentimental, the uplifting, the movies that make us smile. Lighten up, and if you don't want to see it, don't, and quit yer bitchin'. ;-) By the way, some of my best friends are squirrels. Higher IQ's than half the people on these boards. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audreyforever Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 I saw this for the first time this past weekend. It was OK, cute plot and not bad acting, but it got too serious for its own good by the end. One of my pet peeves is how lots of old Chirstmas movies only spend a small amount of time on them, especially in the beginning, as with this movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolesroor Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 "But this was the year that Ascot learned the true meaning of Christmas, and he ran through the streets on Christmas morning, the snow falling overhead... He ran past Santa and Frosty, past Rudolph and Tiny Tim... he ran all the way to Rupert, the Magical Christmas Squirrel, and put his arm around him. Holding back a tear, Ascot was heard to remark, "God bless us- every one!" Then he snapped Rupert's neck and roasted him for dinner." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolesroor Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 PS- I would never have even considered watching this movie if not for this thread. So I hold Ascot personally responsible for the quality of the film. If "Rupert" isn't the Greatest Motion Picture in the History of Cinema I will find you and play "Feliz Navidad" outside your window for two consecutive weeks. You have been warned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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