Pepe

source: Pepe

Sorry, but this is like: "Cantinflas gave a party and everybody showed up, except himself". Anyway, it's great to see in one movie and enjoy all of his illustrious guests. Now, if you want to enjoy Cantinflas, please stick to his 40's and early 50's b/w movies.

"Pepe" deserved to flop: it's not funny, it's too long, the character of Cantinflas is a total stereotype, and the story resolution reeks of 1950's Hollywood casual racism AND sexism (the young, initially "tough" Shirley Jones apologizes (!) to the dreary, obnoxious and middle-aged Dan Dailey who had been insulting both her and Cantinflas throughout the movie, and agrees to marry him, because of course in a 1960 movie a woman a) must always be wrong because the man must always right, b) cannot possibly have an interracial marriage). Most of the guest stars add little; only a few, like Maurice Chevalier and Janet Leigh, make significant contributions. Don Juan the Horse probably gives the best performance in the film. But there are three sequences which are worth seeing: the nightclub dance / martial arts "fight" number is impressively intricately choreographed and executed, the miniaturized Debbie Reynolds & Cantinflas sequence is great fun, and the tap dancing number with Chevalier, Cantinflas and Dailey is the only sequence in which Dailey is bearable. Other than that, "Pepe" is interesting today only as another one in a line of Big Studio flops like "Cleopatra". ** out of 4.

"Pepe" is an odd film. It stars Cantinflas--a very, very famous comic from Mexico but a person rather unknown to most Americans. Some might have remembered him from "Around the World in 80 Days" but nearly all of Cantinflas' films were Mexican. Having him star in a film chock full of famous American actors of the day is very surprising. It's also a mistake simply because the mixture is poor. I love Cantinflas' films--they are sweet, charming and simple. Combining this with a bazillion guest appearances by Hollywood stars is a disservice to Cantinflas and it disrupts him from doing what he does best--entertaining us and making us laugh. The film begins in Mexico. There's a horse auction and Pepe (Cantinflas) is upset, as the horse he helped raise, Don Juan, is about to be auctioned. He tries in several clever ways to prevent rich Americans from bidding on this prize horse but one of them (Dan Dailey) realizes that Pepe is lying about the horse. So he buys the animal and moves it to Hollywood. Unable to live without the horse, Pepe goes to America to try to get the animal back...if possible..or at least be with him. Along the way (as well as in Mexico) he meets one movie star after another after another. Most of these cameos are really unnecessary (such as Bobby Darin singing in a crazy production number) and their appearances a waste of time and money. A few, such as Shirley Jones, have more substantial roles in this movie. If you ignore all the cameos, the plot is just okay but a bit weird. Throughout the film, Cantinflas plays a guy who is a bit too childlike--almost stupid. It's a difficult balance, as in some of his films he was a bit naive and certainly uneducated (though never dumb). Having him constantly refer to himself as the horse's 'father' is rather dumb and conjures up some unseemly images! And, the film seems a bit patronizing when they show simple Pepe dealing with life in America and they make him a bit pathetic. Plus, it's tough when a comic is saddled (so to speak) with an animal as a sidekick--as most of the comedies I can think of with animal co-stars are pretty poor (such as "Mr. Ed", "The Chimp" and "The Cat From Outer Space"). If the film had instead allowed Cantinflas to be THE star and allow his natural charming persona not to be obscured with guest stars and an animal, it would have been so much better. Overall, an obvious misfire. My advice is to see his Mexican films--they are full of charm and style--whereas "Pepe" is just terrible at times.

I really want to write something good about this movie. I can't, though. I only saw it once, and once was more than enough. I was a teenager in Denver, Colorado, when "Pepe" previewed for the first time before an audience. A passel of studio bigwigs showed up at the Centre Theatre that evening, including, I believe, producer and director George Sidney. Cantinflas was a no-show; maybe he knew something. Did you ever attend a movie where the audience greets it with...dead silence? Not the kind of silence for something cerebral, such as "2001: A Space Odyssey", but the kind of silence that lets you know you are watching a very slow, very long train wreck. And there were roughly 1,200 really silent people that night fifty years ago. So why did I stick it out through the whole thing? Easy. The cameos. I would start looking for the exit when Edward G. Robinson would appear. Wow! This picture's got to get better now. Wrong. Ditto for Ernie Kovacs, and so on. Since I viewed the preview print, I believe I saw the full 195 minute version. So what did the studio cut for general release? The only thing I clearly remember departing was a long, misbegotten animated sequence. In retrospect I feel sorry for George Sidney, director of "The Harvey Girls", the 1948 "Three Musketeers", and "Kiss Me Kate". But the industry had changed a lot by 1960. He did his best to keep up, but "Pepe" has to be a nadir. Some believe "Pepe" to be excellent family fare. If I compelled a child to watch the whole thing, even the cut general release version, I could probably be arrested for child abuse. You have been warned!

Although it has been years since I have seem this film, the scene with the horse on the pool table is unforgettable.

The major recommendation on this movie is the fact that Kim Novak to me was never more beautiful than the Star was in this movie. Gorgeous. When the camera is on Kim the movie stops and one is dazzled. Kim Novak and Columbia Pictures had a magical combination: Columbia groomed Kim Novak and Kim Novak became the Number 1 female star in Hollywood with his films such as Picnic, Pal Joey, Bell Book and Candle, especially the heartbreaking Strangers When We Meet and on loan to RKO for The Man With The Golden Arm, and to Paramount for Novak's most famous film Vertigo. Joe McDonald photographs the great star well, but then Kim Novak and the Camera had a love affair. George Sidney who worked with Kim before in Pal Joey was a long time Kim Novak admirer and while many list Alfred Hitchcock and Billy Wilder as principal Kim Novak directors, Kim herself might also add George Sidney as well to the list -----as Delbert Mann, Josh Logan, and her former lover Richard Quine. Pepe was a concoction developed by Columbia to basically plume the Latin American market and Mexico in particular with an All star fun filled film starring Cantinflas with cameos by the great stars such as beautiful Greer Garson, and Columbia stars such as Jack Lemmon and Kim Novak and up and coming Columbia contract stars such as Michael Callan and Vicki Trickett. One complaint is the minimal use of Judy Garland who was magic in front of the camera and of course sang like no one ever before or since.

I agree with many other comments posted here about this film about why it should never have been given a poor rating by critics. I was ten years old when this film was released and wanted to see it but never did until today. I saw it on TCM and boy, what a real treat to have seen so many of the old stars that have since left us but their talent and memories still linger in our minds and hearts. I never knew that Shirley Jones was a dancer until the scene where Dan Dailey is filming a dance sequence with her and another dancer and Bobby Darin is singing the story. This is when talent was talent, compared to some of the junk they call talent today. Cantinflas could have truly been called the Mexican Charlie Chaplin, with his character so reminiscent of The Little Tramp yet unique in his own little way. He definitely did not get the credit that he deserved. Take the kids away from the raunchy cartoons and violence and rent this one for a family viewing night. They will get a kick out of Pepe's horse and his little donkey. I plan to purchase a copy for myself to keep in my collection for viewing on a rainy day. This is one of my all-time favorites.

It was Easter Sunday 1960 that I saw this movie with my parents. What a treat! My grandmother use to take me to see his hilarious movies here in S. Texas. He was the "Charlie Chaplin" of Mexico, comedic, as well as a dramatic actor loved by everyone. It may not have been the commercial success as Around The World In Eighty Days, but entertaining none the less. He may have been given the stereo typical poor hapless Mexican, yet I guess he had the last laugh! When was the last time a movie was centered around a poor Mexican with the most noted stars of the era? I counted at least 37! I still remember the cheery song "Pepe". When I hear "Tequila" today I still think of the dance he did with Debbie Reynolds and that big bottle they popped out of. I wish they'd release it on DVD, I'd be the first in line to buy it!!!

I would really love to get a copy of this movie because I saw this movie as a child and I am 51 years old and although I can't remember a lot of the movie, I remember the Name of it, and Debbie Reynolds singing the song "pepe" and thinking that was the Best Movie I had ever seen. They Do Not Make Movies Like They Used To. A Lot of Wonderful Actors & Actresses in this Show.