Directed by Irving Pichel and produced by George Pal, The Great Rupert is a whimsical family comedy with a holiday heart and a touch of stop-motion magic. Released by Eagle-Lion Films, the movie stars Jimmy Durante, Terry Moore, and Tom Drake, and features a squirrel named Rupert who unwittingly becomes a financial savior for a struggling family.
Plot Summary
Just before Christmas, the Amendola family, a troupe of down-on-their-luck acrobats, moves into a modest apartment previously occupied by vaudevillian Joe Mahoney and his trained squirrel, Rupert. Unbeknownst to the Amendolas, Rupert remains in the attic and discovers a stash of money hidden by the miserly landlord Frank Dingle, who receives weekly payments from a gold mine.
Rupert begins tossing the bills down into the Amendola apartment, leading the family to believe their prayers have been answered. As they spread their newfound wealth around town, rumors swirl and the IRS comes knocking. Meanwhile, romance blossoms between Rosalinda Amendola (Terry Moore) and Pete Dingle (Tom Drake), and Rupert’s antics culminate in a fiery climax that brings everything full circle.
Cast Highlights
- Jimmy Durante as Louie Amendola
- Terry Moore as Rosalinda Amendola
- Tom Drake as Pete Dingle
- Frank Orth, Sara Haden, and Queenie Smith in supporting roles
- Rupert the Squirrel as himself (via stop-motion animation)
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- The squirrel Rupert was animated using stop-motion techniques so convincingly that audiences believed he was real
- Jimmy Durante was a last-minute addition to the cast, prompting script rewrites to include his signature musical and comedic style
- Actress Terry Moore didn’t see the film until 35 years later, when Jimmy Durante’s widow screened it privately for her
- The name “Amendola” may have been a play on words—“Amen Dollar”—reflecting the family’s belief that the money was heaven-sent
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