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Pepe (film)
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Wikipedia article
'Pepe' is a 1960 American musical comedy film starring Cantinflas in the title role, directed by George Sidney. The film contained a multitude of cameo appearances, attempting to replicate the success of Cantiflas' American debut 'Around the World in 80 Days'.
The film received generally unfavorable reviews from critics and failed to match the box-office success of his previous American film. The movie was issued on VHS tape in 1998; multiple DVDs have been released.
Plot
Pepe is a hired hand, employed on a ranch. A boozing Hollywood director, Mr. Holt, buys a white stallion that belongs to Pepe's boss. Pepe, determined to get the horse back (as he considers it his family), decides to go to Hollywood. There he meets film stars, including Jimmy Durante, Frank Sinatra, Zsa Zsa Gabr, Bing Crosby, Maurice Chevalier and Jack Lemmon in drag as Daphne from 'Some Like It Hot'. He is also surprised by things that were new in the U.S. at the time, such as automatic doors. When he finally reaches the man who bought the horse, he is led to believe there is no hope of getting it back. However Mr. Holt offers him a job when he realizes that Pepe brings new life to the stallion. With his luck changing, Pepe wins big money in Las Vegas, enough that Mr. Hold lets him be the producer of his next movie. Most of the movie centers around his meeting Suzie Murphy, an actress on hard times who hates the world. Just like with the stallion, Pepe brings out the best in Suzie and helps her become a big star in a movie made by Mr. Holt. The last scene shows both him and the stallion back at the ranch with several foals.
Cast
* Cantinflas as Pepe
* Dan Dailey as Ted Holt
* Shirley Jones as Suzie Murphy
* Carlos Montalbn as Rodrguez (auctioneer)
* Vicki Trickett as Lupita
* Matt Mattox as Dancer
* Hank Henry as Manager
* Suzanne Lloyd as Carmen
* Carlos Rivas as Carlos
* Michael Callan as Dancer
* William Demarest as Movie Studio Gateman
Cameos
* Joey Bishop
* Billie Burke
* Maurice Chevalier
* Charles Coburn
* Richard Conte
* Bing Crosby
* Tony Curtis
* Bobby Darin
* Ann B. Davis as her TV character Schultzy
* Sammy Davis Jr.
* Jimmy Durante
* Zsa Zsa Gabr
* Judy Garland (voice only)
* Greer Garson
* Hedda Hopper
* Ernie Kovacs
* Peter Lawford
* Janet Leigh
* Jack Lemmon
* Dean Martin
* Jay North as his TV character Dennis the Menace
* Kim Novak
* Andr Previn
* Donna Reed
* Debbie Reynolds
* Edward G. Robinson
* Cesar Romero
* Frank Sinatra
Production
George Sidney later recalled "there were problems dealing with the logistics of making a picture in two countries with a writer's strike going on at the same time. It was difficult trying to schedule around this person and that person and getting all of the people together. Shooting in Mexico with two sets of crew down there posed problems. I was moving back and forth and any time I was in one place I needed to be in another place." Sidney says that because of the writers strike, Durante and Cantiflas had to ad lib their scene together. "It turned out to be pretty funny," said Sidney. "The studio thought we had hired writers on the black market."
It was Judy Garland first film work since 'A Star is Born' released in 1954. She was slated to make an onscreen appearance. However she was still recovering from illness and the producers decided to limit it to a song.
Reception
Bosley Crowther of 'The New York Times' was not impressed. "The rare and wonderful talents of Mexican comedian Cantinflas, who was nicely introduced to the general public as the valet in 'Around the World in 80 Days', are pitifully spent and dissipated amid a great mass of Hollywooden dross in the oversized, over-peopled 'Pepe', which opened at the Criterion last night."
Soundtrack album
The soundtrack was issued in 1960 by Colpix Records in the U.S. (CP 507) and Pye International Records in the UK (NPL 28015). The tracks were:
Side One
# "Pepe" sung by Shirley Jones
# "Mimi" / September Song sung by Maurice Chevalier
# "Hooray for Hollywood" sung by Sammy Davis Jr.
# "The Rumble" (Andr Previn) orchestral version
Side Two
# "That's How It Went, All Right" (Dory Langdon Previn / Andr Previn) sung by Bobby Darin
# "The Faraway Part of Town" (Dory Langdon Previn / Andr Previn) sung by Judy Garland
# "Suzy's Theme" (Johnny Green) orchestral version
# "Pennies from Heaven" / Let's Fall in Love / South of the Border sung by Bing Crosby
# "Lovely Day" (Agustn Lara / Dory Langdon Previn) sung by Shirley Jones
Awards and nominations
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
|-
| rowspan="7"| Academy Awards
| Best Art Direction Color
| Art Direction: Ted Haworth;
Set Decoration: William Kiernan
|
|-
| Best Cinematography Color
| Joseph MacDonald
|
|-
| Best Costume Design Color
| Edith Head
|
|-
| Best Film Editing
| Viola Lawrence and Al Clark
|
|-
| Best Scoring of a Musical Picture
| Johnny Green
|
|-
| Best Song
| "Faraway Part of Town"
Music by Andr Previn;
Lyrics by Dory Previn
|
|-
| Best Sound
| Charles Rice
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| Golden Globe Awards
| colspan="2"| Best Motion Picture Musical
|
|-
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
| Cantinflas
|
|-
| Best Original Score Motion Picture
| Johnny Green
|
|-
| rowspan="4"| Laurel Awards
| colspan="2"| Top Musical
|
|-
| Top Male Comedy Performance
| Cantinflas
|
|-
| Top Female Comedy Performance
| Janet Leigh
|
|-
| Top Musical Score
| Andr Previn
|
|}
Comic book adaption
* Dell Four Color #1194 (April 1961)
See also
* List of American films of 1960
References
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