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; to date, a DVD and a Blu-ray have been released in Spain, but none in the United States.
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 Gabór, 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 Montalbán as Rodríguez (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 as himself
Billie Burke
Maurice Chevalier as himself, performing a number
Charles Coburn as himself
Richard Conte as himself
Bing Crosby as himself
Tony Curtis
Bobby Darin as himself, performing a number
Ann B. Davis as her TV character Schultzy
Sammy Davis Jr. as himself, performing a number in Las Vegas
Jimmy Durante as man at casino
Zsa Zsa Gabór
Judy Garland (voice only) Greer Garson as herself Hedda Hopper Ernie Kovacs as border official Peter Lawford as himself Janet Leigh Jack Lemmon as himself, wearing his outfit from Some Like It Hot Dean Martin Jay North as his TV character Dennis the Menace Kim Novak as herself André Previn Donna Reed as herself, talking to Edward G. Robinson Debbie Reynolds as herself, dancing with Cantiflas in a dream sequence Edward G. Robinson Cesar Romero as a man next to a slot machine Frank Sinatra as himself
Production
In August 1957 George Sidney Productions announced Leonard Spigelglass was working on the screenplay of a vehicle for Cantiflas called Magic. In November of that year Sidney announced the film was called Pepe.
The film was based on an Austrian musical revue, Broadway Zauber ("Broadway Magic"), whose debut in Vienna in 1935 was reviewed by Variety.
In April 1959 contracts were signed with Columbia to produce and release the film. George Sidney was to direct and co produce, under his own banner, along with Jacques Gelman, head of Posa International films.
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’s first film work since A Star is Born was 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.