elshikh4 It's pure magic. Despite anyone tries to convince you not. When I was 14-year-old this movie was among my top 5. Who can resist many stars, bright dances, droll sketches, great music, and so sizzling girls from the good old 1950s as well ?! You can say it got a thin plot. But as whole I discovered that that was the point ! It's a variety show. (Cantinflas), the Mexican comic star, wasn't that hot name in America. And the way to achieve that was by putting him in the middle of Hollywood hall of fame, through delightful colorful episodes with a plot (somewhat) like kind of (Charles Chaplin)'s tales yet about a man and not a kid.. but a horse. And for me all of that worked magically.I believe the TV at the moment was hitting the movies' industry badly. So Hollywood had to fight back with its heavy artillery. You can sense that rightly with Cantinflas's first American movie 4 years ago (Around the World in 80 Days). The many cameos of the stars, the episodic feel, and the international backgrounds all were the cinema's desperate weapons at its war. And Cantinflas's second American movie wasn't away from that. Still the parts that really entertained me much were Maurice Chevalier's Mimi, the bar's erotic dance, Dean Martin's cameo, and the scene of Cantinflas with Edward G. Robinson near the end as a walking broken heart (Cantinflas lost that year's Golden Globe of the best actor for Jack Lemmon in The Apartment). So it is a funny, sexy, and touching show.The title song is one of a few songs move my feeling to the highest degree. It's holy for me. Aside from perfect music, I ranked it as the best song ever made about the beauty of simplicity, the smiling clown in our life, or just the beauty of being simple smiling man. This was the end of the musicals' age on-screen, and to tell you the truth Pepe isn't a great musical itself, though it managed to give the good emotions that any great musical used to deliver. And remember folks; this was nominated for 7 Oscars. Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best Editing, Best Original Song (Faraway Part of Town), and Best Music; Scoring of a Musical Picture. It's surely better than many musicals I watched from Hollywood's golden age.George Sidney's movies that I saw till now are all an absolute treat. Plus something else, the women in his movies are all sexy. So sexy at the least! It's clear that this man loved the showgirls along with the cabaret's dancing so much. And by the way I began to believe that (Sidney) was slightly having a passion for the butts (the good female butts!). Yes, you can believe that when you watch for instance his way of focusing on the dancing girl with Dailey (after Chevalier's number). And certainly in other movies like his next (Viva Las Vegas) and (The Swinger) !I know it gets weird at places (the dance as small people), but again this is a show with various spectacles, and that trick wasn't familiar only, but was kind of dazzling back then also. However still boring for a big fan of the movie like me! Plus I couldn't stand Dan Dailey most of the time. But still the final scene was the worst thing; it abstracted the Hollywood happy ending yet in the wrong way. It's a rare document about Hollywood at the end of the 1950s. You may catch on its value after experiencing Hollywood of the 1970s where movies like (That's Entertainment) were produced just to recall days like these! Although now it isn't among the top 5, but as this show was ultra-satisfying for me in my childhood, IT IS as satisfying after. So bad that it didn't serve its lead to be a Hollywood star. However Pepe (the movie, the character and the song) are real stars in my memories.

aguilaranch 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!!!

josem1999 It's really hard to rate this movie. On the one hand, it's a true time capsule of 1960..every mega star is here..including practically the whole rat pack. On the other hand , this is a an extremely corny movie about a man and his donkey.What is really painful to watch is what the movie does to the Cantinflas persona. In his Mexican movies, he is street smart but with a sentimental side. Sort of a Mexican Little Tramp. In his Mexican movies this persona became more and more sentimental and less street smart as years went by. But nothing can prepare you for this movie. In it, the Cantinflas persona becomes a virtual moron. He is such an ignorant fool it is almost painful to watch.I remember seeing this movie with my grandmother and mother at the old Radio City theater in Santurce. I was a boy expecting a Cantinflas movie and was surprised to see a movie like this. Still I have fond memories and I feel that the movie deserves a DVD release. In fact this movie doesn't even show up on AMC or TCM. And its a shame because this movie is an interesting way to go back to 1960.

hawparks2 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.