Rupert and the Frog Song
Encyclopedia
Rupert and the Frog Song is a 1984 animated film written and produced by Paul McCartney
and directed by Geoff Dunbar and Raymond 'George' Taylor. The making of Rupert and the Frog Song began in 1981 and ended in 1983. The film was released theatrically as an accompaniment to McCartney's feature film Give My Regards to Broad Street
. The song We All Stand Together
from the film's soundtrack reached #3 when released in the UK Singles Chart
. It was released in 2004 as one of the segments of Paul McCartney: Music & Animation.
lands on the barren tree along with two black cats. All three of them soon follow Rupert.
Upon the rocks, Rupert finds a large number of multicolored frogs. He walks into a cave behind a waterfall and sees three signs: "Frogs only beyond this Point", "Everything except frogs must be kept on a lead", and "Guard frogs operating". He sneaks into the palace, trying to avoid getting caught by the frog guards. After a moment of silence, most of the frogs sing "We All Stand Together
". Around the end, the frog King and Queen rise out of the water before the crowd. After a thunderous applause from the frogs, The owl, (who snuck in also undetected with the cats), launches for an attack on the royals, Rupert yells, "Look Out!" and all the frogs quickly disappear. The king and queen are almost snatched by the barn owl, but they re-submerge just in time, the owl leaves, along with the cats, disappointed. Rupert's mother soon after calls him back home, and Rupert excitedly tells her about what he saw of the Frog Song.
," which was recorded in 1971 and released on the 1973 album Red Rose Speedway
, was intended for the film.
The video
was released simultaneously with the single We All Stand Together and became the biggest selling video of 1985 as well as being nominated for the 'Best Music Video - Short Form' at the Grammy Award
s in 1986. The video also included two other shorts with music by Linda McCartney
: Seaside Woman (a song credited to Suzy and the Red Stripes
) and, The Oriental Nightfish
.
In 2002 and September 2004 the film was re-released on DVD
Tales of Wonder Music and Animation Classics (also called Paul McCartney - Music & Animation Collection), to mark its 20th Anniversary, along with Calling All Toddlers 2 (which featured that opening as a music video) and two other shorts directed by Geoff Dunbar, Tropic Island Hum
and Tuesday
. This version contains an alternative opening, which begins in an old bedroom filled with Rupert merchandise. We see Paul McCartney opening a large chest and digging through old dusty books until he comes upon an old Rupert book. He takes it out of the chest, blows on it, and sparkling dust flies away from the book. McCartney opens the book to reveal his childhood house address, a possible reference to the VHS covers of this film. The page then turns to the title card. The print of this version is also matted, cropping the top and bottom of the image to an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen, which was how the film was exhibited theatrically
.
The film is displayed as a looping video at the Museum of Canterbury
in England
.
(British Academy Award) for Best Animated Short Film.
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
and directed by Geoff Dunbar and Raymond 'George' Taylor. The making of Rupert and the Frog Song began in 1981 and ended in 1983. The film was released theatrically as an accompaniment to McCartney's feature film Give My Regards to Broad Street
Give My Regards to Broad Street (film)
Give My Regards to Broad Street is a 1984 British musical film directed by Peter Webb and starring Paul McCartney, Bryan Brown and Ringo Starr. The film proved to be a financial disaster, but the soundtrack album sold well. It was the last film appearance of classical actor Sir Ralph Richardson....
. The song We All Stand Together
We All Stand Together
"We All Stand Together" is a song by Paul McCartney and the Frog Chorus. It was from the animated film Rupert and the Frog Song and reached number three in the UK Singles Chart in 1984...
from the film's soundtrack reached #3 when released in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. It was released in 2004 as one of the segments of Paul McCartney: Music & Animation.
Cast
- Windsor DaviesWindsor DaviesWindsor Davies is a British actor, well known for playing the part of Battery Sergeant Major Williams in the 1970s/1980s British sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum.-Early life and career:...
(voice) - Rupert's Father / Father Frog - Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
(voice) - RupertRupert BearRupert Bear is a children's comic strip character, who features in a series of books based around his adventures. The character was created by the English artist Mary Tourtel and first appeared in the Daily Express on 8 November 1920. Rupert's initial purpose was to win sales from the rival...
/ Edward / Bill / Boy Frog - June WhitfieldJune WhitfieldJune Rosemary Whitfield, CBE is an English actress, well known in the United Kingdom since the 1950s for roles in radio and television comedy series....
(voice) - Rupert's Mother
Plot
One day Rupert decides to climb the hill. With his Mother's blessing he sets off for a jolly trip. On the way he encounters his friends Bill and Edward. Rupert asks them if they will join him on his trip to the hills, but Edward has to do some shopping while Bill has to look after Baby Brother. Rupert accepts that his friends are busy, as he sets out to the hills and wishes them a good day. Once there, he props himself up against the trunk of an oak and sucks in the glory of the countryside. He suddenly finds himself enveloped by a rainbow cloud of butterflies, and all of them swarm away from the leafless oak towards a rocky outcrop and Rupert could not resist following them. Once he leaves, a large white Barn OwlBarn Owl
The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
lands on the barren tree along with two black cats. All three of them soon follow Rupert.
Upon the rocks, Rupert finds a large number of multicolored frogs. He walks into a cave behind a waterfall and sees three signs: "Frogs only beyond this Point", "Everything except frogs must be kept on a lead", and "Guard frogs operating". He sneaks into the palace, trying to avoid getting caught by the frog guards. After a moment of silence, most of the frogs sing "We All Stand Together
We All Stand Together
"We All Stand Together" is a song by Paul McCartney and the Frog Chorus. It was from the animated film Rupert and the Frog Song and reached number three in the UK Singles Chart in 1984...
". Around the end, the frog King and Queen rise out of the water before the crowd. After a thunderous applause from the frogs, The owl, (who snuck in also undetected with the cats), launches for an attack on the royals, Rupert yells, "Look Out!" and all the frogs quickly disappear. The king and queen are almost snatched by the barn owl, but they re-submerge just in time, the owl leaves, along with the cats, disappointed. Rupert's mother soon after calls him back home, and Rupert excitedly tells her about what he saw of the Frog Song.
Release
McCartney had been planning his Rupert movie since at least the early 1970s. At one point, the song "Little Lamb DragonflyLittle Lamb Dragonfly
"Little Lamb Dragonfly" is a song credited to Paul and Linda McCartney and originally released on the Wings 1973 album Red Rose Speedway. The song was originally recorded during the sessions for McCartney's Ram album in early 1971, and thus Hugh McCracken plays guitar on the recording rather than...
," which was recorded in 1971 and released on the 1973 album Red Rose Speedway
Red Rose Speedway
-Additional tracks:-Original LP Recording:Originally planned as a double album, this is the tracklisting from the acetates of the early incarnation of the album dated 13 December 1972...
, was intended for the film.
The video
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
was released simultaneously with the single We All Stand Together and became the biggest selling video of 1985 as well as being nominated for the 'Best Music Video - Short Form' at the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s in 1986. The video also included two other shorts with music by Linda McCartney
Linda McCartney
Linda Louise McCartney, Lady McCartney was an American photographer, musician and animal rights activist. Her father and mother were Lee Eastman and Louise Sara Lindner Eastman....
: Seaside Woman (a song credited to Suzy and the Red Stripes
Suzy and the Red Stripes
The single was first released three years later, in 1977, on Epic Records in the US, due to the efforts of Epic's Steve Popovich, who was given label credit for mastering the original single...
) and, The Oriental Nightfish
Oriental Nightfish
Oriental Nightfish is a 1978 animated film directed by Ian Emes which accompanies the Linda McCartney track Oriental Nightfish. The film has a running time of 4m 30s and features animation by Ian Emes with the track Oriental Nightfish performed Wings, the band Linda and her husband Paul McCartney...
.
In 2002 and September 2004 the film was re-released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
Tales of Wonder Music and Animation Classics (also called Paul McCartney - Music & Animation Collection), to mark its 20th Anniversary, along with Calling All Toddlers 2 (which featured that opening as a music video) and two other shorts directed by Geoff Dunbar, Tropic Island Hum
Tropic Island Hum
Tropical Island Hum, released in 2004, is Paul McCartney's second animated film for children. The associated single reached #21 in the UK.-Notes:...
and Tuesday
Tuesday (book)
Tuesday is a book by David Wiesner. Released by Clarion Books, it was the recipient of the Caldecott Medal for illustration in 1992.The story, told in detailed illustrations with only a few captions, concerns frogs who mysteriously rise out of their pond on floating lily pads as the sun sets on a...
. This version contains an alternative opening, which begins in an old bedroom filled with Rupert merchandise. We see Paul McCartney opening a large chest and digging through old dusty books until he comes upon an old Rupert book. He takes it out of the chest, blows on it, and sparkling dust flies away from the book. McCartney opens the book to reveal his childhood house address, a possible reference to the VHS covers of this film. The page then turns to the title card. The print of this version is also matted, cropping the top and bottom of the image to an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen, which was how the film was exhibited theatrically
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
.
The film is displayed as a looping video at the Museum of Canterbury
Museum of Canterbury
The Canterbury Heritage Museum, formerly the Museum of Canterbury, is a museum in Stour Street, Canterbury, South East England, telling the history of the city. It is housed in the 12th century Poor Priests' Hospital next to the River Stour. The museum exhibits the Canterbury Cross and contains a...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Awards and nominations
In 1984, the year of its release, it won a UK BAFTABritish Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
(British Academy Award) for Best Animated Short Film.