Themes: Fantasy Lands, Authority Figures, Fantasy Life
Main Cast: Peter Lind Hayes, Mary Healy, Hans Conried, Tommy Rettig, John Heasley
Release Year: 1953
Country: US
Run Time: 88 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Plot
Ted Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, wrote and helped design this eccentric fantasy about a young boy named Bart (Tommy Rettig) who, like most young boys, doesn't enjoy his piano lessons with the mean-spirited Dr. Terwilliker (Hans Conried). He figures his time would be better spent playing baseball with his friends or helping his grown-up buddy Arthur Zabladowski (Peter Lind Hayes), a plumber. One night, while fast asleep, Bart has a long and remarkable dream in which he's trapped in the kingdom of the fearsome Dr. T, who has enslaved hundreds of little boys, forcing them to practice on the world's largest piano until they drop. With the help of a friendly plumber, Bart plans a revolt that will topple Dr. T's evil empire once and for all. The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T also features several songs for which Geisel contributed lyrics. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
Certainly not your standard issue 1950s-style musical, The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T has gained a substantial cult following in the decades since its release. This is due primarily to the contributions of Ted Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, who wrote the imaginative screenplay and helped design the surrealistic look of the sets and costumes for the lengthy dream sequence that makes up the body of the film. The look, in particular, is impressive, from the Seuss-ian curves and spirals of the sets to the finger-beanies atop the boys' heads to the roller-skating twins connected by their shared beard. Less successful is the screenplay; while it has some delightful sequences, it's a bit disjointed, and its Freudian underpinnings are at times odd and jarring. The direction is fine, but it falls short of reaching the imaginative heights that the material requires. Tommy Rettig does a commendable job in the leading role, and Hans Conried makes a marvelously sly and slithery Dr. T. Mary Healy is fine as Mrs. Collins, but Peter Lind Hayes leaves something to be desired as the boy's father figure. Ultimately Dr. T disappoints by not living up to its potential, but it's a unique film that children especially will find rewarding. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Robert Heasley - Uncle Judson; Noel Cravat - Sgt. Lunk; Henry Kulky - Stroogo
Credit
Cary O'Dell - Art Director, Eugene Loring - Choreography, Jean Louis - Costume Designer, Roy Rowland - Director, Al Clark - Editor, Harry Gerstad - Editor, Frederick Hollander - Composer (Music Score), Hans Salter - Composer (Music Score), Morris W. Stoloff - Musical Direction/Supervision, Clay Campbell - Makeup, Rudolph Sternad - Production Designer, Franz Planer - Cinematographer, Clem Beauchamp - Production Manager, Stanley Kramer - Producer, William Kiernan - Set Designer, Allan G. Scott - Screenwriter, Dr. Seuss - Screenwriter
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. is a 1953musicalfantasy film. It is best known for being the only feature film ever written by Theodor Seuss Geisel ("Dr. Seuss"), who was responsible for the story, screenplay, and lyrics. It was directed by Roy Rowland. The film was rereleased in 1958 under the title Crazy Music.
Young Bart Collins lives with his widowed mother Heloise. The major blight on Bart's existence is the hated piano lessons he is forced to endure under the tutelage of the autocratic Dr. Terwilliker. Bart feels that his mother has fallen under Terwilliker's sinister influence, and gripes to visiting plumber August Zabladowski, without much result. While grimly hammering away at his lessons, Bart dozes off and enters a fantastical musical dream, in much the same fashion as Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz.
In the dream, Bart is trapped at the surreal Terwilliker Institute, where the piano teacher is now a madman dictator who has locked up all non-piano-playing musicians in a dungeon and constructed a piano so large that it requires Bart and 499 other enslaved boys (the aforementioned 5,000 fingers) in order to play it. Bart's mother has been turned into Terwilliker's hypnotized assistant and bride-to-be, and Bart must dodge the Institute's guards as he scrambles to save both his mother and himself. He tries to recruit Mr. Zabladowski, who has been hired to install all of the Institute's sinks ahead of a vital inspection, but only after much skepticism and foot-dragging is the plumber finally convinced to help. The two of them empty their pockets and construct a noise-sucking contraption which ruins the mega-piano's opening concert. The enslaved boys cheerfully run riot, and the "VERY atomic" noise-sucker explodes in spectacular fashion, bringing Bart out of his dream.
The movie ends on a hopeful note for Bart, when the real-life Mr. Zabladowski finally notices Heloise, and offers to drive her into town in his jeep. Bart escapes from the piano, and triumphantly runs off to play.
Reaction
Although he had written the original treatment and all the song lyrics, Geisel regarded the finished film as a "debaculous fiasco" and omitted any mention of it in his official biography with Random House.[1] At the film's Hollywood premiere, it was reported that patrons walked out on the film after 15 minutes, and box office receipts were equally disappointing.[2] Nevertheless, the film has gained a cult following over the years, and has been favorably compared to the live-action adaptations of Seuss's works made since his death.
Healy and Hayes were married in real life when they made the movie.
Musical score
The film is almost entirely musical, with either background music or actual musical numbers. Composed by Frederick Hollander (born Friedrich Hollaender) with lyrics by Dr Seuss, the score was nominated for an Academy Award in 1953. Along with standard orchestral instruments, the score also uses a theremin. A soundtrack CD was released by El in Association with Cherry Red Records Ltd (ACMEM126CD). In addition to the film's score the CD includes 11 songs that were not included in the film. They are
My Favorite Note (Hans Conried)
Oh! We Are the Guards (The rollerskating Siamese Twins)
I Will Not Get Involved Parts 1 and 2 (Peter Lind Hayes)
Grindstone (Peter Lind Hayes)
Money (Peter Lind Hayes)
Terwilliker (Hans Conried and Mary Healy)
I Will Not Go To Sleep (Hans Conried)
Many Questions (Mary Healy)
One Moment Ago (Chorus and Orchestral versions) Stills exist of Hayes and Healy singing this in a duet but the track is lost.
There was also an additional verse to the Elevator Song, which was in the original release of the film, but edited out for the re-release and television runs of the film.
Influences on other works
A Broadway musical version of the film, with a new score by Glen Roven, was developed in 2000.[3]
The character of Bart Collins has been adopted in a UK anti-drugs advert. Promoting the service "Talk to Frank" - a drugs advice line. He appears in various locations asking questions such as "what do you use this vase for?" (about a bong), and "how long are you going to feel like that for?" (to a girl clearly on a comedown).
