The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Roy Rowland

Writers:

Dr. Seuss (screenplay) &
Allan Scott (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

1 July 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Fantasy | Music | Romance

Tagline:

The Wonder Musical of the Future!

Plot:

Bart has only one enemy in the world: his piano teacher Dr. Terwilliker. Dr. T has a mad plan to force...

Plot Keywords:

Piano | Dr Seuss | Fishing | Metronome | Theremin

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Peter Lind Hayes	...	August Zabladowski
Mary Healy	...	Heloise Collins
Hans Conried	...	Dr. Terwilliker
Tommy Rettig	...	Bartholomew Collins
Jack Heasley	...	Uncle Whitney (as John Heasley)
John Heasley	...	Uncle Whitney
Robert Heasley	...	Uncle Judson
Noel Cravat	...	Sgt. Lunk
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
George Chakiris	...	Dancer (as George Kerris)

Also Known As:

Crazy Music (reissue title)
Dr. Seuss' 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (video title)
The Five-Thousand Fingers of Dr. T. (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (Certificate No. 15928) | Australia:G | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Finland:K-8

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

According to producer Stanley Kramer, the film's budget would only allow him to hire 150 boys for the piano sequence, instead of the 500 boys he intended to use. When he threatened them with dismissal after they misbehaved, many of them stood up and cheered.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Dr. T catches Bart, his mother and Mr. Zabladowski trying to escape (after the fight with the twins), he is wearing a lavender coat with black trim when he first appears and says, "I, on the other hand, am inclined to doubt that." For the rest of the sequence, he wears a black coat with a pink treble clef and white stripes representing the five-line staff.

Quotes:

Dr. Terwilliker: Is it atomic?
Bart Collins: Yes sir, VERY atomic!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Superjail!: Dream Machine (#1.8)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Because We're Kids

That Dungeon Ballet!

"The 5.000 Fingers of Dr. T" is one of those 'sleepers' that have been turning up on video over recent years. As many commentators have said, the film is uneven in terms of inspiration. This is especially true on the musical level: only a couple of songs are memorable. Still, even the weaker ones are effective. But the film has a memorable, surrealistic set design with a marvelous color component.

A generally good cast compensates for any other deficiencies. As Bart, Tommy Rettig makes a terrific hero for his own dream/fantasy. (This film could almost be described as a lesser "Wizard of Oz"). Real life married couple Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healy are fine as the 'parent' figures. While Hans Conried dominates every scene he is in: the wonderfully mean-spirited Dr. T. (The wonderful "Dress Me Up" song is irresistable).

But what truly makes this movie compulsory viewing is the brilliant dungeon ballet. Bart steals into the dark recesses below Dr. T's institute and discovers a beautifully realized nightmare world. All of Dr. T's non-piano-playing prisoners are incarcerated here, along with their instruments ('screechy violins, nauseating trumpets' etc). But this is no conventional scary, kid-movie sequence: the scene is staged as a major jazz ballet piece. The choreography is no less than ingenious. In their green leotards, these very musical 'boys' (including young George Chakiris) perform as rousing a dance number as has ever been put before the movie camera. And the musical score, at its peak here, is at one with the dancing.

Film historians tell us that "The 5.000 Fingers of Dr. T" was virtually ignored in its day. Perhaps it was too "weird" in 1953 for audiences who were already growing used to milder TV fare. But Conried's performance and the incredible ballet scene should assure it a place in fantasy film history for some time to come.