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

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Roy Rowland

Writers:

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

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)
Tony Butala	...	Boy pianist (uncredited)
Kim Charney	...	Boy in line (uncredited)
Henry Kulky	...	Stroogo (uncredited)
Diki Lerner	...	Dancer in dungeon ballet (uncredited)

Directed by
Roy Rowland

Writing credits
Dr. Seuss		(screenplay) &
Allan Scott		(screenplay)
Dr. Seuss		(story and conception)

Produced by
Stanley Kramer	....	producer

Original Music by
Friedrich Hollaender		(as Frederick Hollander)
Heinz Roemheld		(uncredited)
Hans J. Salter		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Franz Planer		(as Frank Planer)

Film Editing by
Al Clark

Production Design by
Rudolph Sternad

Art Direction by
Cary Odell

Set Decoration by
William Kiernan

Makeup Department
Clay Campbell	....	makeup artist
Helen Hunt	....	hair styles
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Clem Beauchamp	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frederick Briskin	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Russell Malmgren	....	sound engineer

Stunts
Waldo	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jean Louis	....	gowns: Miss Healy

Editorial Department
Harry W. Gerstad	....	editorial supervisor (as Harry Gerstad)

Music Department
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director
Gil Grau	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Samuel Hoffman	....	musician: theremin (uncredited)
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Nelson Riddle	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Robert Van Eps	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Other crew
Francis Cugat	....	technicolor color consultant
Eugene Loring	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)
• Stanley Kramer Productions (producer) (as Stanley Kramer Company)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1953) (USA) (theatrical) (as Columbia Pictures Corporation)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (video)
• Turner Classic Movies (TCM) (2009) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)

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

Nightmare for children, heaven for adults!

Of course this is not really a movie for children. The structure of the movie is similar to "Wizard of Oz", beginning with a child which seems to be frustrated with the real life and then dreaming into another world, full of magicians, witches, fabulous adventures and so on. But while "Wizard of Oz" is funny, the characters can simply be divided in "good" and "bad", the adventures can be understood - in "5,000 Fingers" the little boy enters a nightmare! Funny and helpful characters are emotional disturbing. A witch can be recognized as fabulous being, but a piano-teacher is close to real life, and Dr. T. is much more frightening than the evil witch from Oz! The decoration and especially the musical numbers are fantastic, think of the bearded twins on skaters! Fantastic! The psychology of the movie is excellent: A boy suffering from the lack of a father is afraid that his beloved mother is hypnotized by a strange man and will marry him. Certainly thousands of children at any time are fearing such a situation. Literature and cinema are full of this theme, think of "Alice in Wonderland", "Fanny and Alexander" and so on. Really interesting is the time at which this movie was made. During the 50s almost everything was nice and perfect, and here you have a nice and perfect Musical showing frightening, fear, the "other side" of everything. - Here in Germany I am desperately waiting for getting it on DVD or TV! This movie is quite unknown and perhaps unpopular for its content. But believe me: It's one of the "pearls" in movie history!