7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

George Pal

Writers:

Charles G. Finney (novel)
Charles Beaumont (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 March 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Mystery | Western

Tagline:

All Tony - All Terrific!

Plot:

A mysterious circus comes to a western town bearing wonders and characters that entertain the inhabitants and teach valuable lessons.

Plot Keywords:

Circus | Chinese | Freak | Actor Playing Multiple Roles | Merlin The Magician

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Tony Randall	...	Dr. Lao / Merlin / Pan / Abominable Snowman / Medusa / Giant Serpent / Apollonius of Tyana / Audience member
Barbara Eden	...	Angela Benedict
Arthur O'Connell	...	Clint Stark
John Ericson	...	Ed Cunningham / transformed Pan
Noah Beery Jr.	...	Tim Mitchell
Lee Patrick	...	Mrs. Howard Cassin
Minerva Urecal	...	Kate Lindquist
John Qualen	...	Luther Lindquist
Frank Kreig	...	Peter Ramsey
Peggy Rea	...	Mrs. Peter Ramsey
Eddie Little Sky	...	George C. George
Royal Dano	...	Carey
Argentina Brunetti	...	Sarah Benedict
John Doucette	...	Lucas
Dal McKennon	...	Lean Cowboy

Also Known As:

Seven Faces of Dr. Lao (USA) (alternative spelling)
The Secret World of Dr. Lao

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Norway:12 | West Germany:6 (f) | USA:Unrated

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

According to a story that appeared in "Life" magazine Tony Randall had his head shaved for the part of Dr. Lao. When it was decided to have him appear in the audience as himself during the second show they could not find a wig that looked like his natural hair so they took a woman's wig and cut and styled it enough to get by for the few seconds he would be on screen.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: During the opening festivities for Dr. Lao's circus, the Yeti is shown as organ grinder for three musical-box figures, one of which is Fred Flintstone playing the drums - a cartoon character who wasn't created until nearly half a century after the film takes place (and, incidentally, a type of drum set-up not popularized until the early 1940's).

Quotes:

Mike: Are you an acrobat?
Dr. Lao: Only philosophically.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "What's My Line?: (1964-08-16)" (1964)

Soundtrack:

Sumer is icumen in

Fresh and inventive! An excellent fantasy-tale!!

I hadn't seen – or even heard of – this film ever before…And I think that goes for many film fans with me. That's an awful shame, since this neat little film deserves some praising. It's playful, original and moralizing feel-good fun for all the family. Directed by cinema's pre-eminently fantasist George Pal. The legendary director who already shot a few delightful myths and fairy-tales such as `The Time Machine', `Atlantis' and `The Wonderful world of the Brothers Grimm'. This time, he bases his film on a famous novel and it's a successful adventure with unlimited imagination. Tony Randall puts on quite a show as the multi-faced illusionist, Dr. Lao. He arrives with his circus in a near-dead little town. A greedy magnate wishes to buy the entire town and makes the inhabitants believe their properties are worthless. With a little help from a news reporter, Dr. Lao faces the townies with some of the smaller joys of life and their own consciousness. Both fortune-telling sequences are fascinating and remarkably written and - in order to be complete - the story foresees a touching romance. There are tons of educational and mythical aspects to discover in this film…lots of facts about the Greek Mythology, for example! The creature effects and make-up are terrifically kitschy and rather charming. Recommended for sure! Seven Faces of Dr. Lao is some of the most pleasant fantasy adventures of the sixties and it has the right to a larger fanbase!