IMDb > The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953)
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.
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The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 2 NEW)
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953) -- It’s the only feature film ever written by Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel. It’s the bizarrely fantastic story of a piano academy for boys equipped with prison cells and an electric fence.
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953) -- Open-ended Trailer from Sony Pictures

Overview

User Rating:
6.8/10   1,640 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 27% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Roy Rowland
Writers:
Dr. Seuss (screenplay) &
Allan Scott (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
1 July 1953 (USA) more
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... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. more
User Comments:
? Very Atomic!!! more (78 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited 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)
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Additional Details

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)
more
Runtime:
89 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
USA:Approved (Certificate No. 15928) | Australia:G | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Finland:K-8

Fun Stuff

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. more
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. more
Quotes:
Dr. Terwilliker: Is it atomic?
Bart Collins: Yes sir, VERY atomic!
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Superjail!: Dream Machine (#1.8)" (2008) more
Soundtrack:
Because We're Kids more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
21 out of 23 people found the following comment useful.
? Very Atomic!!!, 19 March 2001
Author: Glenn Andreiev (gandreiev@aol.com) from Huntington, NY

It's sad that this enormously entertaining children's fantasy film goes almost unseen today. It is the only live action feature film that the late great Dr. Suess was involved in. The story involves young Bart, a free spirited little boy who is forced into piano lessons dictated by the pretentious, snobby Dr. Terwilliker (Hans Conried at his nasally best!) In his dreams, he imagines this horrible teacher runs a prison like institute where prisoners are forced to play a silly, large piano meant for 500 piano players all at once. The film has wonderful dialog, crazy musical numbers with great lyrics. Two of my favorite songs in this film is the baratone executioner, and Dr. T's gleeful song about dressing up. Oh, and there's a reference to the atomic bomb that is just too gosh-darned funny! This loopy classic has a nice message, mostly aimed at adults- take children more seriously, and let them be children. The last shot of the film has Bart running off to play sports. A perfect happy ending.

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more (78 total)

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