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 | Mother Son Relationship | Dream World | Death Warrant

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)
Nelson Riddle		(uncredited)
Heinz Roemheld		(uncredited)
Hans J. Salter		(uncredited)
Robert Van Eps		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Franz Planer		(director of photography) (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
Francis Cugat	....	color consultant: Technicolor
Harry W. Gerstad	....	editorial supervisor (as Harry Gerstad)

Music Department
Dr. Seuss	....	lyricist
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director
Gil Grau	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Dr. Samuel Hoffman	....	musician: theremin (uncredited)
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
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 the Theodor Geisel/Dr. Seuss, the film's director, one of the 150 boys vomited on the piano while filming. This caused a chain reaction and they were left with 150 vomiting boys. Geisel said that the film's reviews were similar.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: It is clear in some scenes that Bart is not really playing the piano: sometimes he misplaces his fingers, sometimes he does not move his fingers correctly, sometimes he even fails to press down the keys.

Quotes:

Dr. Terwilliker: "the idiotic cock-eyed flum-dummery"

Movie Connections:

Featured in Pineapple Express (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.