7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964)

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 | Library | Magician | Fortune Teller

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:

Ed Cunningham: Now, come on, Doc! What kind of oriental hocus-pocus is going on around here? A circus with no wagons, no animals, no cages? A crazy old magician? What's it all about?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Fantastic Fantasy Fright-o-Rama Show Vol. 1 (1996) (V)

Soundtrack:

Sumer is icumen in

I grew up on this

"The whole world is a circus, if you know how to look at it." The inhabitants of an old western town are being terrorized by a corrupt mayor and his cronies. Only a handful of people are brave enough to fight back, until a strange old Chinese man appears in town and opens up a circus. I grew up watching this movie. It contains excellent lessons about life, magic, fighting for what you believe in, and love. The scene with Merlin makes me cry without fail every time I watch it. This is something I intend to raise my children on. The moral message is strong without being preachy or adhering to any religious preference.