Doctor Dolittle (1967)

Doctor Dolittle is a world-renowned veterinarian who speaks a wide array of animal languages. He sets off from his home in Puddleby-on-the-Marsh, England, in search of the Great Pink Sea ... See full summary »

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Hugh Lofting (novels), Leslie Bricusse (screenplay)

Stars:

Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley

Won 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Rex Harrison	...	Dr. John Dolittle
Samantha Eggar	...	Emma Fairfax
Anthony Newley	...	Matthew Mugg
Richard Attenborough	...	Albert Blossom
Peter Bull	...	General Bellowes
Muriel Landers	...	Mrs. Blossom
William Dix	...	Tommy Stubbins
Geoffrey Holder	...	William Shakespeare X
Portia Nelson	...	Sarah Dolittle
Norma Varden	...	Lady Fetherington

Storyline

Doctor Dolittle is a world-renowned veterinarian who speaks a wide array of animal languages. He sets off from his home in Puddleby-on-the-Marsh, England, in search of the Great Pink Sea Snail. In so doing, he and his friends meet such exotic creatures as the Pushme-Pullyu and the Giant Moon Moth. This musical is the source of the hit song, "If I Could Talk To The Animals."

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Plot Keywords:

veterinarian | england | snail | moth | africa | 

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Taglines:

Fly across the world aboard the LUNAR MOTH!

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 December 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

Doktor Dolittle

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Ranch, Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$9,000,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

APJAC Productions, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

152 min 145 min (FMC Library Print)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Huston was considered as director, but producer Arthur P. Jacobs nixed the idea. Vincente Minnelli and William Wyler were also considered but Minnelli was felt to be too "old fashioned" and Wyler's reputation for expensively shooting far too many takes of a scene eliminated them from the running.

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Goofs

Matthew Mugg plots to break Dr. Dolittle out of jail by blowing up the road with dynamite. The film is set in 1845; dynamite was invented in 1866.

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Quotes

Matthew: I told you 'Flounder' was a terrible name for a boat!

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Connections

Referenced in G-Force (2009)

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Soundtracks

"I Think I Like You"
Written by Leslie Bricusse
Performed by Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar with vocal by Diana Lee

User Reviews

Utterly delightful

Yes the movie has the world is a wonderful beautiful magical place feel, yes the premise is pretentious at best, yes, yes, yes, but I love it. I have bought it many times as a gift. I will continue to do so.

Not only is this movie suitable for all the family even when the minister is in the room, but it is fun. The songs like Talk with the Animals and the song about the Pushme-Pullyou are sure to have your children singing and dancing, while other songs like Beautiful People (not the song by Melanie) will draw in even the most adult audience.

This movies comes from a time when people hoped to be able to look to a future without the problems that plagued our past. To all the cynics out there, if you ever get tired of only looking at the bad side of life I strongly recommend this movie, it is food for the soul.