The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953)

A young boy travels to an imaginary world where, assisted by his family's plumber, he must save other piano playing kids like himself from the dungeons of his dictatorial piano teacher who also mind-controls his mother.

Director:

Roy Rowland

Writers:

Dr. Seuss (screenplay), Allan Scott (screenplay)

Stars:

Peter Lind Hayes, Mary Healy, Hans Conried

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

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)
Robert Heasley	...	Uncle Judson
Noel Cravat	...	Sgt. Lunk
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
George Chakiris	...	Dancer (as George Kerris)

Storyline

The bane of young Bart Collins' existence are the piano lessons he's forced to take under the tutelage of Dr. Terwilliker, the only person he detests because of his dictatorial nature. Bart feels Dr. Terwilliker has undue influence on his widowed mother, Heloise. Bart constantly daydreams of a place - the Terwilliker Institute- overlorded by the evil madman; Dr Terwilliker. The mad doctor's built a piano so immense, it needs 500 children to play it.

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Plot Keywords:

surrealism | music teacher | dream world | cigar smoking | playing piano | 

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Taglines:

The one and only Wonderama! The first musical of the future!

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Genres:

Family | Fantasy | Music | Romance

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 July 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Five-Thousand Fingers of Dr. T.

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,600,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Stanley Kramer Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film didn't premiere on home video in the USA until 1991, when it was issued on VHS and laserdisc.

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Goofs

Throughout the whole of the instrumental scene, with the various performers, there are so many continuity, revealing and a/v mismatch goofs that it would be impossible to record them all.

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Quotes

Bart Collins: I don't think the piano is my instrument.
Dr. Terwilliker: What other instruments are there, pray tell? Scratchy violins, screechy piccolos, nauseating trumpets, et cetera, et cetera?

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Connections

Featured in Father Figure: Steve Rowland on Roy Rowland (2017)

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Soundtracks

Chopsticks
(uncredited)
Music by Euphemia Allen
Played by all the boys on the giant keyboard, led by Tommy Rettig

User Reviews

Busby Berkely On Acid

Others have commented on this but I just have to add after seeing this again today that the prison for orchestra members number looked like Busby Berkely on acid.. not to be missed!! A great goofy fun movie that has Dr. Seuss written ALL over it...