Doctor Dolittle (1967)

After the animal communicating veterinarian goes too far for his clientèle, he and his friends escape their hometown to the sea in search of the Great Pink Sea Snail.

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	...	Gen. Bellowes
Muriel Landers	...	Mrs. Blossom
William Dix	...	Tommy Stubbins
Geoffrey Holder	...	William Shakespeare X
Portia Nelson	...	Sarah Dolittle
Norma Varden	...	Lady Fetherington

Storyline

Dr. John Dolittle lives in a small English village where he specializes in caring for and verbally communicating with animals. When Dr. Dolittle is unjustly sent to an insane asylum for freeing a lovesick seal from captivity, his animals and two closest human friends, Matthew Mugg and Tommy Stubbins, liberate him. Afterward, they join Emma Fairfax and set out by boat to find a famed and elusive creature: the Great Pink Sea Snail.

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Plot Keywords:

veterinarian | england | 19th century | africa | 1840s | 

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Taglines:

You've never seen anything like it in your life!

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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:

Jungleland, Thousand Oaks, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$17,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$9,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

APJAC Productions, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

152 min 145 min (FMC Library Print)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Color by Deluxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Helen Winston, a producer involved early in the movie's development, sued Twentieth Century Fox for four and a half million dollars just prior to release. She claimed that the plot point about animals threatening to go on strike on Dolittle's behalf was lifted from her rejected screenplay. Leslie Bricusse, who had read Winston's script, assumed it was from the books. Because the producers only had rights to the content of the original books, they had no legal defense, and were forced to settle out of court. The animal strike is mentioned in the movie, but was never filmed.

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Goofs

When Matthew and Tommy are dancing across the bridge during, "My Friend The Doctor", the 1st bridge changes to a different bridge when the shot changes to the opposite side of the creek and the fence that Matthew climbed over is no longer on the road but has changed to Tommy climbing over it at the 2nd bridge.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Matthew: Will you stop your daydreaming, Tommy Stubbins.

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Alternate Versions

In the general release version of the film, the songs "Where Are The Words", sung by Anthony Newley, and "Something in Your Smile", sung by Rex Harrison, were omitted.

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Connections

Referenced in Home Improvement: Super Bowl Fever (1995)

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Soundtracks

Like Animals
Written by Leslie Bricusse
Performed by Rex Harrison

User Reviews

Adorable Family Musical from the sixties with a flawless performance by Rex Harrison.

My childhood favorite still holds up! In 1967 I remember sitting in the theater in awe of this tall Englishman that could sing & talk to animals.

As an adult I can sit and enjoy another brilliant performance by the Late Great Sir Rex Harrison (God bless him!), this time as the Good Doctor Dolittle.

Leslie Bricusse has done a wonderful job combining some of the Hugh Lofting tales into a Big Hollywood Musical! I only wish that all the songs made it to the screen. Two were cut, I guess for time (Where are the words?, Something in your smile) but show up on the soundtrack record & CD. Robert Surtee's photography is gorgeous! It really should have walked away with an Oscar that year.

Richard Fleischer brings it altogether beautifully. His direction is just the right pace, letting us enjoy all the fantasy that is set in front of us. No quick cuts, loud noises - Hell, everything that audiences today never see. There is nothing wrong with taking time telling a story - I wish the new Hollywood understood that.

The circus number with Sir Richard Attenborough is just as entertaining today as it was in 1967. The Pushmi-Pullyu may not hold up to the digital effects of today but it's still just as lovable.

This family film is a treasure and it certainly is more to what Hugh Lofting envisioned compared to the recent Eddie Murphy films.

If you ever have a chance to see this in a Theater - GO!

The DVD has a beautiful transfer - I do wish the DVD had more extras, such as the two songs they cut for the final release. But it should be in the family collection.

Remember it has Rex Harrison in the title role. That alone should give you a reason to see it - If you haven't already