Doctor Dolittle (1967)

After the animal communicating veterinarian goes too far for his clientèle, he and his friends escape their hometown to 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

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 Lunar 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 | 19th century | africa | 1840s | 

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Taglines:

Doctor Dolittle the most joyous entertainment for the whole family!

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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

One scene required a squirrel to stay still next to Polynesia the Parrot for a few seconds, long enough for Dr. Dolittle to sing a few lines to it. After tying the squirrel's paws to a perch with wire didn't work, one producer went looking for a vet to help him sedate the creature for the afternoon shoot. Using a fountain pen, they fed the squirrel drops of gin until it was sufficiently drunk. Rex Harrison later wrote: "They got a few seconds of the squirrel, nodding and swaying . . . before it passed out cold."

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Goofs

When the Flounder is first sailing, not only are the sails hanging limp, an obvious stirring behind the ship from its propeller indicates that it's being powered by an engine.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Featured in Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s (2002)

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Soundtracks

Beautiful Things
Written by Leslie Bricusse
Performed by Anthony Newley and Samantha Eggar with vocal by Diana Lee

User Reviews

absolutely brilliant!!

This has got to be one of the best movies ever made. The many wonderful and most importantly, memorable songs and lively characters contribute to the exciting and magical nature of the storyline. Anyone who can not see the inherent brilliance of this movie within the constraints placed upon films from this era is clearly missing the point. The delightful characters each add their own individual ideas to a film which has touched the hearts of children and adults alike. Rex Harrison plays a wonderful Doctor, forever entertaining and much more convincing than Eddie Murphy in the tragic American remake. This film is brilliant in its own right, and is definitely one for the books.