The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
by Roy Rowland
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Hans Conried, John Heasley, Mary Healy, Peter Lind Hayes, Tommy RettigDirector: Roy Rowland
Brand: Sony
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; French (Dubbed), Unknown; Spanish (Dubbed), Unknown
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 89 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-04-24
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Movie Reviews of The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
Movie Review: Happy fingers! Happy fingers!
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me start by saying that I don't really consider myself to be a fan of Dr. Seuss - especially since his death when his talents have been overshadowed by merciless overexposure, merchandising, and rotten live-action films (i.e. Cat in the Hat). When I sat down to watch this film I wasn't sure I was going to like it, but in the first few minutes any doubts I had were swept away. This is one of the best movies I've seen in... well, probably ever.
You can sense the touch of Dr. Seuss in the script, the sets, and the songs, but things don't get mired in the more nonsensical elements of some of his other work. You might say he dialed back his "seussiness" a little, and for me that was a good thing. Of course, there is still a strong undertone of weirdness, and wonderfully so. Most of the film takes place in a dream, and the narrative has that dreamy non-logic (it seems perfectly reasonable to have a cocktail of vintage pickle juice.) The sets are beautiful - sometimes austere, sometimes wildly surreal, with an excellent use of monotone and color to evoke mood. The songs are also very imaginative - Seuss' mastery of language shines without getting bogged down in made-up words. The "dressing song" has to be heard (and seen) to be believed.
The acting is top-notch, and some of the dance numbers are amazing (especially an incredible set-piece featuring all the captive non-pianists in Dr. T's dungeon). Some scenes may be a little off-putting to some viewers (a hooded executioner/elevator operator singing a song about the various tortures available in the dungeon, eyes bugging out through the holes in his mask, for example) but if you have a taste for the unusual, this movie is an absolute must.
Summary of The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
5000 FINGERS OF DR. T - DVD MovieBart: 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?
The only live-action Dr. Seuss movie for nearly a half-century, this delightful musical comedy is a treat--something for kids who thought they have seen everything. Young Bart (Tommy Rettig of TV's Lassie) detests his piano lessons with the fanatical Dr. Terwilliker (Hans Conried). As with Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Bart falls into a dream world in which the piano teacher--renamed Dr. T--is ruler and children are hunted down to have piano lessons. Worse yet, Dr. T has magical control over Bart's mom (Mary Healy). The Oscar-nominated songs are uneven but the art direction is superb, creating a truly magical world (and the world's longest piano). Dr. Seuss's love for language stays intact. Many kids of the 1950s might remember Bart's five-fingered beanie, which was a top seller. Great fun for the 5-10 age range, and adults too. --Doug Thomas
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