Surely this Dr. Seuss conceived child's fantasy is one of the least known and under-appreciated family film classics of all time. Produced by Stanley Kramer in 1952, the film was a flop when it was released. It was too unique (plot and inspired dialogue), too bizarre (set design, costumes)
and didn't feature a major star to connect with an audience.
When it rarely showed up on television, commercial imterruptions disrupted the pacing and fantasy world dream-like tone of the film.

This colorful, gloriously inventive, funny, charming, surrealistic film features some truly inspired set pieces. The slapstick hypnotic duel which suddenly becomes a series of comic dances like a salsa, tango and more (which must have been the inspiration for the special effects laden hypnotic sorcerer's duel between Vincent Price and Boris Karloff in Roger Corman's The Raven in 1963 ) is wonderful silliness. The long musical ballet set in the dungeon featuring Seuss inspired musical instruments is a surrealistic masterpiece. The chase scenes taking us through the overly colorful (think Dali)Seuss inspired sets are the visual equivalent of gourmet chocolate. Production designer Rudolph Sternad and Art Director Cary Odell created sets (William Kiernan) props and costumes (Jean Louis) inspired by the illustrations in Dr. Seuss books. The somewhat limited budget is used to maximum effect and everywhere you look within the film you're aware of how everyone was striving to come up with clever and smart ideas. A quick example is when young Bart and his plumber friend are locked inside a cage the bars are not simply iron cell bars but appear to be water pipes. A perfect cage for a plumber and a boy indeed!!! Don't worry if you miss some clever detail the first time you watch the film... you'll discover it the next time.

Listen closely or watch it for the second and third time to discover wonderful lines of dialogue written by Allan Scott and Dr Seuss, that at times fly by fast and furious (and doesn't rhyme). Gems like: "I know he talks a lot, but I don't think he says very much."
and
Barth: I don't think the piano is my instrument."
Dr. Terwilliker:"What other instruments are there, pray tell? Scratchy violins, screechy piccolos, nauseating trumpets, etcetera, etcetera?"
AND
August Zabladowski: "We should always believe children. We should even believe their lies."

Yes with names like Terwilliker and Zabladowski you know you're in the world of Dr. Seuss.

The film begins with a dream-like sequence. A young boy wearing a cap with a plastic hand on top and the words Happy Fingers is being chased by an army of what appears to be professional wrestlers with brightly colored butterfly nets.
Bartholomew Collins, (Tommy Rettig) a young boy has dozed off while playing the piano for his overly demanding piano teacher Mr. Terwilliker (Hans Conreid). Everyone it seems wants the boy to practice and practice his piano. The only
one who seems to understand that it is just not much fun practicing the piano is handyman and plumber August Zabladowski. Young Bartholomew thinks August would make a fine step-dad. Bart's mom is Eloise Collins (Mary Healy) and she is Donna Reed/ Loretta Young perfect. Bart however doesn't have a father (we don't know or find out why). Well Bart's gotta keep right on practicing and before long he dozes off again and we enter his nightmare.

Dr. Terwilliker is a scheming con-artist who lives in a bizarre castle like structure which features the worlds largest piano. A double decker curved piano big enough to seat 500 children. Five hundred children whose 5,000 fingers will play a Dr. T. melody that will astound and amaze the world. Mrs. Collins has been hypnotized by Dr. T. and is kept prisoner in a gilded cage that's called a Lock Me Tight. Plumber Zabladowski is busy installing enough sinks so that castle will pass inspection allowing for Dr. T's recital to wow a huge audience and insure he will have
millions of piano students for his Happy Fingers Institute.
Bart knows Dr. T. is evil and he wants plumber Zabladowski to believe him when he tells him that his mom is being hypnotized by Dr. T and is not a willing participant in the scheme.

Because the whole scenario is a dream of course the plot is absurd. There are only four main characters in the film: Dr. T, Mrs. Collins, Plumber Zabladowski and Bart.

Supporting characters and glorified henchmen include plenty of colorfully costumed henchmen, dancer/performers and a couple of bizarre characters such as the Twins who are a pair of men attached only by their long beard who travel by roller skates. One of the dancers is George Chakiris (who'll later impress folks in several films including West Side Story).

The film consists of a series of minor chases leading to confrontations between the characters, which lead to captures, musical numbers, escapes, more chases, musical numbers an ambitious finale and a charming epilogue. I won't spoil the film by telling you too much about it. After all it is pretty much what you would expect a film about a 12 year old boy's nightmare about being forced to play piano, to be like --, especially if the boy had the over-active imagination of a Dr. Seuss.

For adults the film is a delightful campy romp satirizing some of the conventions of America in the 50's. For kids it's an imaginative, colorful live action cartoon.

Some of us recognize Hans Conried as the voice of several cartoon characters immortalized by the Jay Ward folks in the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons. He might strike you as a darker, German version of Tony Randall. Actors Mary Healy and Peter Lind Hays were radio stars who have so much on-screen charisma you wonder why they didn't become better known movie stars. Hays was Arthur Godfrey radio and t.v. replacement and you might recognize him from the Behold Eck episode of the old Outer Limits t.v. show. Perhaps their star-like charisma will put you off a bit. Who are these two and why are they so relaxed and almost familiar?

The film was made during the McCarthy era witch hunts and perhaps the film was doomed to fail after original director and friend of Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geissel) Carl Foreman was blacklisted. Perhaps it was too unique, too bizarre, and too ahead of its time to connect with an audience more worried about H-bombs and commies than maniacal piano teachers.

Perhaps making a live action cartoon was seen as too juvenile and dumb. Perhaps it's lack of box-office names limited its appeal. Perhaps when you first watch the film, it's surrealistic 50's frame-work and the 50's type pop melodies of the songs will put you off. Oh but listen to the often clever lyrics of the song (written by Dr. Seuss) which are quite fun. Perhaps the unique approach of having Bart briefly break the fourth wall and talk directly to the camera in one scene and then remain inside his own nightmare for most of the film's running time was too odd. Perhaps the point that Children should sometimes be seen AND heard, offended parents on the verge of experiencing Rock and
Roll, and The Space Race . Perhaps, you will discover a wonderfully inventive, funny family film that's a treat from start to finish for every member of the family and worthy of discussion and immediate repeat viewing.

Forget Jim Carey and Ron Howard's Grinch film... stick with the classic cartoon version of that. When you want live action Dr. Seuss --the one that was way ahead of it's time and remains a delightful treat is The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.

It's time for this too little known cult film favorite to find the bigger audience it deserves.

Note: The film has been beautifully restored for it's DVD release. The colors bright and vibrant, the sound clear and un-muddied. Also featured on the DVD is an excellent treat a Gerald McBoing Boing cartoon short. Gerald is the animated boy who only speaks with sound effects and music.

Christopher Jarmick,is the author of The Glass Cocoon with Serena F. Holder a steamy suspense thriller which is now available (glasscocoon@hotmail for details).

Original portions of this review Copyright© Christopher J. Jarmick 2001. The above work is protected by international copyright law.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8