The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T

The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Roy Rowland
Produced by	Stanley Kramer
Written by	Dr. Seuss Allan Scott
Starring	Tommy Rettig Mary Healy Hans Conried Peter Lind Hayes
Music by	Frederick Hollander
Cinematography	Fritz Planer
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	July 1, 1953
Running time	92 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953) is a musical fantasy film, the only feature film ever written by Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss), who was responsible for the story, screenplay and lyrics. It was directed by Roy Rowland, with many uncredited takes actually directed by producer Stanley Kramer.

Made in 1953, a critical year, with Eastmancolor beginning to edge out "Three-Strip" Technicolor for color production. This film was formatted for the more traditional 1.37:1 aspect ratio, rather than the emerging (beginning with Shane) 1.66:1/1.85:1 "flat wide screen" format. Nevertheless, The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. was a last-gasp use of the 1.37:1 Three-Strip Technicolor format, seldom used again, except for archival restorations. The film was re-released in 1958 under the title Crazy Music.

Plot

Young Bart Collins lives with his widowed mother Heloise. The major blight on Bart's existence is the hated piano lessons he is forced to endure under the tutelage of the autocratic Dr. Terwilliker. Bart feels that his mother has fallen under Terwilliker's ominous influence, and gripes to visiting plumber August Zabladowski, without much result. While grimly hammering away at his lessons, Bart dozes off and enters a fantastical musical dream, in much the same fashion as Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz.

In the dream, Bart is trapped at the surreal Terwilliker Institute, where the piano teacher is now a madman dictator who has imprisoned non-piano-playing musicians. He also built a piano so large that it requires Bart and 499 other boys (the 5,000 fingers) in order to play it. Bart's mother has been turned into Terwilliker's hypnotized assistant and bride-to-be, and Bart must dodge the Institute's guards as he scrambles to save both his mother and himself. He tries to recruit Mr. Zabladowski, who has been hired to install all of the Institute's sinks ahead of a vital inspection, but only after much skepticism and foot-dragging is the plumber finally convinced to help. The two of them empty their pockets and construct a noise-sucking contraption which ruins the mega-piano's opening concert. The enslaved boys cheerfully run riot, and the "VERY atomic" noise-sucker explodes in spectacular fashion, bringing Bart out of his dream.

The movie ends on a hopeful note for Bart, when the real-life Mr. Zabladowski finally notices Heloise, and offers to drive her into town in his jeep. Bart escapes from the piano, and triumphantly runs off to play.

Reaction

Although he had written the original treatment and all the song lyrics, Geisel regarded the finished film as a "debaculous fiasco" and omitted any mention of it in his official biography with Random House.

At the Hollywood premiere, patrons walked out on the film after 15 minutes, and box-office receipts were equally disappointing. Nevertheless, the film has gained a cult following over the years, and has been favorably compared to the live-action adaptations of Seuss's works made since his death.

Featured cast

Actor	Role
Tommy Rettig	Bart Collins
Mary Healy	Heloise Collins
Hans Conried	Dr. Terwilliker
Peter Lind Hayes	August Zabladowski

Healy and Hayes were married in real life when they made the movie.

Musical score

The film is almost entirely musical, with either background music or actual musical numbers. Composed by Frederick Hollander (born Friedrich Hollaender) with lyrics by Dr. Seuss, the score was nominated for an Academy Award in 1953. Along with standard orchestral instruments, the score also uses a theremin. A soundtrack CD was released by El in Association with Cherry Red Records Ltd (ACMEM126CD). In addition to the film's score the CD includes 11 songs that were not included in the film. They are:

• "My Favorite Note" (Hans Conried)
• "Oh! We Are the Guards" (The rollerskating Siamese Twins)
• "I Will Not Get Involved", Parts 1 and 2 (Peter Lind Hayes)
• "Grindstone" (Peter Lind Hayes)
• "Money" (Peter Lind Hayes)
• "Terwilliker" (Hans Conried and Mary Healy)
• "I Will Not Go To Sleep" (Hans Conried)
• "Many Questions" (Mary Healy)
• "One Moment Ago" (chorus and orchestral versions; stills exist of Hayes and Healy singing this in a duet but the track is lost.

There was also an additional verse to the "Elevator Song", which was in the original release of the film but edited out for the re-release and television runs of the film and also the current restoration for DVD release of the film.

As revised and re-released:

FIRST FLOOR DUNGEON Assorted simple tortures. Molten lead, chopping blocks And hot boiling oil.

SECOND FLOOR DUNGEON Jewelry department. Leg chains, ankle chains, Neck chains, wrist chains, thumb screws And nooses of the very finest rope.

BASEMENT DUNGEON Ev'ry body out!

As filmed and originally released:

FIRST FLOOR DUNGEON Assorted simple tortures. Molten lead, chopping blocks And hot boiling oil.

SECOND FLOOR DUNGEON Jewelry department. Leg chains, ankle chains, Neck chains, wrist chains, thumb screws And nooses of the very finest rope.

THIRD FLOOR DUNGEON Household appliances. Spike beds, electric chairs, gas chambers, roasting pots, and scalping devices.

BASEMENT DUNGEON Ev'ry body out!

Influences on other works

• A Broadway musical version of the film, with a new score by Glen Roven, was developed in 2000.
• The character of Bart Collins has been adapted to a UK anti-drugs advertisement promoting the service "Talk to Frank", a drugs advice line. He appears in various locations asking questions such as "What do you use this vase for?" (about a piece of drug paraphernalia), and "How long are you going to feel like that for?" (to a girl experiencing the after-effects of a drug high).
• The Simpsons villain, Sideshow Bob, was given his last name "Terwilliger" from this film. Sideshow Bob is Bart Simpson's nemesis, as Dr. Terwilliker is Bart Collins' nemesis.

The blue hat that reads "Happy fingers" with a yellow hand on top is worn by someone in the DVD of In Search of Dr. Seuss

External links

• The complete movie online for free viewing, from Crackle
• The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T at the Internet Movie Database
• Tribute to the film (archived) http://web.archive.org/web/20071008032650/http://hometown.aol.com/seivadj18/5000fingers.html
• Original 1953 theatrical trailer for film