| The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T | |
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| Directed by | Roy Rowland |
| Produced by | Stanley Kramer |
| Written by | Dr. Seuss, Alan Scott |
| Starring | Tommy Rettig Mary Healy Hans Conried Peter Lind Hayes |
| Music by | Frederick Hollander |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | July 1, 1953 |
| Running time | 92 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. is a 1953 musical fantasy film. It is best known for being 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. The film was rereleased in 1958 under the title Crazy Music.
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Plot
The plot revolves around young Bart Collins (Tommy Rettig), who lives with his widowed mother Heloise (Mary Healy). 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 (Hans Conried). Bart feels that his mother has fallen under Terwilliker's sinister influence, and gripes to visiting plumber ex-GI August Zabladowski (Peter Lind Hayes), 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 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 locked up all non-piano-playing musicians in a dungeon and constructed a piano so large that it requires Bart and 499 other enslaved boys (the aforementioned 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 scrambles to save both her 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; after much skepticism and foot-dragging, the plumber is convinced to help. ("We should always believe children. We should even believe their lies.") The two of them construct an Air Wick type noise-sucking instead of odor sucking contraption which destroys the mega-piano's opening concert. The enslaved boys cheerfully run riot, and the "VERY atomic" noise-sucker blows up 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. Bart escapes from the piano, and triumphantly runs off to play.
Featured cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Tommy Rettig | Bart Collins |
| Mary Healy | Heloise Collins |
| Hans Conried | Dr. Terwilliker |
| Peter Lind Hayes | August Zabladowski |
Musical Score
Composed by Frederick Hollander (born Friedrich Hollaender) with lyrics by Dr Seuss, the score was nominated for an Academy Award in 1953. In addition to songs, and orchestra, the score also featured the 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 includeds 11 songs that were not included in the film. They are
- My Favorite Note (Hans Conreid)
- 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 Conreid and Mary Healy)
- I Will Not Go To Sleep (Hans Conreid)
- 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.
Trivia
- The fantasy is almost entirely musical, with either background music or actual musical numbers (9 in all in just 89 minutes).
- The preferred drink in the Terwilliker Institute is pickle juice.
- Mr Zabladowski wears a M-1941 Field Jacket, drives a jeep, and refers to his Army service.
- Other sinister characters include rollerskating Siamese twins joined by a beard, a man trapped inside a giant bass drum, a gruesome elevator operator in executioner's mask who announces each dungeon floor in "The Elevator Song," and a muscle-bound dungeon guard (played by ex-wrestler Henry Kulky)
- Healy and Hayes were married in real life when they made the movie.
- There is a Broadway musical in development with a new score by Glen Roven.
- The character of Bart Collins has been adopted in a UK anti-drugs advert. 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 bong), and "how long are you going to feel like that for?" (to a girl clearly on a comedown).
Possible influences on other works
- The Simpsons villain Sideshow Bob, whose full name is Bob Terwilliger, takes its name from this film.[1]
- Both Bart and the hero of Patrick McGoohan's The Prisoner are assigned a number and repeatedly make escape attempts
- Quote-"I am no cog; I don't even like the sound of it. I am an independent contractor"-August Zabladowski
- Quote-"I am not a number, I am a free man"-Number 6 of The Prisoner
References
- ^ Carroll, Larry. "'Simpsons' Trivia, From Swearing Lisa To 'Burns-Sexual' Smithers", MTV, 2007-07-26. Retrieved on 2007-07-29.
