The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
Encyclopedia
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.
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.
.
At the film's 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.
Healy and Hayes were married in real life when they made the movie.
. 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
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!
1953 in film
The year 1953 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*September 16 — The Robe debuts as the first anamorphic, widescreen CinemaScope film.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:A...
) is a musical
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
fantasy film
Fantasy film
Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap...
, the only feature film ever written by Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
), who was responsible for the story, screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
and lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
. It was directed by Roy Rowland, with many uncredited takes actually directed by producer Stanley Kramer
Stanley Kramer
Stanley Earl Kramer was an American film director and producer. Kramer was responsible for some of Hollywood's most famous "message" movies...
.
Made in 1953, a critical year, with Eastmancolor beginning to edge out "Three-Strip" Technicolor
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
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 pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
lessons he is forced to endure under the tutelage of the autocratic
Autocracy
An autocracy is a form of government in which one person is the supreme power within the state. It is derived from the Greek : and , and may be translated as "one who rules by himself". It is distinct from oligarchy and democracy...
Dr. Terwilliker. Bart feels that his mother has fallen under Terwilliker's ominous influence, and gripes to visiting plumber
Plumber
A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable water, sewage, and drainage in plumbing systems. The term dates from ancient times, and is related to the Latin word for lead, "plumbum." A person engaged in fixing metaphorical "leaks" may also be...
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
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
in The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
.
In the dream, Bart is trapped at the surreal Terwilliker Institute, where the piano teacher is now a madman dictator
Dictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
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 HouseRandom House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
.
At the film's 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 Tommy Rettig Thomas Noel "Tommy" Rettig was an American child actor,computer software engineer, and author. Rettig is best remembered for portraying the character "Jeff Miller" in the first three seasons of CBS's Lassie television series, from 1954–1957, later seen in syndicated re-runs as Jeff's Collie... |
Bart Collins |
| Mary Healy Mary Healy Mary Healy is a retired American actress, singer, and variety entertainer born in New Orleans, Louisiana. The former Miss New Orleans beauty pageant winner, whose first major screen role was in Second Fiddle , was married to fellow entertainer Peter Lind Hayes from 1940 until his death in 1998... |
Heloise Collins |
| Hans Conried Hans Conried Hans Georg Conried, Jr. was an American comedian, character actor and voice actor.-Early years:He was born on April 15, 1917 in Baltimore, Maryland to Hans Georg Conried, Sr. and Edith Beyr Gildersleeve. His mother was a descendant of Pilgrims, and his father was a Jewish immigrant from Vienna,... |
Dr. Terwilliker |
| Peter Lind Hayes Peter Lind Hayes Peter Lind Hayes was an American vaudeville entertainer, songwriter, and film and television actor. He was born Joseph Conrad Lind in San Francisco, California.... |
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 thereminTheremin
The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
. 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 RovenGlen RovenGlen Roven is an Emmy Award-winning composer, lyricist, and conductor. One of his notable compositions include a violin concerto based on the children's book The Runaway Bunny. Another notable composition is "Goodnight Moon, An Aria for Singer and Orchestra" which Lauren Flanigan performed in...
, 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 SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
villain, Sideshow BobSideshow BobRobert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared briefly in the episode "The Telltale Head". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of Yale, a member of...
, was given his last name "Terwilliger" from this film. Sideshow Bob is Bart SimpsonBart SimpsonBartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
's nemesis, as Dr. Terwilliker is Bart Collins' nemesis.
External links
- The complete movie online for free viewing, from CrackleCrackleCrackle is a digital network and studio, featuring commercially supported streaming video content in Flash Video format. It is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and its content consists primarily of Sony's library of films and television shows...
- Tribute to the film (archived) http://web.archive.org/web/20071008032650/http://hometown.aol.com/seivadj18/5000fingers.html
- Original 1953 theatrical trailer for film