The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953)

Director:

Roy Rowland

Writers:

Dr. Seuss (story)
Dr. Seuss (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

1 July 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Fantasy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

The Wonder Musical of the Future!

Plot:

Bart has only one enemy in the world: his piano teacher Dr. Terwilliker. Dr. T has a mad plan to force...

Plot Keywords:

Male Female Relationship | It Was All A Dream | Piano | Air Freshener | Beard

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Peter Lind Hayes	...	August Zabladowski
Mary Healy	...	Heloise Collins
Hans Conried	...	Dr. Terwilliker
Tommy Rettig	...	Bartholomew Collins
John Heasley	...	Uncle Whitney
Robert Heasley	...	Uncle Judson
Noel Cravat	...	Sgt. Lunk
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
George Chakiris	...	Dancer (as George Kerris)

Also Known As:

Crazy Music (reissue title)
Dr. Seuss' 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (video title)
The Five-Thousand Fingers of Dr. T. (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (#15928) | Australia:G | Finland:K-8

Company:

Stanley Kramer Productions

Trivia:

According the Theodor Geisel/Dr. Seuss, the film's director, one of the 150 boys vomited on the piano while filming. This caused a chain reaction and they were left with 150 vomiting boys. Geisel said that the film's reviews were similar.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Bart hides in the large vase, he places a bunch of flowers on his head. When the guards lift him from the pot, they are on his head. In the cut-out shot moments later, the flowers have disappeared.

Quotes:

Mr. Zabladowski: I am no cog; I don't even like the sound of it. I am an independent contractor.

Soundtrack:

Ten Happy Fingers

A little boy battles an evil piano teacher out to rule the world.

An alienated boy misunderstood by his parents at home rebels against an exacting piano teacher whom he finds out has a sinister plot to rule the world.

I remember it best for its plaintive song "You Have No Right to Push Us Kids Around" later revived by Jerry Lewis in his TV appearances. The song is a cry about the angst of childhood. Part of the lyrics goes something like this: "Just because you have hair on your chest doesn't mean you're the best. Just because you have stayed longer on this planet doesn't mean you own it. You have no right to push us kids around just because we're closer to the ground." Under the megalomaniac piano teacher's plan, all children would be condemned to an eternity of piano practice trying to catch up with the ever increasing beat of a metronome. Spectacular "blow up" endings such as in James Bond movies satirized by Don Adams (Maxwell Smart) or even Mike Myers (Austin Powers) must have taken inspiration from this very early attempt at such.

Much belatedly did I find out that this story is by the revered "Dr." Seuss (he is not a real doctor you know) famous for witty, whimsical stories written in cute rhyming verses about outlandish animals (Green Eggs and Ham, Cat in a Hat)but praised by educators for their effectiveness in getting children to read. Seuss deserves Ph.Ds in education, psychology and literature even posthumously.