USA, 1967
152m
35mm film, 65mm film, 70mm film, Todd-AO, colour, 2.20:1
mono, English
An American musical fantasy film directed by Richard Fleischer. It is adapted from three of Hugh Lofting’s Dolittle books, The Voyages of Dolittle, The Story of Dolittle and Dolittle’s Circus. It was a troubled production that ran considerably over budget and was not well received when it was released in the same week as Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book (1967) which fared much better with both critics and audiences. It was nominated for seven Acadamey Awards following an aggressive promotional campaign by Twentieth Century Fox. It has become more popular over the years however and has been followed by a stage musical in 1998 and a loose remake, Dr. Dolittle the same year. It’s world premiere was in Hollywood on 21 December 1967.
Plot Summary
Dr Dolittle is a veterinarian with a difference – he can talk to his patients. From his home in Puddleby-by-the-Marsh, he sets off on a quest with his young traveling companions for the fabled Great Pink Sea Snail, encountering along the way the Pushme-Pullyou, the Giant Moon Moth and other strange creatures.
Credits
Crew
Directed by: Richard Fleischer
© MCMLXVI [1966] Apjac Productions Inc. and Twentieth Century Fox-Film Corporation
An Arthur P. Jacobs production. Produced by Apjac Productions, Inc. and released by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Produced by: Arthur P. Jacobs
Associate Producer: Mort Abrahams
Screenplay by: Leslie Bricusse
Based upon the Dolittle stories by Hugh Lofting
Director of Photography: Robert Surtees
Film Editors: Samuel E. Beetley, Marjorie Fowler
Music and Lyrics by: Leslie Bricusse
Sound: Douglas Williams, John Myers, Bernard Freericks
Costumes Designed by: Ray Aghayan
Makeup by: Ben Nye
Hair Styles by: Margaret Donovan
Special Photographic Effects: L.B. Abbott, Art Cruickshank, Emil Kosa Jr, Howard Lydecker
Designed by: Don Record
Locations: Castle Combe, Wiltshire, England, UK; St Lucia
Cast
Rex Harrison ( John Dolittle)
Samantha Eggar (Emma Fairfax)
Anthony Newley (Matthew Mugg)
Peter Bull (General Bellowes)
Murial Landers (Mrs Blossom)
William Dix (Tommy Stubbins)
Geoffrey Holder (Willie Shakespeare)
Portia Nelson (Sarah Dolittle)
Norma Varden (Lady Petherington)
Richard Attenborough as Albert Blossom
Gilchrist Stuart [the vicar]
Alternative Titles
Doktor Dolittle – Sweden
Il favoloso dr Dolittle – Italy
Tohtori Dolittle – Finland
Links
Remake
Dr. Dolittle (1998)
See also
Congo (1995)
Extracts included in
Behind the Planet of the Apes (1998)
Screen Test: 28 October 1974
Screen Test: 10 January 1980
References
Periodicals
- Castle of Frankenstein no.12 p.45
- The Daily Cinema no.9429 (4 October 1967) p.3 – note (Commentary by Observer)
- The Daily Cinema no.9465 (1 January 1968) p.7 – note (‘Dolittle’ Hollywood premiere)
- Kine Weekly vol.589 no.3066 (7 July 1966) p.14 – illustrated note (Production: All this – and humans too by Derek Todd
- Kine Weekly vol.619 no.3197 (18 January 1969) p.19 – illustrated note (…the New Year Show)
- Monthly Film Bulletin February 1968 p.19 – credits, synopsis, review
Books
- Feature Films, 1960-1969: A Filmography of English-language and Major Foreign-language United States Releases by Harris M. Lentz III p.109
- Film Review 1969-70 by F. Maurice Speed (ed.) p.204 – credits, review
- Kine Yearbook 1969 p.112
- Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.105 – credits
- Trick Cinematography by R.M. Hayes pp.184-185
- The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Fantasy by David Pringle (general ed.) p.66 – credits, review
