Bella As an animal lover, I very much enjoyed Dr. Doolitle (1967). It's an enjoyable Comedy/Adventure/Musical/Fantasy movie about Dr. Doolitle, the animal doctor, and his journey to find the Great Pink Sea Snail in order to improve on his skills in animal languages. I gave this film a 6/10 because the vintage settings are authentic and beautiful, the overall message of the film, and the cinematography is excellent. The criticisms that I have are that some of the characters were boring, some songs were dull and there are some very corny and unfunny moments. The movie begins on a fishing deck in the middle of a town where the houses are yellow-brown brick and conjoined together with triangular rooftops, chimneys, and a sign reading "Fundlesy Clay". Dr. Doolite's home is not how you would expect an average veterinarian's home to look. Across the bridge and past, a small garden is Dr. Doolitle's brick house. There is a large doorbell and an engraved wooden and brass sign with his name on it on the wooden door. Inside his home, you will find all kinds of animals, such as pigs, monkeys, parrots, roosters, horses, donkeys, owls, sheep, ducks, rabbits, hedgehogs, cats, and dogs walking and sitting inside and outside.The message of the film is about why we treat animals different from humans even though humans are animals as well. Dr. Doolite is a proud vegetarian who speaks to animals. When he was in court and presented his case in an attempt to prove that he is able to speak to animals, the judge decided to sentence Dr. Doolite to an insane asylum. He claims the reason in that he treats animals like humans and then Dr. Doolite goes into a song explaining why we should not kill and eat animals, and rather treat them like people.The cinematography of the film is great. The director cuts to the new actors very smoothly when a new person is speaking or when something new has been introduced. The camera pans slowly onto Dr. Doolitle while he speaks the most important parts. While reading this book in the library after he is released from jail, the camera switches back and forth between Dr. Doolitle and Emma while they are conversing in a very smooth and professional manner. The film is 152 minutes long. Adults may find some parts to be very immature humour or very corny. For example, there is a scene where Dr. Doolitle is singing what appears to be a love song to a baby seal in a stroller. Also, although some of the songs are humorous, short, sweet, and catchy, others are not. There are some songs in the film that I think should have been taken out completely. The characters, other than Dr. Doolitle, are boring and uninteresting. Their motives, strengths, and weakness are unclear as most characters in the film are not very dynamic.I would recommend this movie to people who enjoy musicals. The film definitely gets better after the 1-hour mark. It is a good film to watch when you had a long day and just want to shut off your brain and enjoy a film with your family. The comedy is light and easy but there are definitely some funny moments. The animals are enjoyable, especially the two-headed llama.I gave this film 6/10 stars because it was not nearly as good as I was hoping that it would be. The areas that I think that could be improved would definitely be that Tommy, Lady Petherington, and Matthew were all very boring characters. Some more detail could have been added to bring them to life. There were only 1 or 2 songs that I really enjoyed and found catchy in the film and some of the jokes made in the film seemed a tad lazy. The parts that made the film good were the cinematography, the settings, and the overall message of the film.

mark.waltz Like Ronald Dahl's "Willy Wonka" and "Matilda", "Doctor Dolittle" is really not a musical for children, extremely dark in its themes, even though it would appeal to young audiences because of its usage of many different animals. Hugh Lofting's stories were the basis for this big budget musical which 20th Century Fox thought would be their financial smash hit follow-up to "The Sound of Music". What is obvious here is that they put way too much in it, and even if it doesn't reach the length of "The Sound of Music", it is missing that Oscar Winning movie's huge heart which showed you can make it past adversity. Here, Doctor Dolittle (a perfectly cast Rex Harrison) is going up against the prigs of society in conversing with animals, a fact which upsets his sister (Portia Nelson). This leads to confrontations with the imperious General (Peter Bull) and his uppity niece (Samantha Eggar in an impressive musical performance) and the adventures which Dolittle and his various friends take as he explores his ability to "talk to the animals".There's so much to like here, starting with Harrison's performance. He's a common man in comparison to his Oscar Winning Henry Higgins, but he's more fond of the furry creatures than his own species. Of course, he hasn't met Mr. and Mrs. Blossom (the very amusing Richard Attenborough and Muriel Landers) yet, and the rubber-legged Matthew Mugg (Anthony Newley) considers Dolittle his very best friend, along with little William Dix. Then, there's the gregarious Geoffrey Holder, named after William Shakespeare, the king of a tropical island and another reason for Dolittle to open his heart up to people. So in short order, it's a very busy plot, filled with lovable and cuddly creatures both realistic and mystical, most memorably the Pushmi-Pullyu, a giant snail and a large moth that is obviously no relation to the infamous Mothra of science fiction camp legend.As for the songs by Leslie Bricusse, they are really enjoyable, making the actual soundtrack a "10". "Talk to the Animals" was the most popular, winning an Oscar and becoming a hit for Sammy Davis Jr. Eggar is very moving when she sings "At the Crossroads" which reveals a lovely lady behind a cold demeanor. You know that she's going to open up to seeing things from Dolittle's point of view. Ironically, Harrison's "My Fair Lady" had him opposite Eliza Dolittle and sharing witticisms with her father Alfred P.Anthony Newley is sometimes a bit hard to take in large doses, and like many stage stars, is a bit too big for the screen. Here, he is a lot more subtle and as a result, he comes off unscathed. Attenborough's big production number, "I've Never Seen Anything Like It!" gives the typical British music hall type number (here in a carnival setting), and he is a joy to behold, winning a Golden Globe but not even nominated for an Oscar. Children might love the animals, real and imagined, but they will find the story a bit heavy, especially if they've seen the totally unrelated Eddie Murphy film.A stage production of this toured the United States to mixed reviews, but even though it performed at the Macy's Parade (with Tommy Tune in the title role), it never made it onto the Broadway stage. Perhaps, in memory of this movie not making a profit, producers were reluctant to take on a project that would definitely need to be re-tooled for the Broadway stage with stronger sets that would cost more for an intended longer run. But then again, a national tour is guaranteed to create a curiosity in audiences who don't get to New York, so perhaps it is just as well that it didn't. A mixed bag no matter how lovely to look at is still a mixed bag.

wes-connors It's 1845 in Puddleby-on-the-Marsh, England. On a rainy day, proud Irish cat-food salesman Anthony Newley (as Matthew Mugg) introduces blond pre-teen pal William Dix (as Thomas "Tommy" Stubbins) to the "greatest animal doctor in the world" – he's Rex Harrison (as John Dolittle). The trio become fast friends. "Doctor Dolittle" is a genius who can talk to all kinds of animals, in nearly 500 languages. A veterinarian, Doolittle is a reluctant vegetarian. This is understandable, because many animals live with him. To raise money and good will, Dolittle and his two friends take a newly acquired "Pushmi-pullyu" (picture a two-headed llama) from Tibet to display in the circus, which turns out to be quite an adventure...The main problem with this adventure is running time. This film is way too long. Perhaps, if it were better, one wouldn't be so bored. Original writer Hugh Lofting's books were delightful and ended too soon, but movie seems to go on forever. Although it initially sounds like a great casting choice, Mr. Harrison is unable to summon the needed charm. The veteran actor should have walked through the role with few problems, but is done in by poor pace, staging and (again) running time. Harrison also butchers the strongest song in the musical; hopefully, he re-recorded Leslie Bricusse's "(If I Could) Talk to the Animals" at some point. It became a hit in other versions. Perhaps the most memorable version was recorded by Anthony Newley...To add a love interest, the 20th Century Fox team slips a new character in "Dolittle" universe – pretty young Samantha Eggar (as Emma Fairfax). At first, it seems like the studio will attempt to duplicate Harrison's "My Fair Lady" (1964) romance. Harrison sings, "I like the way you look," in lieu of, "I've grown accustomed to your face." However, Ms. Eggar also appears interested in Mr. Newley and the llama. None of stars show much chemistry on screen...Highly-regarded actor Richard Attenborough (as Albert Blossom) provided the "Golden Globes" with an easy "Supporting Actor" award target, while money and muscle helped the studio to an otherwise inexplicable nine "Academy Award" nominations, including "Best Picture". Cut by half and presented in two parts as a TV Special, this work be fine entertainment for kids, but to make entire families sit through it in a movie theater veers close to child abuse.*** Doctor Dolittle (12/5/67) Richard Fleischer ~ Rex Harrison, Anthony Newley, Samantha Eggar, William Dix

madscientist2787 Movies that lost enormous amounts of money are often regarded as bad films, when often this is not the case. It's pretty easy to see why audiences who flocked to see 2001 and Rosemary's Baby did not take to Dr. Dolittle, but it is is a delightful film - I actually prefer it to My Fair Lady, and I like the songs better too. Of course my judgment is probably clouded by nostalgia (I watched this many times on video as a kid) but I still feel the film is unfairly maligned. It is a beautiful old-world adventure that hearkens back to a time that does not exist anymore. Rex Harrison is completely charming, the animals are all adorable, and Richard Attenborough's brief appearance is perhaps my favorite cameo of all time.