The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.

US (1953): Children's/Fantasy/Musical

The only live-action Dr. Seuss movie for nearly a half-century, this delightful musical comedy (directed by Roy Roland for Columbia) is a treat -- something for kids who thought they have seen everything. Young Bart (Tommy Rettig of TV's "Lassie") detests his piano lessons with the fanatical Dr. Terwilliker (Hans Conried).

As with Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Bart falls into a dream world in which the piano teacher -- renamed Dr. T -- is ruler and children are hunted down to have piano lessons. Worse yet, Dr. T has magical control over Bart's mom (Mary Healy). The Oscar^®-nominated songs are uneven but the art direction is superb, creating a truly magical world (and the world's longest piano). Dr. Seuss's love for language stays intact. Many kids of the 1950s might remember Bart's five-fingered beanie, which was a top seller. Great fun for the 5-10 age range, and adults too. (Amazon.com)

 Use this link to view the trailer for the video release of The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T on TCM.com.

1 nomination