Cheap The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (DVD) (Peter Lind Hayes, Mary Healy, Hans Conried, Tommy Rettig) (Roy Rowland) Price

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Customer Reviews of The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T

The dungeon sequence is just *fabulous*, complete with mincing pink-pawed piano players, and femininely shaped cello-creatures being repeatedly speared by the bow-wielders. The dressing scene near the end, where Dr. T. sings "come on and dress me dress me dress me in my do-me-do duds" to his cadre of dancing male dressers, is a regulation scream. Perhaps Dr. Seuss nee Theodor Geisel knew he was writing a song about dressing up in women's clothing, perhaps he just like the way "snood" etc. sounded and had no idea what any of the clothing items in the lyrics actually were.

I will grant the critics' complaints that there's little meat to the amazingly oedipal story of a boy and his mother, kidnapped by his loathed piano teacher and locked up in a cage and under a mysterious mind-control spell, and agree with the point that the plot suffers from brutal chainsaw style editing. I enjoy it as a garbled transliteration of one of Seuss's nightmares. The music, the lyrics, the visuals, are just so damned flamboyantly *wonderful* that you will either love this move in spite of it's flaws, or be completely baffled by what the heck anyone sees in it.

Mad Genius Shines Through
The undeniable brilliance of Dr. Seuss' wordsmithing is most evident in this darkly comic fantasy. The songs are cute and clever, with "The Dressing Song" standing out as the high-camp highlight of the show; a hoot of a salute to cross-dressing. This movie was way ahead of its time, and the sets and costumes are nothing short of magnificent given the year in which it was produced. This new DVD edition has its little flaws, but they are only reproduced from whatever original was used, and overall it's a lovely digital transfer. I don't believe this was meant to be a children's movie at all, though Dr. T is a rather benign villain. The good doctor (Seuss) tries to add a bit of social relevance with a poke at the evils of atomic power, but all in all there are more serious psychological and homoerotic overtones that should worry parents of 4-8 year olds. I'll be watching this film over and over again to pick up the myriad avenues of fantasy that are employed. For adults, this is a great flick and definitely earns a spot on my "top ten" list.

Yes, sir, it's VERY atomic!
"The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T" is a journey into the extraordinary, the unbelievable, and the entertaining. Albeit, it's wacky, but how else should the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss be? If you are up for a fantastic adventure into dreamland, than look no further!

Bart Collins is your average little boy--he loves his mom, he likes to play with his dog, and there is nothing he despises more than practicing the piano. No doubt his eccentric, but strangely captivating piano instructor, Dr. Terwilliker, has something to do with this. After a particularly trying lesson, Bart falls asleep at the ivories and is transported to the Terwilliker Institute, a prison-castle for tiny piano players like himself. He immediately attempts escape, but finds himself surrounded by a whole lot of bizarre characters, including some green-skinned musician-hostages who do not play the piano.

This colorful film may be a bit quirky, but beneath its oddity is a charming story that is sure to involve you and stimulate your imagination. Every aspect of "Fingers" is truly memorable, from the beautiful set to the catchy sing-along numbers to the original screenplay. This is a movie that the entire family will love--kids can identify with Bart and Dr. Seuss, adults can enjoy the music and choreography, and everyone will want to watch it again and again.

Once you watch "The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T," you'll see why I went crazy when I was able to tape it on TV (and went crazy when someone taped over it!). I couldn't wait until this title appeared on DVD! Get it while it's hot! :)