Doctor Dolittle (1967)

Doctor Dolittle - 1967

Our next film is 1967's musical version of "Doctor Dolittle", starring Rex Harrison.  A local doctor turns to veterinary medicine after finding he has more in common with animals.  He travels the world in search of the elusive Great Pink Sea Snail.

The film's supporting cast includes Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley, Richard Attenborough, Peter Bull, William Dix, Geoffrey Holder, Norma Varden, and Portia Nelson.

Doctor John Dolittle's friend Matthew has come to the doctor's home.  Matthew has brought a wounded duck and a friend named Tommy.  The doctor's English-speaking parrot, Polynesia (who speaks over two thousand languages, including dodo and unicorn, because she had a classical education), greets them and shows them to the doctor.

Dr. Dolittle is busy with a houseful of animals.  He's currently trying to talk to some goldfish.

He is extremely interested in finding the legendary Great Pink Sea Snail.

In a flashback, we learn how Dr. Dolittle came to talk to animals, being trained by his parrot Polynesia.

He starts learning how to communicate with the animals.  He later sings: "I'll study every living creatures' language so I can speak to all of them on sight.  If friends say, 'Can he talk in crab or pelican?'  You'll say, 'Like hell he can,' and you'll be right."

Back in the present, Dr. Dolittle sees a large number of patients each day, including a near-sighted horse who needs glasses.

The niece of the horse's owner, Emma Fairfax, thinks that Dr. Dolittle is a horrible person.  She sings a song called "If I Were A Man" about all the things she would do to him if she could measure up.

As a gift from a friend, Dr. Dolittle receives a strange, two-headed animal called a pushmi-pullyu.  Wanting to make some money to fund his expedition to find the Great Pink Sea Snail, he takes the animal to the local circus and wows the owner.

He's given a partnership in the circus with a split of all profits.  Crowds pack the place wanting to see the strange animal.

Even Emma Fairfax comes to the circus to see what all the excitement is about.

The circus grows bigger, more outlandish, and more popular with each passing day.

Emma drops in frequently.  She still can't seem to understand Dr. Dolittle.  His friend Matthew tries to help her see what a wonderful guy he is.

During the course of the circus, Dr. Dolittle begins to treat a seal named Sophie for depression.  It turns out she is depressed over being separated from her husband, who is in the wild.

The good doctor decides to help her.  He dresses her up as his "grandmother" and makes for the coast in order to set her free.

After saying goodbye, he throws her over the cliff into the water and she happily swims away.

Unfortunately, two bystanders think that Dr. Dolittle has thrown an actual woman over the cliff, and he is arrested for murder.  During the trial, Emma, Matthew, and Tommy are all in the audience.

Dr. Dolittle proves he can talk to animals when he gets the magistrate's dog to correctly tell him what the magistrate had for dinner the previous night.  The magistrate orders a recess.

Emma comes to the jail where Dr. Dolittle is held and basically tells him that she now believes in him.

Dr. Dolittle is sentenced to an insane asylum.  However, Polynesia engineers a prison break, and the doctor is taken to a ship so he can begin his search for the Great Pink Sea Snail.  Also on board are a selection of the doctor's animals as well as Emma, Matthew, and Tommy.

Dr. Dolittle tells Emma to stick a pin in a map and that is where they will begin their search.  She sticks her pin in the ocean, but it turns out it is on a floating island called Sea Star Island.

While heading for the island, the doctor talks to everything he can in order to find out the whereabouts of the Great Pink Sea Snail.  He even dives down to the ocean floor to talk to an octopus!

During the voyage, a great storm arises, and the ship is extremely battered.  It is eventually sunk with its occupants being thrown into the sea.

Everyone is accounted for except Emma.  Dr. Dolittle and company spot Sea Star Island and head for it.

Luckily, Emma has already made it to the island.  When Dr. Dolittle sees her, he says, "the outfit that you’re wearing this morning is the nicest thing I’ve seen you in since you left England."  Emma frowns and says, "This is my underwear."  "Oh," says the doctor sheepishly, "anyway, it suits you."

A group of island natives surround them and they are taken to a sort of jail.

On the way to jail, Dr. Dolittle sees a very rare type of "moonbird" and thinks how lucky they are that they've come.

The native chief, whose name is William Shakespeare, tells them that newcomers are responsible for all the island's misfortunes.  In particular, all of the animals on the island have a cold.  Dr. Dolittle takes Polynesia and heads off in the direction of the animal clinic.

He gets mustard baths, cough syrup, and a special type of inhaler for the different varieties of animals.

He also keeps up his search for the Great Pink Sea Snail.  He gets a sea turtle to give him a message.

Eventually, the animals get well and are able to be released back into the wild.

It's a good thing, too, because the Great Pink Sea Snail has arrived at Sea Star Island.

Dr. Dolittle sends the rest of the group back to England inside the snail's shell.  Emma, who has grown very close to Dr. Dolittle, kisses him before she boards the shell and they submerge below the surface of the water.

A little while later, Dr. Dolittle's friend Sophie the seal tells him that all the animals are on strike in England and won't do any work until he returns.  The magistrates are begging him to come back without any jail time.  Sophie also introduces the doctor to her husband.  Dr. Dolittle is delighted and begins to make plans to return home.

He plans to use the Giant Luna Moth to be able to beat the Great Pink Sea Snail back to England.  He wants to surprise his friends and be on the quayside when they arrive home.

Once he creates a saddle, Dr. Dolittle harnesses it to the Giant Luna Moth and is on his way home to England.  He thinks he can make it in time for breakfast.

Cast rundown:

   Rex Harrison.............................Dr. John Dolittle

   Samantha Eggar........................Emma Fairfax

   Anthony Newley.........................Matthew Mugg

   Richard Attenborough.................Albert Blossom

   Peter Bull..................................General Bellowes

   William Dix................................Tommy Stubbins

   Geoffrey Holder..........................William Shakespeare

   Norma Varden............................Lady Petherington

   Portia Nelson..............................Sarah Dolittle

And that's all for Doctor Dolittle.  Apparently, Rex Harrison behaved so badly during shooting that he was given the nickname "Tyrannosaurus Rex".  According to reports, he was verbally abusive to cast mates, offensive, and stubborn.  During one of his episodes, he sailed his yacht right into the middle of a scene, and refused to move it.  The film was beset by trouble, though.  The hundreds of animals all required understudies.  The cast was repeatedly bitten and defecated on.  However, it is quite an enjoyable film to watch.

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