History Film / The5000FingersOfDrT

''The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T'' is a sadly-overlooked 1953 fantasy movie, directed by Roy Rowland and produced by Creator/StanleyKramer, but especially notable in that it was the only time that its writer, Creator/DrSeuss, ventured into the live-action film medium.

In it, young Bartholomew Collins (Tommy Rettig) [[AllJustADream finds himself]] and his hypnotized mother (Mary Healy) trapped in the piano-playing Institute of the maniacal Dr. Terwilliker (Hans Conried), a villain who doesn't just chew Seuss's [[{{Bizarrchitecture}} marvelous scenery]], but engages in an [[ChewingTheScenery epic multicourse banquet]]. Bartholomew's only hope is convincing plumber August Zabladowski (Peter Lind Hayes) to help him, instead of installing the Institute's sinks.

The film was a massive Main/BoxOfficeBomb and critical bust at the time of its original release (people even left the theater ''15 minutes'' into the movie during its Hollywood premiere), and prompted Dr. Seuss to [[FranchiseKiller not produce another feature film again]], but it has since become a CultClassic, and has inspired many filmmakers today, such as Creator/TimBurton.

There's Siamese-beard rollerskaters, a visit to the most [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment toe-tappingly tuneful dungeon]] ever, and a VERY atomic noise-sucker/bomb. Go track down a copy and watch it! Do it now!

* DreamLand

* NotableOriginalMusic:
** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHVRxzvkJao Dungeon Elevator Operator]] song.
** The Dungeon of screechy violins musical interlude. (See Big Lipped Alligator Moment.)
** The [[{{Camp}} Camp Villain]] song, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8TQOzyCu8Q "Dress Me"]], aka "Do-Mi-Do Duds". [-"Come on and dress me, dress me, dress me in my finest array..."-]
** "Just Because We're Kids" sounds like an anthem of the [[TheSixties 60's]] Baby Boom generation.

* DastardlyWhiplash: Dr. Terwilliker. Hans Conreid was the ''voice'' of both [[WesternAnimation/DudleyDoRight Snidely Whiplash]] and (the same year as this movie, incidentally) [[Disney/PeterPan Captain Hook]].

''The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T'' is a sadly-overlooked 1953 fantasy movie, especially notable in that it was the only time that its writer, Creator/DrSeuss, ventured into the live-action film medium.

It was directed by Roy Rowland and proudced by Creator/StanleyKramer.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: "Bartholomew Collins" sounds a lot like "Bartholomew Cubbins", the hero of an earlier book by Dr Seuss. They are both boys of about the same age, hats and the number 500 features in both stories. Dr Seuss ''did'' say his original idea was warped beyond recognition...

* CoverVersion: Avante-Garde Metal band Music/MrBungle would often cover third floor dungeon live. they take it UpToEleven. It's terrifying.

* DastardlyWhiplash: Dr. Terwilliker. Hans Conreid was the ''voice'' of [[WesternAnimation/DudleyDoRight Snidely Whiplash]].

''The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T'' is a sadly-overlooked 1953 fantasy movie, especially notable in that it was the only time that Creator/DrSeuss ventured into the live-action film medium. In it, young Bartholomew Collins (Tommy Rettig) [[AllJustADream finds himself]] and his hypnotized mother (Mary Healy) trapped in the piano-playing Institute of the maniacal Dr. Terwilliker (Hans Conried), a villain who doesn't just chew Seuss's [[{{Bizarrchitecture}} marvelous scenery]], but engages in an [[ChewingTheScenery epic multicourse banquet]]. Bartholomew's only hope is convincing plumber August Zabladowski (Peter Lind Hayes) to help him, instead of installing the Institute's sinks.

It was directed by Roy Rowland and prodced by Creator/StanleyKramer.

* AllJustADream: The reasoning behind the high weirdness and the behavior of the adults - it's all based on a child's dream logic.
** OrWasItADream: Bart and Mr. Zabladowski, after Bart wakes up, still have their thumbs bandaged from their blood sharing. Mr. Zabladowski, not "remembering" the dream, doesn't know how it got there.

* HighVoltageDeath: Threatened; when warning Bart not to try and escape, the talking bust of Dr. Terwilliker says that the barbed wire on the fences is electrified.

* CoverVersion: Avante-Garde Metal band Music/MrBungle would often cover third floor dungeon live. they take it UpToEleven. It's terrifying

* FalseFriend: When Mr. Zabladowski goes to question Terwilliker about his intentions, he and Mrs. Collins quickly charm him with some bizarre food, a reasonably catchy dance and assure him that they're only doing this to help educate American children further in music. The moment Zabladowski leaves, Terwilliker calls the institute physics laboratory (hey, piano academies don't have prison cells, search lights, electric fences, or enslaved musicians of non-piano instruments either!) and orders them to have Zabladowski desentegrated slowly and painfully at dawn.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: After the dream sequence at the beginning of the film, Bart describes it to Dr. Terwilliker. Terwilliker scoffs and replies, "Why couldn't you dream about practicing the piano?" Sure enough, the next time Bart falls asleep....

* HypnotizeThePrincess: Bartholomew's mother has been [[{{Brainwashed}} turned into]] Terwilliker's assistant.

* NothingIsScarier: After the horrific description of what goes on in the first dungeon, and the ''more'' horrific description of the second dungeon, the basement dungeon (which they get off on) is not described. Leaving it to the imagination as to how bad ''that'' must be.
** It was originally described in High Octane Nightmare Fuel glory (See Second Verse Curse on the YMMV page.)

->''"We should always believe children. We should even believe their lies."''\\
--Mr. Zabladowski

* FalseFriend: When Mr. Zabladowski goes to question TErwilliker about his intentions, he and Mrs. Collins quickly charm him with some bizarre food, a reasonably catchy dance and assure him that they're only doing this to help educate American children further in music. The moment Zabladowski leaves, Terwilliker calls the institute physics laboratory (hey, piano academies don't have prison cells, search lights, electric fences, or enslaved musicians of non-piano instruments either!) and orders them to have Zabladowski desentegrated slowly and painfully at dawn

* FunHatingConfiscatingAdult: When the other boys arrive at the insitute, the first the guards do after giving them beanies, is open their suitcases and confiscate their toys or anything that's fun (one guard even holds a boys pet frog out of it's water bowl and suffocates it..''right in front of the boy!'')

* SissyVillain

* CutSong: There was a whole bunch of other music written for the film by Dr. Seuss that didn't make the final cut, and only survives on [[http://web.archive.org/web/20051221064958/hometown.aol.com/seivadj18/music.html old production bootlegs]].

* {{Bizarrchitecture}}: It is, quite literally, a Dr. Seuss book brought to life. Note, for example, the Toilet Tree in the background of Bart's cellblock.

->''"How many times must [[ShoutOut/WesternAnimation Matt Groening]] have watched ''The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T?''"''\\
--[[http://www.splicetoday.com/moving-pictures/dr-seuss-and-the-origins-of-the-simpsons John Lingan]]

->''"How many times must [[ShoutOutWesternAnimation Matt Groening]] have watched ''The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T?''"''\\

* BigLippedAlligatorMovie: Although it's fairly clear where the hallucinogenic sequences stem from.

* DastardlyWhiplash: Dr. Terwilliker. Hans Conreid was the ''voice'' of [[DudleyDoRight Snidely Whiplash]].

* DisintegratorRay: "Hello, physics laboratory? ... I want him disintegrated...''[[NoKillLikeOverkill atom...by atom]]!''"

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: A dictator herds people into a labor camp, and it all ends with [[spoiler: an atomic explosion.]]

* [[UsefulNotes/ColdWar Nuclear Nightmare]]: rife with Cold War symbolism.

* [[ColdWar Nuclear Nightmare]]: rife with Cold War symbolism.

There's Siamese-beard rollerskaters, a visit to the most [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment toe-tappingly tuneful dungeon]] ever, and a VERY atomic noise-sucker/bomb. Go track down a copy and watch it! Do it now! (or just go [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8l_aDTkqgY&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=13BF0CACB2A4B561 here]]!)

''The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T'' is a sadly-overlooked 1953 fantasy movie, especially notable in that it was the only time that DrSeuss ventured into the live-action film medium. In it, young Bartholomew Collins (Tommy Rettig) [[AllJustADream finds himself]] and his hypnotized mother (Mary Healy) trapped in the piano-playing Institute of the maniacal Dr. Terwilliker (Hans Conried), a villain who doesn't just chew Seuss's [[{{Bizarrchitecture}} marvelous scenery]], but engages in an [[ChewingTheScenery epic multicourse banquet]]. Bartholomew's only hope is convincing plumber August Zabladowski (Peter Lind Hayes) to help him, instead of installing the Institute's sinks.

* SpiritualSuccessor: ''WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory'', Creator/TimBurton movies, DerangedAnimation...

The film was a miserable Main/BoxOfficeBomb and critical bust at the time of its release (people even left the theater ''15 minutes'' into the movie during its Hollywood premiere), and prompted Dr. Seuss to [[FranchiseKiller not produce another feature film again]], but it has since become a CultClassic, and has inspired many filmmakers today, such as Creator/TimBurton.