A PEEK AT DOCTOR DOLITTLE (1 Viewer)

[Tony Bensley]

I remember a glorious time when this thread was actually about Doctor Dolittle

And Rex Harrison's voice was used for all of the numbers in that film!

CHEERS!

 

[Mike Frezon]

Yeah...let's rein in the sidebars, please, and return to the topic at hand.

Thanks, Bruce, for the reminder.

 

[bigshot]

Back to the subject, Doctor Dolittle may be Richard Fleischer's worst film. He was a good director, but this film doesn't show it.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Back to the subject, Doctor Dolittle may be Richard Fleischer's worst film. He was a good director, but this film doesn't show it.

As a kid I thought it was an awful film and couldn't wait to leave the movie theater and walk back home in the cold as it was wintertime and was playing at my neighborhood movie theater. I revisited once as an adult and it was still terrible.

 

[OliverK]

Back to the subject, Doctor Dolittle may be Richard Fleischer's worst film. He was a good director, but this film doesn't show it.

Without looking up any other movies he did I will say that at least Red Sonja was worse.

 

[MatthewA]

All things considered, was this actually worse than the film Sir Rex made after it, Staircase?

I remember a glorious time when this thread was actually about Doctor Dolittle

Okay, you asked for it, you got it.

 

[PMF]

Perhaps "Doctor Dolittle" required a longer period of development; as had "Mary Poppins", which was years in the works.
Nonetheless, "Doctor Dolittle" had its heart in the right place.
No doubt, the film as a whole is a weave of perfection meeting imperfections; but I give it its due on many fronts;
as have those who led the way to seeing this 70mm production placed within the hands of Fotokem and TT.
There is a greater good in this film than not; and not every film could possibly be an ultra-classic.
I'll take the sum of a "Doctor Dolittle" and its parts over a multitude of other films, any old day.

 

[Anthony Dale]

The songs are actually pretty good... if Sammy Davis Jr is singing them

I prefer Bobby Darin's recordings...

 

[bigshot]

All of the musicals in this period suffered from being over long. Even Mary Poppins had sequences (Ed Wynn) that were completely superfluous and stopped the story dead in its tracks. There aren't many three hour musicals that I think really justify the length.

 

[MatthewA]

Perhaps "Doctor Dolittle" required a longer period of development

There was also the matter that Hugh Lofting had been dead awhile and thus was no longer around to kibitz.

 

[KPmusmag]

Perhaps I am not discriminating enough, but if they sing on the screen I probably like it. I grew up during the roadshow era and among my favorite memories is seeing films like Doctor Dolittle. Even as a kid I liked the longer movies because I was always so sad when they were over. Bring on the 3-hour roadshows! I even refused to exit until the Exit Music was over (and that was before the ushers started cleaning up during the credits like they do now). I am thrilled for this release and will relish every moment of it.

 

[MatthewA]

It would be nice to have another Richard Fleischer fantasy film to go with it. How about 20000 Leagues Under the Sea?

 

[OliverK]

Or how about another Richard Fleischer roadshow production. Hopefully Sony will give us Barabbas soon and then we will have all three large format movies by Richard Fleischer on Blu-ray.

 

[PMF]

All of the musicals in this period suffered from being over long. Even Mary Poppins had sequences (Ed Wynn) that were completely superfluous and stopped the story dead in its tracks. There aren't many three hour musicals that I think really justify the length.

When one doesn't have a spoonful of sugar handy, the alternate form of medicine is laughter. For the themes of "Mary Poppins", I feel that the Uncle Albert character was integral. Adding further, Ed Wynn's performance was a wonderful, infectious gem filled with charm and delight. Don't forget that the jokes and laughter exchanged between Bert and Uncle Albert were so infectious that they permeated right into the stuffy lives of Dawes, his son and the bank's Board of Directors; in a finale scene where everyone's outlook had changed and all for the better.

 

[Keith Cobby]

Or how about Richard Fleischer's best film - The Narrow Margin.

 

[OliverK]

Or how about Richard Fleischer's best film - The Narrow Margin.

Not sure if I would like it the best but releasing The Narrow Margin should be a relatively low-cost affair compared to the other titles mentioned.

 

[OliverK]

Bringing this back up, does anybody already have the Blu-ray?

Or if somebody REALLY likes Dr. Dolittle that person could also try to convince his local 4k cinema to screen the 4k DCP:
http://www.parkcircus.com/films/28600-doctor-dolittle

 

[DP 70]

I would to see what the 4K DCP looked like in well set up cinema.

 

[Ethan Riley]

Mine hasn't shipped yet, as far as I know.

 

[Dave B Ferris]

I received a shipping notice from SAE earlier this morning.