Blu-ray Review Doctor Dolittle (1967) Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[Matt Hough]

More creative and entertaining than its flawed reputation allows, Richard Fleischer’s Doctor Dolittle is a whimsical fantasy a bit overlong and lacking precocity, but the music is lilting and the actors first-rate.



Doctor Dolittle (1967)



Released: 19 Dec 1967
Rated: APPROVED
Runtime: 152 min




Director: Richard Fleischer
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family



Cast: Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley, Richard Attenborough
Writer(s): Hugh Lofting (novels), Leslie Bricusse (screenplay)



Plot: After the animal communicating veterinarian goes too far for his clientèle, he and his friends escape their hometown to sea in search of the Great Pink Sea Snail.



IMDB rating: 6.2
MetaScore: N/A





Disc Information



Studio: Fox...

Continue reading...

 

[DP 70]

Thanks Matt great review.

 

[Bernard McNair]

Excellent review; thank you Matt.
I am looking forward to seeing Dr. Dolittle again in what sounds like a great presentation. I have always enjoyed the score and the performances of the leads. As I have not seen Dr. Dolittle since it’s original release it will be fun to reappraise it as an adult as opposed to a teenager (which was not the audience I believe it was aimed at).

 

[PMF]

What a joy to read of Mr. Hough's further reinforcements that this transfer of "Doctor Dolittle" is one of sheer perfection.

For my money, it's not about who liked or didn't like "Doctor Dolittle"; as this is merely 50 year-old news.
What's key, here, is the exciting news of how its restoration, transfer, image and audio were handled.
What's key, here, is the exciting news that we've got ourselves another 70mm Roadshow fully intact.
What's key, here, is that something special has been done by Fox and TT to its optimum levels and beyond.
This is the stuff that we savor and salivate over.
And with all that said, there need not be any further hairs to split.
So, let us send our gracious thanks to all and not forget the bravura efforts of FotoKem, as well.

 

[Matt Hough]

I didn't mention it in the review, but another feather in Twilight Time's cap: they didn't insult their viewers' intelligence by plastering an "Overture" frame across the screen while the music played. (Nor did they do it for the Entr'acte or Exit Music). Classy!

 

[PMF]

I didn't mention it in the review, but another feather in Twilight Time's cap: they didn't insult their viewers' intelligence by plastering an "Overture" frame across the screen while the music played. (Nor did they do it for the Entr'acte or Exit Music). Classy!

That's because TT and its clientele are the classiest of all cinephiles.

 

[MatthewA]

"After Fox had enjoyed bountiful profits from the roadshow family musical The Sound of Music, it made sense to roll the dice again, but Fox opted for an original musical with flavorful characters reminiscent of My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music but within a fantasy framework, something that had produced record-breaking profits for Disney with [that smarmy saccharine manipulative ripoff of Song of the South that should have been embargoed instead] Doctor Dolittle’s most obvious antecedent possessed of bits and pieces of that delightful [sic] Disney period tuner but lacking its most important ingredient: charm. [seriously?] Doctor Dolittle is big and bright and colorful, but it lumbers occasionally instead of lilts making it seem longer and less consistent in tone than its Disney counterpart."

One man's "charm" is another man's nausea-inducing diabetic coma. Now you have crossed the line. I'm definitely buying this disc.

 

[Virgoan]

Of interest to cinephles (I think): Turn to your Blu ray of "Midnight Cowboy". When Joe Buck gets to New Yotk and checks into a hotel, he looks out a window. There, on the side of a building, is the HUMONGOUS marquee for "Doctor Dolittle"!!!!!

 

[PMF]

Of interest to cinephles (I think): Turn to your Blu ray of "Midnight Cowboy". When Joe Buck gets to New Yotk and checks into a hotel, he looks out a window. There, on the side of a building, is the HUMONGOUS marquee for "Doctor Dolittle"!!!!!

That's cool. I only remembered the MONY sign. But, yah, it had to be "Doctor Dolittle", as Schlesinger risked the breaking of that fourth wall for the audience, had Buck been anywhere near a marquee for "The Graduate". Right?

Come to think of it, "MIdnight Cowboy" opens with Buck walking under a neglected marquee for "The Alamo". And then there's the James Bond Film that Joe goes to.

Coincidence, or is it safe to say the John Schlesinger was a fan of all these films; including "Doctor Dolittle"?

 

[battlebeast]

Watched part of it last night. The biography of Harrison was very good. A "Making of" would have been invaluable to me, too, but I'm happy to have this title in an amazing transfer.

It looked amazing!

 

[PMF]

What ever happened to the days when having a glorious restoration and/or transfer was the bonus, in and of itself?

 

[DP 70]

I have just seen the first 10 mins of this disc and what a fantastic image.
thanks Twilight Time.
You cannot beat a bit of Todd-AO.

 

[Matt Hough]

I have just seen the first 10 mins of this disc and what a fantastic image.
thanks Twilight Time.
You cannot beat a bit of Todd-AO.

You're right about that! Blu-ray brings out the very best of Todd-AO and VistaVision when the transfers are done properly.

 

[MatthewA]

The doctor is in…yet again.

 

[PMF]

[...] Blu-ray brings out the very best of Todd-AO and VistaVision when the transfers are done properly.

...while also transporting us back to "those fabulous places where we long to be".

 

[RolandL]

No directional dialog? I'll still buy it...when TT or SA have a sale.

 

[RobertSiegel]

It seems strange to me that the dialogue and lyrics are in the center channel, this would contradict all of the other Todd-AO releases from Fox in the era (Dolly, Star!, ect). I wonder why this is the case.

 

[KPmusmag]

No directional dialog? I'll still buy it...when TT or SA have a sale.

It seems strange to me that the dialogue and lyrics are in the center channel, this would contradict all of the other Todd-AO releases from Fox in the era (Dolly, Star!, ect). I wonder why this is the case.

I respectfully disagree that the dialogue is not directional. I have several examples. Perhaps try listening with earphones, the panning becomes quite apparent.

0:5:17 - 0:5:27 Newley dialog is clearly on the right and Stubbins is on left to match their positions on-screen

0:8:50 - 0:8:57 Newley is on right side of street and walks to left side; voice pans with him

1:40:28 - 1:41:38 Prelude to "Fabulous Places" song - characters are in various positions and audio tracks their positions

2:13:25 - 2:13:33 Holder and Harrison walk from left to right and audio tracks their positions

This is a wonderful blu-ray - I almost felt as if I were seeing it for the first time.

I received the new CD set today. Amazing!

 

[Andrew Budgell]

For those in Canada, Cineplex will show Doctor Doolittle on the big screen nationwide in February as part of their monthly Classic Film Series. Other films announced for 2018 include Charade, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Grease: https://www.cineplex.com/Events/ClassicFilmSeries

 

[RolandL]

I respectfully disagree that the dialogue is not directional. I have several examples. Perhaps try listening with earphones, the panning becomes quite apparent.

0:5:17 - 0:5:27 Newley dialog is clearly on the right and Stubbins is on left to match their positions on-screen

0:8:50 - 0:8:57 Newley is on right side of street and walks to left side; voice pans with him

1:40:28 - 1:41:38 Prelude to "Fabulous Places" song - characters are in various positions and audio tracks their positions

2:13:25 - 2:13:33 Holder and Harrison walk from left to right and audio tracks their positions

This is a wonderful blu-ray - I almost felt as if I were seeing it for the first time.

I received the new CD set today. Amazing!

That's good news about the dialog.