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Doctor Dolittle Overview:

Doctor Dolittle (1967) was a Adventure - Comedy Film directed by Richard Fleischer and produced by Arthur P. Jacobs and Mort Abrahams.

Academy Awards 1967 --- Ceremony Number 40 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best Art DirectionArt Direction: Mario Chiari, Jack Martin Smith, Ed Graves; Set Decoration: Walter M. Scott, StuarNominated
Best CinematographyRobert SurteesNominated
Best Film EditingSamuel E. Beetley, Marjorie FowlerNominated
Best Music - ScoringLeslie BricusseNominated
Best Music - ScoringLionel Newman, Alexander CourageNominated
Best Music - SongMusic and Lyrics by Leslie BricusseWon
Best PictureArthur P. Jacobs, ProducerNominated
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Doctor Dolittle BlogHub Articles:

Film Albums: Doctor Dolittle ( 1967 ) - The Mike Sammes Singers

By The Metzinger Sisters on Jul 30, 2022 From Silver Scenes - A Blog for Classic Film Lovers

When Doctor Dolittle was released in 1967, 20th Century Fox studios thought it would have received a much better box-office reception than it did. In fact, they were not the only ones who thought so. The music was so beautiful that The Lawrence Welk Show featured an episode that included many of the... Read full article

From the Archives: Doctor Dolittle ( 1967 )

By The Metzinger Sisters on Oct 12, 2020 From Silver Scenes - A Blog for Classic Film Lovers

Rex Harrison performed with a number of different actresses throughout his long career but he probably never expected to act with this fine lady. In this scene from Doctor Dolittle ( 1967 ), Sophie is posing as a baby in order to be smuggled out of the circus so that the kindly doctor could return h... Read full article

Musical Monday: Doctor Dolittle (1967)

on Jan 13, 2020 From Comet Over Hollywood

... Read full article

TV/Movie Set : Doctor Dolittle ( 1967 )

By The Metzinger Sisters on Oct 14, 2014 From Silver Scenes - A Blog for Classic Film Lovers

For this edition of TV/Movie sets we will be looking at the beautiful home of Dr. John Dolittle, known to his friends simply as Doctor Dolittle or "that maahvelous man". Rex Harrison was the titular star in the extravagant 1967 musical based on the children's classic by Hugh Dowling. Dolittle was on... Read full article

TV/Movie Set : Doctor Dolittle ( 1967 )

By The Metzinger Sisters on Oct 14, 2014 From Silver Scenes - A Blog for Classic Film Lovers

For this edition of TV/Movie sets we will be looking at the beautiful home of Dr. John Dolittle, known to his friends simply as Doctor Dolittle or "that maahvelous man". Rex Harrison was the titular star in the extravagant 1967 musical based on the children's classic by Hugh Dowling. Dolittle was on... Read full article

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Doctor Dolittle Quotes:

Matthew: I told you 'Flounder' was a terrible name for a boat!
Emma Fairfax: If I were his nephew instead of his niece...
Dr. Dolittle: If you were his nephew, you'd hardly be called Emma Fairfax.
Matthew: [after the shipwreck when they are locked up on the floating island] You know, bein' is prison is much the same as being on a boat. Except in prison there's less chance of drowning.
Dr. Dolittle: Oh it's from Long Arrow.
Matthew: Who's he when he's at home?
Dr. Dolittle: An old friend of mine. He's a Red Indian gentleman.
Matthew: With a name like "Long Arrow" I didn't think he'd be Irish.
Dr. Dolittle: [singing about why he's a vegetarian] I stay away from deviled ham on principle/I wouldn't eat roast duckling if I could/Willpower has made me invincible!/My word, those sausages look good...
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Doctor Dolittle Facts
"The Reluctant Vegetarian" number proved to be one of the hardest to film, mainly because of the number of animals that had to sit still for a lengthy period. Hours of rehearsal and preparation went into it before filming actually started. During the first take, it looked like they might actually get it done without any additional shooting but then Rex Harrison stopped singing. Director Richard Fleischer asked him why he stopped, and Harrison said he heard him yell "Cut!" Fleischer denied this, and just as they were starting to argue about it, both of them heard a voice yell "Cut!" The guilty party turned out to be Polynesia the Parrot, who obviously had heard Fleischer yell this word many times during the production. Harrison took this in good humor, saying, "That's the first time I've ever been directed by a parrot. But she may be right. I probably can do it better."
The producers felt Rex Harrison was too old at 58 to play Dolittle, but hoped his name would help recreate the success of My Fair Lady.
This movie set was no picnic:
  • One of the fawns snacked on a quart of paint during a scene break and had to have her stomach pumped.
  • Gub-Gub the Pig had to be replaced several times during filming since piglets grow so fast.
  • Squirrels ate through several key pieces of scenery, costing the crew thousands of dollars in repairs.
  • In the scene where Rex Harrison is singing in the field of sheep, he had to be sprayed down repeatedly for flies. Worse, the sheep urinated on him as well, forcing multiple retakes.
  • One of the goats broke loose during a scene, got ahold of the director's script and ate it.
  • The first several weeks of filming in Castle Combe were disrupted by torrential downpours, after the producers had ignored detailed climate reports warning about the area's weather patterns - and a homemade bomb, set by a disgruntled member of the town the crew was filming in.

The films U.S. premiere was a benefit for Project HOPE (December 19, 1967) at the Loew's State Theatre in New York City. The festivities were the subject of an hour long TV show on WPIX hosted by Barry Gray. After the Chicago premiere at the Michael Todd Theatre (December 20, 1967) the Hollywood opening was held at the Paramount Theatre the following day. The L.A. premiere was a benefit for the Hollywood and Television Relief Fund and Joey Bishop taped his ABC talk show there. Sophie the Seal wearing a diamond necklace, Jip the Dog in a jeweled collar, Gub-Gub the Pig in a sequined harness and Chee-Chee the Chimp in white tie, tails & top hat all appeared at the Hollywood premiere.
Hugh Griffith was seriously favored for the part played by Richard Attenborough but the production team did not hire him because of his drink problem.
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