The fact that Sammy Davis Jr., a Jewish black man, took the song of Rex Harrison, an antisemitic racist, and did a FAR better version, makes my heart swell with joy
Call me crazy, but I feel like Sammy Davis Jr. would have made a better Dr. Dolittle in this movie. He's genuinely charming and likeable, can actually sing, and wouldn't have been a shitty human being to the rest of the cast and crew. Sure, he might have been a bit young for the part, but a little old-age makeup goes a long way.
Nah you not crazy Sammy was an extremely talented triple threat performer and he had such a charismatic personality/presence. It would've been much Better
My grandma met him and said he was the kindest guy. I kind of wish Rex was nice. I really thought he was the perfect choice. I would really liked Sammy. I guess the good news is we do have a good guy(Robert Downey Jr ) playing him in a remake. At least if it sucks as bad, I really think well like the character as it is. Any opinion on the Eddie Murphy movie?
Also, I admit this is a bit of bias on my end, but I personally consider William Shakespeare the Tenth as a saving grace. Yeah, the tribal portions itself are questionable by today's standards, and the random superstitions certainly don't do the natives any favors. That said, Geoffrey, as per usual, is easily the best actor in the third act. He's sincere, dignified, and unlike most of our principle cast, I DON'T wanna throw Willie into the island's volcano that somehow works despite that not being how island volcanoes work. Or ANY volcanoes for that matter.
From my understanding, the original novels were a lot worse about racism and the filmmakers were trying to fix that while not upsetting the author's estate. And they tried to get as big a name as they could for the leader with that in mind -- originally it would have been Sammy Davis, Jr. (but Harrison, go figure, objected), or Sidney Poitier (whom Harrison wanted instead).
@@Blaqjaqshellaq Damn straight. Also, I'm amazed my comment got this much traction; one from Diva herself, no less! I'm lucky to get 3 or 4 likes tops!
He's a sucking black hole of charm who comes across less like he doesn't understand people and more like he's *above* people and doesn't *care* to understand them. I really don't know if they could have cast the role any worse...
Just out of shot are a bunch of production crew cowering in case Mr Harrison storms off in a fit again until someone brings his scented candles and his 100 white roses to his dressing room.
It's also worth noting that Rex Harrison was even difficult during pre-production. His demands drove the producers to approach Christopher Plummer as a replacement, but when Harrison agreed to stay, the producers paid Plummer his agreed-upon salary to leave the production. Little did anyone know that 50 years later, Christopher Plummer would go on to actually replace the big, bad monstrous actor in a movie, which in this case would be Kevin Spacey in ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD.
@@MusicalHell Another video could probably also be made about Christopher Plummer being willing to help save movies by replacing other actors too terrible to work with.
Three years later, the production team of Scrooge (same composer) considered Harrison for the title role...hadn't they HEARD what an utter shit he was to work with? Fortunately, they went with Albert Finney--who was able to convey far more emotion much better. (And is one of the only live-action Scrooges I know of who played him both as an older and a younger man. The Christmas Past scenes show Finney as he really looked then.)
Oh damn, could you imagine Plummer in this movie? The suaveness? The sophistication? The plot would still be a mess but at least it’d be a better watch.
One reason why George Lucas made a King's ransom off of "Star Wars" merchandise was because 20th Century Fox lost so much money from products connected to this movie not selling that they gave the rights to the "Star Wars" products to Lucas.
When I was a kid my father tried to get me to watch this movie numerous times, but I always would refuse to continue watching after 20 or so minutes. When I received an opportunity as an adult to watch the movie, I took it. I thought I had been simply acting like a jerk as a kid and wondered why a kid who loved watching movies as much as I did acted so horribly during this movie. About 20 minutes into watching it as an adult, I thought, "Oh, that's what the problem is! This movie is terrible!"
I think I was 4 when I first saw this. My parents thought I was not paying attention. Later that week we saw 2 dogs rutting and 4-year-old me went "Look! A Pushme-pullyou!"
My favorite story about this movie, is that they wanted to shoot a scene of ducks in a pond. Now what I ask you could be simpler than that? But it seems that there had to be some kind of voodoo curse on this movie, because once they put the ducks in the water they sank like stones because it was the wrong time of the year and the ducks hadn’t grown their swimming feathers yet
That is a great story--one of many cut for time (another favorite: Harrison was doing a scene when he heard someone say "cut." After a bit of confusion between the director and himself, they realized that "Miss Polynesia" was the one who had spoken).
Indeed, Diva stated in her "Know the Score" review of "Cats" and "Frozen 2" that a "Musical Hell" breakdown of the former will be coming soon, she just needs to recover from it first!🙀
@@trinaq Oh, poor dear....I'm still amazed I endured it....and even more amazed that I ended up acknowledging its badness yet also recommending you see it to witness its awfulness for yourself....
Fun Fact: this movie was originally way WAY longer, but every test screening did so badly, they cut and cut and cut, and it’s still unwatchable way too long.
i remember watching this movie as a kid and getting really bored, and at the time i assume it was because i'd expected the eddie murphy version and wanted to hear more talking animals, but now i feel validated that even adults can tell the movie is boring
Wow Rex Harrison was such a jerk but when I heard that a giraffe stomped on his balls I laughed like an idiot.. small doses of karma can be really wonderful
If they used the seal subplot as the movie's plot itself, casted other actor insted of Harryson and did't made it a big budget produced musical, this could be a decent warm and sentimental little film.
4:49 Aaand I hate Rex Harrison now. Don't let the time stamp fool you, Rex was pretty despicable already WITHOUT the racist bits about Geoffrey Holder, but when you make racist comments to not only one of the last true Renaissance men, but also one of my favorite entertainment personalities of the 20th century, then you dun fucked up any chance of being considered a good person, never mind a good actor, in my eyes.
Alucard, More Awesome Than Chuck Norris! The issue with Cats is that it’s not a movie with a plot of *any* sort. What could TECHNICALLY be considered a “story” (which isn’t the same thing; the plot makes up the skeleton and foundation of a narrative with story filling in the gaps between major points) is more or less there as a way of connecting us from song to song, so it’s more like a revue or a concert of sorts-as it was designed-aka something that does NOT fit a film narrative. Unless you just literally adapted the poem book and made it into some ensemble piece like Happiness or Magnolia or something with a lot of standalone, interconnected stories about why each cat wants this second chance at life and then get Grizabela the Glamor Cat belting out Memories. There’s no goddamn reason you couldn’t just make an animated film out of this-even if it was some mo-cap thing like Monster House or Tintin.
4:46-4:51 So he was basically the Mel Gibson of his time period. It also makes the fact that a Black Jewish convert sung "Talk to the Animals" better than him a bit more karmic.
Re: Sin 7 - I think, judging from the scenes and songs earlier in the film, the original idea was for Matthew and Emma to become a romantic couple, but Rex Harrison's meddling meant that Matthew's character never developed enough.
One of my favorite nonfiction books is Pictures at a Revolution. It is about the making of the 5 films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar in 1968 and how they relate to the beginnings of New Hollywood since two of the nominations were Bonnie & Clyde and The Graduate. Doctor Dolittle was also one of the nominations and it goes through all the production problems that Diva briefly mentions in the introduction and it is all more interesting than the movie itself.
I've tried watching this movie twice... and gave up twice after 30 minutes. Such tedious, self-indulgent whimsy, twee songs, and nonexistent momentum, it's a two and a half hour endurance test I failed miserably. Kudos to you for powering through it! A numbered list of random thoughts: 1. Rex Harrison looks like he'd rather be undergoing a tax audit and a colonoscopy at the same time than be in this. 2. Samantha Eggar is WAY too young for him (and good for him). 3. Does anyone else think the lyrics to "My Friend the Doctor" sound like the ramblings of a cult member? 4. Wouldn't it have been funny if Sophie the Seal's husband had come to kill the Doctor for hitting on his wife? 5. The Pink Sea Snail looks like a reject from "Fun in Balloon Land". Also, it isn't even pink, it's beige!
The punishment I personally would have chosen for Harrison's Dolittle would have been for him to be given a lobotomy by Dr. Zaius from Planet of the Apes. Fun fact: Arthur P. Jacobs actually approached Fox studio executive Richard Zanuck about Planet of the Apes during the pre-production of Doctor Doolittle.
As a child of the era, I grew up being taken to these big budget Hollywood musicals, which continue to account for some of the most pleasant -- and miserable -- memories of my childhood, with "Doolittle" as a memory of the more ponderous and miserable sort. How good it was to see Leslie Bricusse come roaring back to brilliant form with "Scrooge" a few years later, which remains my most beloved memory of many happy music-filled years. So thank you very much indeed, Mr Bricusse, but not for this thing.
There's even a line in the movie where Willie explains they have to be cautious with white explorers, because in their experience most of them go straight to the shooting and conquering before the natives have a chance to talk with them.
Musical Hell sounds like Willie is one of the few good things about this movie tbh. And btw I’m freaking out that you actually replied to me 💀 I just created my channel the other day but I’ve literally been binge watching your Musical Hell videos since I discovered them in August 💖😭 love you and your channel and glad I get to actually comment on your vids now! ♥️
4:05 That could make for an interesting conflict in a better movie. I'm imagining a Zootopia-inspired tale where a carnivore has to fight off his natural instinct to devour his plant-eating patients. 🤔 By the third act, it feels like they were trying to turn this into a mix of "Gulliver's Travels" and "Mary Poppins".
4:12 Are we sure this isn’t the film’s villain song? That’s “Hellfire” levels of terrifying. At least that’d make the casting appropriate for someone as odious as Rex Harrison
So my favorite classical film is The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, starring Rex Harrison and Gene Tierney (as well as a young Natalie Wood). It’s sad to learn that Harrison was such an awful and racist person, but separating the art from the artist is rather important. As is avoiding this film.
Honestly the whole "separate the art from the artist" is nothing more than a cheap cry from cowards that don't have the gumption to actually admit their favourite people are shit, because they're too attached to their work, in some cases building their entire identity around it, and don't want to give it up.
@Dunes8 Roman Polanski comes to mind, but also consider the cast and crew who had worked on films like Rosemary's Baby and The Pianist. Your point is certainly valid, and while I'm not familiar with Orson Scott Card myself, there are a lot of other people involved in taking his stories and turning them to film. Are they all of them as guilty as he, or are some just looking to make their living? What's more, do the films follow his books and transfer the things that you take issue with? Genuinely asking.
We owned this when I was a kid and the weird seal song and the out-of-nowhere romance with Emma bugged me even then (especially because Doolittle seemed way too old for her). Matthew was always my favorite, but the way he gushed in song about the doctor who was clearly a jerk and who never seemed to show the soft, pure side that Matthew insisted he had never sat well with me, either. Really appreciated this review as it validated everything I felt as a kid. The books were better. Also, that push-me-pull-you song will be stuck in my head for the next month.
This movie never seems to completely figure out whether Dolittle or Matthew is supposed to be Emma's love interest--the former is implied heavily through the island sequence, but before that it seems like it's going to be Matthew (she even gives him an impulsive kiss and he has a whole solo about how wonderful that was).
@@MusicalHell I had forgotten about that kiss until this very moment! I feel like the movie did, too. 😆 I wonder if they were trying for a love triangle and either poor writing or poor directing muddled it.
@@MusicalHell I think that was an offshoot of Harrison demanding more screen time for himself and less for Newley...Matthew was supposed to fall for Emma and his love song is even on the soundtrack album (but cut from the movie). When the plot was revised, Harrison recorded the same song, but that too was cut and no longer survives.
Bit of a late reply, but "Beautiful Things" also was supposed to have Matthew and Emma continue the song underneath one of the circus tents, which is why Emma is suddenly holding the cane after the cut to Dolittle walking into his trailer.
Because an achievement’s an achievement. Jerk or not, he was a man who could speak 500 different animal dialects. It doesn’t matter if you’re Uwe Boll or not, that’s an amazing feat that demands recognition.
I'm trying to figure out how a giraffe of all animals could stomp on Rex's groin. You'd have to really be a pro at the limbo to even get in the right position for that to happen.
While this no doubt was cut out of the film, the image of Rex getting stomped in the groin by a giraffe is my happy place regarding Rex's behavior both in and behind the scenes of the movie.
There's a video on RUclips of one doing that. They kick you and they have perfect aim. Don't stand in front of the giraffe. Or behind. In fact just don't stand near the giraffe!
As far as I can tell, the upcoming movie with Robert Downey Jr. is going to omit the Higgins-esque misogyny...in this, he's a widower who's become more reclusive since his wife's death. I hope overall he'll be more likable than Harrison's Dolittle. (Oh, who am I kidding? He's RDJ...of COURSE he'll be likable.)
1967: Hey guys, what if *Henry Higgins* pretends to talk to animals?! 1998: Hey guys, what if *Axel Foley* pretends to talk to animals?!! 2020: Hey guys, what if *Tony Stark* pretends to talk to animals?!?!! *Can we please stop?!?!*
I read the first two books in middle school. I was surprised when I heard they were making a new movie, as the books were very obviously written at the height of the British Empire, and treat anyone who isn’t British about how you would expect
Even this version tones down the racial issues of the original book (which featured among other things Dolittle bleaching an African prince white at the prince's request).
The "treat him like a dog" line reminds me of PETA's weird fixation on similar phrases, like "kill two birds with one stone." No one show them this movie, they'll probably LOVE it.
And this doesn't even mention the food poisoning epidemic brought on by bad shellfish that caused the locals to pelt the Great Pink Sea Snail prop with rocks in outrage. Sometimes you really wonder if a project is cursed.
I've never seen this,and I probably never will. For years,I've heard nothing but bad things about it,that it's typical of the overblown movie musicals of the late 1960s,that only succeeded in alienating audiences and effectively diminished interest in the genre for decades to come. To be honest,I kept waiting in your review for a clip from Mystery Science Theater 3000's take on "The Girl In Gold Boots"....specifically,the scene in the montage where the protagonists have arrived in Hollywood just in time for Christmas,and they pass a billboard for this movie,where they joke, "Hey,that doesn't look like Eddie Murphy!!"
I'd forgotten about that! There's also a movie theater showing "Camelot" if I remember correctly...man, a lot of bad movie musicals turned up in that bad movie musical.
I grew up in the 1960s. and I fell in love with musical theater and films. West Side Story is my favorite. The late 60s and early 70s gave us Oliver!, Funny Girl, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory...all great musicals! I also love Charlotte's Web. Even flawed films like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Camelot are watchable, even enjoyable.
I'm so excited you did this one! Even though as a child I liked Dr. Dolittle (it had animals in every scene-- what else did an 8 yr old need?), I was always put off by Rex Harrison's "singing". I remember wondering why the main character's singing was, in fact, basically talking to music. Hearing about his antics later certainly didn't help, and as I got older, the insane "of it's time"-ness just hurt too much to make it remotely watchable anymore. But it's always kind of cathartic to see these kind of shows here! Great job!
I never knew that Dolittle was ever a musical! Judging from this review, the name is extremely fitting, as despite all the work with the animals, the star, and the bribery, this one really did *Dolittle!*😉
This was one of those movies my dad really wanted me to like because it came out when he was a child. I'm glad I was justified in finding it as boring as I did
The color difference in the sky at 1:53 makes it look like they combined two different matte painting for the normal sky and the part to right of the castle. However, given how it was produced, I assume that's a real shot of a real town.
Good Lord, production on this film sounded like a nightmare. How can something so hard to produce end up so boring and lousy? Most would instead expect the opposite: over-the-top and all over the place!
Dr. Dolittle deserves a good adaptation, one that addresses the racist and colonialist ideas, but also highlights and centers the inevitable animal rights and nonviolence themes and portrays animals well instead of as stereotypes.
@@cartooncritique6625 never actually seen it, but in any case I think what i waa thinking was a direct adaptation, following one of the novels And set in its historical context still. One where he is meticulously taught to speak different complex animal languages by an African Grey parrot. And it's a pre modern setting. The books are rather racist at points but the concept and worldbuilding was super interesting, imo, and has a lot of potential.
This feels like a necessary correction: a giraffe never stepped on Rex Harrison's groin 😂 it did step on its own genitals though. Apparently this required intense veterinary care and halted production for like 3 days
Animals have always been a special interest of mine, so I was enthralled with this movie as a kid, even though I was flummoxed by the random Doolittle/Fairfax, and relieved when she leaves without him at the end 😆 I remember some kid at my school trying to bully me by following me around aggressively singing "Talk With the Animals" 😆😆
You know, it's pretty ironic that this Dolittle's played by a petty racist when the other Dolittle most of us had grown up with was played by Eddie Murphy.
This is the one I grew up with. Okay, I didn't actually ever watch it - the mere sight of Anthony Newley would have me running in the other direction. Somehow I've missed the Eddie Murphy version. It HAS to be better than this.
@@57Strudel I was too scared to the actual Eddie Murphy movie (The Nutty Professor sequel freaked me out and I thought that and Dr. Dolittle were the same film). Yet, I did grow up with the sequels since I was a big fan of Kyla Pratt.
To quoute Nelson Muntz: "That movie was so bad it actually stinks"; and it's not just the animal droppings, but also the production story. Good luck with Hi-Tops, Diva!
@@colleen4ever Hi-Tops? Oh, I wish that it was something like that, it'll be more entertaining; in actuality; it's a religious musical about angels teaching teens the dangers of Peer Pressure. The Cinema Snob already reviewed it
Last year, I read Pictures at a Revolution by Mark Harris. It profiled the five Best Picture nominees (Bonnie and Clyde, Dr. Doolittle, The Graduate, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and In the Heat of the Night) It profiled how Graduate and Bonnie and Clyde portrayed the "new Hollywood" and the other films symbolized the "old Hollywood". I would recommend it highly. Also, in one of the better modern Simpsons episodes ('Cue Detective") opened with an assembly at Springfield Elementary being bored spitless with a presentation of "Dr. Doolittle" which causes Martin Prince (voiced by the late Russi Taylor) to observe, "Worst Anthony Newley performance ever!"
(Bonnie and Clyde, Dr. Doolittle, The Graduate, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and In the Heat of the Night) Sings- One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just isn;t the same. WHAT?! Russi Taylor DIED?! Minnie Mouse is dead?! When did she die?
@@colleen4ever Russi Died a few years before my comment (I forget exactly when). Did you know in the original "Ducktales", she voiced Huey, Dewey, Louie and Webby Vanderquack?
I saw the seal ballad from this movie out of context earlier this year, and honestly the absurd wrongness of the whole scene is alongside the "Cats" movie and tap dancing Christopher Walken in terms of painful hilarity
Yeah, I know! All through this I was going, "okay, as bad as this is, most of this I could buy in a fantasy sort of way." The giant moth just lost me completely.
The Sentinel I'll tell you what: 4-year old me thought that summoning the moth was the coolest thing I had EVER SEEN. Adult me, watching the movie again, was reminded of why children are not allowed to vote.
I actually used to love this movie when I was younger. I would watch it all the time. That being said, I've never been under the illusion that it was PERFECT, and my fondness for it may have had something to do with the fact that the Doctor Dolittle books were (and still are) some of my favorites. I definitely knew even then that it was a bit of a jumble, and I never could figure out why they cast a tall, thin, saturnine actor like Rex Harrison to play a small, plump and kindly character like the good Doctor. I can't help but still have a soft spot for it, though, since the nostalgia for this one is strong.
You know you've done something wrong when you go out to film a movie and the locals start sending bomb threats. At least, I hope they sent a threat stating the bomb was there first.
You'd think Dee-Vah's supervisors would've finally invested in an actual judge box so she could finally kick her hooves up and stop standing all the time.
Alucard, More Awesome Than Chuck Norris! I mean. It IS hell. I’m not surprised they subject their servants to the same punishment as a minimal wage employee (my god, the pain).
17:20: You have no idea how much I was hoping Dr. Doolittle would start cooing at the tribespeople. Imagine if they spoke bird, or if a rock dove had to serve as translator for the tribe.
I don't recall the title of the episode offhand, but a few years back a "Simpsons" episode opened with Principal Skinner screening this movie -- with actual clips used! -- at a Springfield Elementary assembly, and the kids were on the verge of despair with how boring it was. Also, "Hi-Tops" is definitely something that would be in Diva's wheelhouse, but can it be as hilarious as the Cinema Snob's take was?
It seems Rex never actually read the books because Doolittle is a pretty decent man. Yeah he’s not exactly the most open with people, but isn’t a douche like Harrison’s portrayal
Man, they wanted so badly for Dolittle to be a Spock or Rick Sanchez type, didn’t they? Difference with characters like those is that Spock actually has sympathetic qualities and Rick is very clearly meant to be a cynical asshole who’s in the wrong.
My family had a get-together a few years back for my birthday and this suddenly came on the television. We watched the part where he was singing to the seal and were kinda weirded out. Then came the part where he pitched her into the ocean, and everybody started laughing. It was so absurd but played so seriously.
One of my biggest pet peeves is when Americans make movies ostensibly set in England while shoving in American wildlife. I don't know if maybe Doolittle had picked up a skunk from the local zoo, but if he didn't, it makes no sense for there to *be* a skunk! It's like the skunk and raccoons in the live-action 101 Dalmatians. Please, American film-makers, do a brief Google search to find out what wildlife we have before you make your movie...
Surprisingly, this is explained in-movie: they're part of an "Anglo-American fox protection society" in England to help deter would-be hunters. ....I never said it was a particularly good explanation, only that one had been given.
I have to say, as a kid I loved Dr Doolittle. I also had the soundtrack on vinyl and literally wore it out. I recently rewatched it and was SHOCKED at how boring it was. And yeah... Harrison just calls this one in and gives us Henry Higgins, part two. Sadly, this is one of those films that had so much potential, but ultimately, the payoff just never happens. On a positive note, it's far superior to Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. That's something, no?
Gotta love that the new remake didn't even try to rewrite the one prominent African character and just got rid of him altogether. So basically, bad representation makes way for no representation.
Oh my gosh! I've been waiting for you to do this since you brought it up during the Chorus Line review. I will say this one is a guilty pleasure for me, Anthony Newley is a personal hero of mine.
Ah yes, I remember owning Doctor Dolittle on vhs as a kid...and remembering nothing about it outside the first few minutes. This movie is proof that even before Green Book, the oscars were a joke
Okay, I gotta say, this is one of those movies I grew up on and will love until the end of my days. It's wacky, it's weird, and it makes me deeply nostalgic. And at least the music is kinda kickass.
The family film musicals after Mary Poppins and Sound of Music never learned the lessons of their construction or dynamics, instead seemingly trying to imitate without understanding what made them work so well. Disney songs are SHORT. Only select musical sequences have rousing numbers with lots of characters. Like many of its contemporaries, Doctor Doolittle seems to think that everyone off the screen is wildly enthused, but they don't give us a chance to breathe. The songs are too long and there's way too many of them. Nonetheless, I always completely enjoy the production design and costuming (particularly that dress in If I Were A Man), and film quality. What's missing from our contemporary experience is the added pleasure of getting to spend time in a gilded movie palace. I was 7 when this came out and it only played in one theater, a gorgeously palatial cinema. These were big events as a kid. You saw the movie once and then it went away forever. I still have the souvenir booklet. For me it was a great experience no matter how I see the movie now as an adult.
I was just thinking of how I wanted to watch a musical hell episode when my brother told me a notification for a new video had just popped up! How ironic.
My parents took me to see this in the theater when I was a kid. I dozed off within the first 10 minutes and woke up just as the giant snail showed up. Thank you so much for taking the pain for me. After your review, I now realize why I slept through it.
It was one of my first record albums as a kid. Musically, I remember it being enjoyable enough. Even bad musicals sometimes work when you only experience the songs and music and not the story itself.
When I was a kid, I always wanted to watch this movie, so much. I would see snippets and advertising, especially with the scene of him riding the moth. But when I finally had the opportunity, I was so bored I stopped barely 20 minutes in. I'm glad you took the time to summarize it so I don't have to sit through it. :)
I know you're never kind in your sentencing, O Demoness, but damn this sentence was brutal! I am always in awe of your creativity and sense of judicial proportion. :D
The fact that Sammy Davis Jr., a Jewish black man, took the song of Rex Harrison, an antisemitic racist, and did a FAR better version, makes my heart swell with joy
even Anthony Newley did a version and it was awesome (not as good as Sammy Davis Jr, but he at least sang a melody)
"Much better" yeah okay, you mean more modern acting.
@@KFrost-fx7dt no I mean he could actually sing
It's also amusing to think that the remake starring Eddie Murphy is a lot more popular than the original with Harrison.
@@disgruntledcashier503 Heck, ROGER MOORE sang it better when he guest-starred on the Muppet Show, and he changed most of the lyrics!
Call me crazy, but I feel like Sammy Davis Jr. would have made a better Dr. Dolittle in this movie. He's genuinely charming and likeable, can actually sing, and wouldn't have been a shitty human being to the rest of the cast and crew. Sure, he might have been a bit young for the part, but a little old-age makeup goes a long way.
Nah you not crazy Sammy was an extremely talented triple threat performer and he had such a charismatic personality/presence. It would've been much Better
I mean who says Dr. Doolittle has to be old anyways, imo Rex Harrison is WAY too old to be a love interest for Emma
My grandma met him and said he was the kindest guy. I kind of wish Rex was nice. I really thought he was the perfect choice. I would really liked Sammy. I guess the good news is we do have a good guy(Robert Downey Jr ) playing him in a remake. At least if it sucks as bad, I really think well like the character as it is. Any opinion on the Eddie Murphy movie?
ruclips.net/video/NIUXODBABQs/видео.html
Davis Jr. was SUPPOSED to play the ruler of Sea Star Island, but Harrison objected. Go figure!
Actually, this movie isn't so badly titled. In fact, it did little to nothing to me.
(rimshot)
Bravo! Wonderful comment!
Also, I admit this is a bit of bias on my end, but I personally consider William Shakespeare the Tenth as a saving grace. Yeah, the tribal portions itself are questionable by today's standards, and the random superstitions certainly don't do the natives any favors. That said, Geoffrey, as per usual, is easily the best actor in the third act. He's sincere, dignified, and unlike most of our principle cast, I DON'T wanna throw Willie into the island's volcano that somehow works despite that not being how island volcanoes work. Or ANY volcanoes for that matter.
From my understanding, the original novels were a lot worse about racism and the filmmakers were trying to fix that while not upsetting the author's estate. And they tried to get as big a name as they could for the leader with that in mind -- originally it would have been Sammy Davis, Jr. (but Harrison, go figure, objected), or Sidney Poitier (whom Harrison wanted instead).
Don't you feel good about Seven-Up? (Ha, ha, ha!)
@@Blaqjaqshellaq Damn straight. Also, I'm amazed my comment got this much traction; one from Diva herself, no less! I'm lucky to get 3 or 4 likes tops!
Rex Harrison sounds like he’s trying to hold back a tsunami of rage in every scene he’s in
He's a sucking black hole of charm who comes across less like he doesn't understand people and more like he's *above* people and doesn't *care* to understand them. I really don't know if they could have cast the role any worse...
Just out of shot are a bunch of production crew cowering in case Mr Harrison storms off in a fit again until someone brings his scented candles and his 100 white roses to his dressing room.
🤣😂
@@PassTheMarmalade1957 never realised that a hetero bigot like Rex Harrison can be an even worse diva than Mariah Carey
It's also worth noting that Rex Harrison was even difficult during pre-production. His demands drove the producers to approach Christopher Plummer as a replacement, but when Harrison agreed to stay, the producers paid Plummer his agreed-upon salary to leave the production. Little did anyone know that 50 years later, Christopher Plummer would go on to actually replace the big, bad monstrous actor in a movie, which in this case would be Kevin Spacey in ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD.
The stories of Harrison's behavior on this movie could fill up another video.
@@MusicalHell Another video could probably also be made about Christopher Plummer being willing to help save movies by replacing other actors too terrible to work with.
Three years later, the production team of Scrooge (same composer) considered Harrison for the title role...hadn't they HEARD what an utter shit he was to work with? Fortunately, they went with Albert Finney--who was able to convey far more emotion much better. (And is one of the only live-action Scrooges I know of who played him both as an older and a younger man. The Christmas Past scenes show Finney as he really looked then.)
Oh damn, could you imagine Plummer in this movie? The suaveness? The sophistication? The plot would still be a mess but at least it’d be a better watch.
I bet Plummer saw this movie and laughed all the way to the bank.
One reason why George Lucas made a King's ransom off of "Star Wars" merchandise was because 20th Century Fox lost so much money from products connected to this movie not selling that they gave the rights to the "Star Wars" products to Lucas.
Funny thing is, the concept of a zoologist more confortable with animals than humans was really done right with Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander.
When I was a kid my father tried to get me to watch this movie numerous times, but I always would refuse to continue watching after 20 or so minutes. When I received an opportunity as an adult to watch the movie, I took it. I thought I had been simply acting like a jerk as a kid and wondered why a kid who loved watching movies as much as I did acted so horribly during this movie.
About 20 minutes into watching it as an adult, I thought, "Oh, that's what the problem is! This movie is terrible!"
I think I was 4 when I first saw this. My parents thought I was not paying attention.
Later that week we saw 2 dogs rutting and 4-year-old me went "Look! A Pushme-pullyou!"
My favorite story about this movie, is that they wanted to shoot a scene of ducks in a pond. Now what I ask you could be simpler than that? But it seems that there had to be some kind of voodoo curse on this movie, because once they put the ducks in the water they sank like stones because it was the wrong time of the year and the ducks hadn’t grown their swimming feathers yet
That is a great story--one of many cut for time (another favorite: Harrison was doing a scene when he heard someone say "cut." After a bit of confusion between the director and himself, they realized that "Miss Polynesia" was the one who had spoken).
(sings): On the 7th day, what a mess I found! All 7 of the swimming swans had drowned!
Even the animals didn't want to work with Rex Harrison.
They also made a squirrel sit still for a few seconds by making it black out drunk.
@Simple Weirdo holy karma Batman!!!
This movie also killed movie merchandising until a certain space movie came out in '77. They slapped Dr. Dolittle's face on everything.
They even had a Dr. Doolittle jack in the box!
There was a china set. From what I understand.
What about Planet of the Apes? I heard there was a lot of merchandise for that, before Star Wars came out.
I have one and only one question: How long must we all wait for your deconstruction of that....thing...they call CATS?
Better be soon.
Probably when it comes to video.
I'm looking forward to that
Indeed, Diva stated in her "Know the Score" review of "Cats" and "Frozen 2" that a "Musical Hell" breakdown of the former will be coming soon, she just needs to recover from it first!🙀
@@trinaq Oh, poor dear....I'm still amazed I endured it....and even more amazed that I ended up acknowledging its badness yet also recommending you see it to witness its awfulness for yourself....
He got emasculated by a giraffe? I almost felt sorry until you explained the crap he did to deserve the karma
I guess the giraffe didn't like bigots.
That was my happy place when I finally decided to try watching this salt encrusted elephant turd.
@@easolinas1233 and serial cheaters
Fun Fact: this movie was originally way WAY longer, but every test screening did so badly, they cut and cut and cut, and it’s still unwatchable way too long.
i remember watching this movie as a kid and getting really bored, and at the time i assume it was because i'd expected the eddie murphy version and wanted to hear more talking animals, but now i feel validated that even adults can tell the movie is boring
Wow Rex Harrison was such a jerk but when I heard that a giraffe stomped on his balls I laughed like an idiot.. small doses of karma can be really wonderful
@Rebecca Woolf 🤣🤣🤣
To be fair, if a giraffe stepped on MY cock, i'd be a real dick about it too.
@@user-rc3cm1zv4j it's no surprise that Harrisons career basically went dead after this. Look at his filmography to see what happened
"What a funny accent"
Okay, that made me laugh
it got a chuckle out of me, too.
Same
If they used the seal subplot as the movie's plot itself, casted other actor insted of Harryson and did't made it a big budget produced musical, this could be a decent warm and sentimental little film.
4:49 Aaand I hate Rex Harrison now. Don't let the time stamp fool you, Rex was pretty despicable already WITHOUT the racist bits about Geoffrey Holder, but when you make racist comments to not only one of the last true Renaissance men, but also one of my favorite entertainment personalities of the 20th century, then you dun fucked up any chance of being considered a good person, never mind a good actor, in my eyes.
Unless that lunar moth is actually Mothra and kills Dolittle I’m so not interested in the film.
you'd think a movie featuring lunar moths you can ride would be interesting
I don't see the little tiny women who always talk in synch so that's not Mothra
Even Mothra was a better family film than this!
I’m so happy you doing another musical hell have a wonderful 2020 in the new year
Can’t wait for the Cats episode
Me neither!
Or better yet the 2019 remake of the lion king .
The Cats remake is just the musical with bad CG. That's it.
Alucard, More Awesome Than Chuck Norris! The issue with Cats is that it’s not a movie with a plot of *any* sort. What could TECHNICALLY be considered a “story” (which isn’t the same thing; the plot makes up the skeleton and foundation of a narrative with story filling in the gaps between major points) is more or less there as a way of connecting us from song to song, so it’s more like a revue or a concert of sorts-as it was designed-aka something that does NOT fit a film narrative. Unless you just literally adapted the poem book and made it into some ensemble piece like Happiness or Magnolia or something with a lot of standalone, interconnected stories about why each cat wants this second chance at life and then get Grizabela the Glamor Cat belting out Memories. There’s no goddamn reason you couldn’t just make an animated film out of this-even if it was some mo-cap thing like Monster House or Tintin.
@@ThatRandomEncounterGuy how about a 2d animated film?
4:46-4:51
So he was basically the Mel Gibson of his time period.
It also makes the fact that a Black Jewish convert sung "Talk to the Animals" better than him a bit more karmic.
Re: Sin 7 - I think, judging from the scenes and songs earlier in the film, the original idea was for Matthew and Emma to become a romantic couple, but Rex Harrison's meddling meant that Matthew's character never developed enough.
They really would have been cute together
Oh my gosh that makes sense...!
"Good Lord, Dr. Doolittle is really Chief Wiggum!"
One of my favorite nonfiction books is Pictures at a Revolution. It is about the making of the 5 films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar in 1968 and how they relate to the beginnings of New Hollywood since two of the nominations were Bonnie & Clyde and The Graduate. Doctor Dolittle was also one of the nominations and it goes through all the production problems that Diva briefly mentions in the introduction and it is all more interesting than the movie itself.
I read PICTURES some time ago - excellent analysis of "old" vs "new" Hollywood!
8:03 Wow, for a vet, Dr. Dolittle sure doesn't know how a horse's eyesight actually works (hint: there's a reason blinders are placed where they are)
I've tried watching this movie twice... and gave up twice after 30 minutes. Such tedious, self-indulgent whimsy, twee songs, and nonexistent momentum, it's a two and a half hour endurance test I failed miserably. Kudos to you for powering through it! A numbered list of random thoughts:
1. Rex Harrison looks like he'd rather be undergoing a tax audit and a colonoscopy at the same time than be in this.
2. Samantha Eggar is WAY too young for him (and good for him).
3. Does anyone else think the lyrics to "My Friend the Doctor" sound like the ramblings of a cult member?
4. Wouldn't it have been funny if Sophie the Seal's husband had come to kill the Doctor for hitting on his wife?
5. The Pink Sea Snail looks like a reject from "Fun in Balloon Land". Also, it isn't even pink, it's beige!
Mr. the Seal probably wouldn't want to get his flippers dirty. That's what the Penguin Mafia is for.
The seal thing is more disgusting then any of this. I no longer like Rex and your point about the movie may keep me from watching it again
"Richard Fleischer is condemned to a long vacation in Delaware."
Hey don't send him here!
I’m both surprised and not surprised that Eddie Murphy’s take on the story is the better movie adaptation.
The punishment I personally would have chosen for Harrison's Dolittle would have been for him to be given a lobotomy by Dr. Zaius from Planet of the Apes.
Fun fact: Arthur P. Jacobs actually approached Fox studio executive Richard Zanuck about Planet of the Apes during the pre-production of Doctor Doolittle.
Ah musical hell. One of the few things tht bring me joy in these trying times
Totally agree!
Counted three affirmation!
As a child of the era, I grew up being taken to these big budget Hollywood musicals, which continue to account for some of the most pleasant -- and miserable -- memories of my childhood, with "Doolittle" as a memory of the more ponderous and miserable sort. How good it was to see Leslie Bricusse come roaring back to brilliant form with "Scrooge" a few years later, which remains my most beloved memory of many happy music-filled years.
So thank you very much indeed, Mr Bricusse, but not for this thing.
“Which seems less like superstition and more like a thorough understanding of human history” LMAO 💀 I mean, tea
There's even a line in the movie where Willie explains they have to be cautious with white explorers, because in their experience most of them go straight to the shooting and conquering before the natives have a chance to talk with them.
Musical Hell sounds like Willie is one of the few good things about this movie tbh. And btw I’m freaking out that you actually replied to me 💀 I just created my channel the other day but I’ve literally been binge watching your Musical Hell videos since I discovered them in August 💖😭 love you and your channel and glad I get to actually comment on your vids now! ♥️
4:05 That could make for an interesting conflict in a better movie. I'm imagining a Zootopia-inspired tale where a carnivore has to fight off his natural instinct to devour his plant-eating patients. 🤔
By the third act, it feels like they were trying to turn this into a mix of "Gulliver's Travels" and "Mary Poppins".
4:12 Are we sure this isn’t the film’s villain song? That’s “Hellfire” levels of terrifying. At least that’d make the casting appropriate for someone as odious as Rex Harrison
yeah, having your vet protagonist sing how much he loves meat is pretty twisted
So my favorite classical film is The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, starring Rex Harrison and Gene Tierney (as well as a young Natalie Wood). It’s sad to learn that Harrison was such an awful and racist person, but separating the art from the artist is rather important. As is avoiding this film.
I know, Harrison must have been the classic case of "Nice Character, Mean Actor"!😥💔
Yeah, though it has its limits. Like if the person's attitudes are intertwined with their work (ie Orson Scott Card).
Honestly the whole "separate the art from the artist" is nothing more than a cheap cry from cowards that don't have the gumption to actually admit their favourite people are shit, because they're too attached to their work, in some cases building their entire identity around it, and don't want to give it up.
@@cannibalisticrequiem you're extremely ignorant to say such a thing. I take it you don't drive a car because Henry Ford was anti-semetic, right?
@Dunes8 Roman Polanski comes to mind, but also consider the cast and crew who had worked on films like Rosemary's Baby and The Pianist. Your point is certainly valid, and while I'm not familiar with Orson Scott Card myself, there are a lot of other people involved in taking his stories and turning them to film. Are they all of them as guilty as he, or are some just looking to make their living? What's more, do the films follow his books and transfer the things that you take issue with? Genuinely asking.
We owned this when I was a kid and the weird seal song and the out-of-nowhere romance with Emma bugged me even then (especially because Doolittle seemed way too old for her). Matthew was always my favorite, but the way he gushed in song about the doctor who was clearly a jerk and who never seemed to show the soft, pure side that Matthew insisted he had never sat well with me, either. Really appreciated this review as it validated everything I felt as a kid. The books were better.
Also, that push-me-pull-you song will be stuck in my head for the next month.
This movie never seems to completely figure out whether Dolittle or Matthew is supposed to be Emma's love interest--the former is implied heavily through the island sequence, but before that it seems like it's going to be Matthew (she even gives him an impulsive kiss and he has a whole solo about how wonderful that was).
@@MusicalHell I had forgotten about that kiss until this very moment! I feel like the movie did, too. 😆 I wonder if they were trying for a love triangle and either poor writing or poor directing muddled it.
@@MusicalHell I think that was an offshoot of Harrison demanding more screen time for himself and less for Newley...Matthew was supposed to fall for Emma and his love song is even on the soundtrack album (but cut from the movie). When the plot was revised, Harrison recorded the same song, but that too was cut and no longer survives.
Bit of a late reply, but "Beautiful Things" also was supposed to have Matthew and Emma continue the song underneath one of the circus tents, which is why Emma is suddenly holding the cane after the cut to Dolittle walking into his trailer.
Because an achievement’s an achievement. Jerk or not, he was a man who could speak 500 different animal dialects. It doesn’t matter if you’re Uwe Boll or not, that’s an amazing feat that demands recognition.
I'm trying to figure out how a giraffe of all animals could stomp on Rex's groin. You'd have to really be a pro at the limbo to even get in the right position for that to happen.
While this no doubt was cut out of the film, the image of Rex getting stomped in the groin by a giraffe is my happy place regarding Rex's behavior both in and behind the scenes of the movie.
Giraffes kicks can be deadly - maybe it was less a stomp and more a groin shot
There's a video on RUclips of one doing that. They kick you and they have perfect aim. Don't stand in front of the giraffe. Or behind. In fact just don't stand near the giraffe!
As far as I can tell, the upcoming movie with Robert Downey Jr. is going to omit the Higgins-esque misogyny...in this, he's a widower who's become more reclusive since his wife's death. I hope overall he'll be more likable than Harrison's Dolittle. (Oh, who am I kidding? He's RDJ...of COURSE he'll be likable.)
1967: Hey guys, what if *Henry Higgins* pretends to talk to animals?!
1998: Hey guys, what if *Axel Foley* pretends to talk to animals?!!
2020: Hey guys, what if *Tony Stark* pretends to talk to animals?!?!!
*Can we please stop?!?!*
"condemned to a lifetime of watching PETA propaganda"
We have laws in this country against cruel and unusual punishment.
They probably don't apply in sovereign territory of hell though.
I had expected the giant sea snail to be the island itself, which would explain why it would move around, and not just convieniently pop up at thevend
I read the first two books in middle school. I was surprised when I heard they were making a new movie, as the books were very obviously written at the height of the British Empire, and treat anyone who isn’t British about how you would expect
Even this version tones down the racial issues of the original book (which featured among other things Dolittle bleaching an African prince white at the prince's request).
The "treat him like a dog" line reminds me of PETA's weird fixation on similar phrases, like "kill two birds with one stone." No one show them this movie, they'll probably LOVE it.
And this doesn't even mention the food poisoning epidemic brought on by bad shellfish that caused the locals to pelt the Great Pink Sea Snail prop with rocks in outrage. Sometimes you really wonder if a project is cursed.
That deadpan "What a funny accent" gets me every time tho
I've never seen this,and I probably never will. For years,I've heard nothing but bad things about it,that it's typical of the overblown movie musicals of the late 1960s,that only succeeded in alienating audiences and effectively diminished interest in the genre for decades to come.
To be honest,I kept waiting in your review for a clip from Mystery Science Theater 3000's take on "The Girl In Gold Boots"....specifically,the scene in the montage where the protagonists have arrived in Hollywood just in time for Christmas,and they pass a billboard for this movie,where they joke, "Hey,that doesn't look like Eddie Murphy!!"
I'd forgotten about that! There's also a movie theater showing "Camelot" if I remember correctly...man, a lot of bad movie musicals turned up in that bad movie musical.
I grew up in the 1960s. and I fell in love with musical theater and films. West Side Story is my favorite. The late 60s and early 70s gave us Oliver!, Funny Girl, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory...all great musicals! I also love Charlotte's Web. Even flawed films like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Camelot are watchable, even enjoyable.
I'm so excited you did this one! Even though as a child I liked Dr. Dolittle (it had animals in every scene-- what else did an 8 yr old need?), I was always put off by Rex Harrison's "singing". I remember wondering why the main character's singing was, in fact, basically talking to music. Hearing about his antics later certainly didn't help, and as I got older, the insane "of it's time"-ness just hurt too much to make it remotely watchable anymore. But it's always kind of cathartic to see these kind of shows here! Great job!
Please, even Chief Wiggum's version of talk to the animals is better than Rex Harrison's lol
I never knew that Dolittle was ever a musical! Judging from this review, the name is extremely fitting, as despite all the work with the animals, the star, and the bribery, this one really did *Dolittle!*😉
(rimshot)
This was one of those movies my dad really wanted me to like because it came out when he was a child. I'm glad I was justified in finding it as boring as I did
When a live-action reimagining of this story in 2020 actually sounds good by comparison, you know you've made a bad movie.
Anna Olson But they’re both better than the Eddie Murphy one.
The color difference in the sky at 1:53 makes it look like they combined two different matte painting for the normal sky and the part to right of the castle.
However, given how it was produced, I assume that's a real shot of a real town.
Good Lord, production on this film sounded like a nightmare. How can something so hard to produce end up so boring and lousy? Most would instead expect the opposite: over-the-top and all over the place!
At least that's what we got with the 2020 Doolittle with RDJ! It's bad, but at least it's completely insane and out there!
20:56 Oh hey, it's Mothra. Does this mean Dr. Dolittle takes place in the kaijuu-verse?
21:53 That Wayne's World reference joke got me. XD
Legendary Film could have easily put Dolittle in their Kaiju Cinematic Universe.
Not even Dolittle riding on Mothra at the end can save this movie.
Doctor Dolittle: I’m probably the worst doctor in the world
J.Jonah Jameson: He admits it
Honestly I’m just happy mothra got some acting work outside the Godzilla series
Dr. Dolittle deserves a good adaptation, one that addresses the racist and colonialist ideas, but also highlights and centers the inevitable animal rights and nonviolence themes and portrays animals well instead of as stereotypes.
Well, there's the Eddie Murphy one.
@@cartooncritique6625 never actually seen it, but in any case I think what i waa thinking was a direct adaptation, following one of the novels And set in its historical context still. One where he is meticulously taught to speak different complex animal languages by an African Grey parrot. And it's a pre modern setting. The books are rather racist at points but the concept and worldbuilding was super interesting, imo, and has a lot of potential.
This feels like a necessary correction: a giraffe never stepped on Rex Harrison's groin 😂 it did step on its own genitals though. Apparently this required intense veterinary care and halted production for like 3 days
Poor giraffe. Harrison actually deserved it.
Aw... I was hoping for some well-deserved karma. And how does that even work?
"What a funny accent"
Sounds like the ONE good thing about this film. :P
Also, who spiked my hot chocolate?! DAFUQ DID I JUST WATCH AT THE END?!
Animals have always been a special interest of mine, so I was enthralled with this movie as a kid, even though I was flummoxed by the random Doolittle/Fairfax, and relieved when she leaves without him at the end 😆 I remember some kid at my school trying to bully me by following me around aggressively singing "Talk With the Animals" 😆😆
You know, it's pretty ironic that this Dolittle's played by a petty racist when the other Dolittle most of us had grown up with was played by Eddie Murphy.
This is the one I grew up with. Okay, I didn't actually ever watch it - the mere sight of Anthony Newley would have me running in the other direction. Somehow I've missed the Eddie Murphy version. It HAS to be better than this.
@@57Strudel I was too scared to the actual Eddie Murphy movie (The Nutty Professor sequel freaked me out and I thought that and Dr. Dolittle were the same film). Yet, I did grow up with the sequels since I was a big fan of Kyla Pratt.
To quoute Nelson Muntz: "That movie was so bad it actually stinks"; and it's not just the animal droppings, but also the production story.
Good luck with Hi-Tops, Diva!
"The running time is 152 minutes"
"The running time is now!"
I never heard of that one. Is that one of Nicks or Disney's made-for-tv movies?
@@colleen4ever Hi-Tops? Oh, I wish that it was something like that, it'll be more entertaining; in actuality; it's a religious musical about angels teaching teens the dangers of Peer Pressure. The Cinema Snob already reviewed it
@@CAMarino92 Oh I get it, one of those After School Special type movies! Oh boy, this is gonna be fun!
Last year, I read Pictures at a Revolution by Mark Harris. It profiled the five Best Picture nominees (Bonnie and Clyde, Dr. Doolittle, The Graduate, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and In the Heat of the Night) It profiled how Graduate and Bonnie and Clyde portrayed the "new Hollywood" and the other films symbolized the "old Hollywood". I would recommend it highly.
Also, in one of the better modern Simpsons episodes ('Cue Detective") opened with an assembly at Springfield Elementary being bored spitless with a presentation of "Dr. Doolittle" which causes Martin Prince (voiced by the late Russi Taylor) to observe, "Worst Anthony Newley performance ever!"
(Bonnie and Clyde, Dr. Doolittle, The Graduate, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and In the Heat of the Night) Sings- One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just isn;t the same.
WHAT?! Russi Taylor DIED?! Minnie Mouse is dead?! When did she die?
@@colleen4ever Russi Died a few years before my comment (I forget exactly when). Did you know in the original "Ducktales", she voiced Huey, Dewey, Louie and Webby Vanderquack?
Mothra would forever regret agreeing to a cameo in this movie.
I saw the seal ballad from this movie out of context earlier this year, and honestly the absurd wrongness of the whole scene is alongside the "Cats" movie and tap dancing Christopher Walken in terms of painful hilarity
21:00
“He pics a ride home on a giant Luna Moth”
Me: Excuse me, *wwwwwwhhhhhhhaaaaattttttt*
Yeah, I know! All through this I was going, "okay, as bad as this is, most of this I could buy in a fantasy sort of way." The giant moth just lost me completely.
The Sentinel I'll tell you what: 4-year old me thought that summoning the moth was the coolest thing I had EVER SEEN.
Adult me, watching the movie again, was reminded of why children are not allowed to vote.
This movie makes me want to watch Pj Masks. That is not a good sign
I actually used to love this movie when I was younger. I would watch it all the time. That being said, I've never been under the illusion that it was PERFECT, and my fondness for it may have had something to do with the fact that the Doctor Dolittle books were (and still are) some of my favorites. I definitely knew even then that it was a bit of a jumble, and I never could figure out why they cast a tall, thin, saturnine actor like Rex Harrison to play a small, plump and kindly character like the good Doctor. I can't help but still have a soft spot for it, though, since the nostalgia for this one is strong.
That moment when you realize the entire plot of My Fair Lady is basically mansplaining.
You know you've done something wrong when you go out to film a movie and the locals start sending bomb threats. At least, I hope they sent a threat stating the bomb was there first.
You'd think Dee-Vah's supervisors would've finally invested in an actual judge box so she could finally kick her hooves up and stop standing all the time.
Alucard, More Awesome Than Chuck Norris!
I mean. It IS hell. I’m not surprised they subject their servants to the same punishment as a minimal wage employee (my god, the pain).
@@starbird3939 still. Dee-Vah deserves it. I'll talk to Lucifer about it.
17:20: You have no idea how much I was hoping Dr. Doolittle would start cooing at the tribespeople.
Imagine if they spoke bird, or if a rock dove had to serve as translator for the tribe.
I don't recall the title of the episode offhand, but a few years back a "Simpsons" episode opened with Principal Skinner screening this movie -- with actual clips used! -- at a Springfield Elementary assembly, and the kids were on the verge of despair with how boring it was.
Also, "Hi-Tops" is definitely something that would be in Diva's wheelhouse, but can it be as hilarious as the Cinema Snob's take was?
Man, and I really loved Rex Harrison in My Fair lady, well that's how it is... Sometimes, people disappoint.
I didn't know that "Doctor Dolittle" was a musical. I wish I could go back to that.
It seems Rex never actually read the books because Doolittle is a pretty decent man. Yeah he’s not exactly the most open with people, but isn’t a douche like Harrison’s portrayal
Man, they wanted so badly for Dolittle to be a Spock or Rick Sanchez type, didn’t they? Difference with characters like those is that Spock actually has sympathetic qualities and Rick is very clearly meant to be a cynical asshole who’s in the wrong.
My family had a get-together a few years back for my birthday and this suddenly came on the television. We watched the part where he was singing to the seal and were kinda weirded out. Then came the part where he pitched her into the ocean, and everybody started laughing. It was so absurd but played so seriously.
12:05 So it would've been too much trouble to take the clothing off the seal before throwing her in the sea?
One of my biggest pet peeves is when Americans make movies ostensibly set in England while shoving in American wildlife. I don't know if maybe Doolittle had picked up a skunk from the local zoo, but if he didn't, it makes no sense for there to *be* a skunk! It's like the skunk and raccoons in the live-action 101 Dalmatians. Please, American film-makers, do a brief Google search to find out what wildlife we have before you make your movie...
Surprisingly, this is explained in-movie: they're part of an "Anglo-American fox protection society" in England to help deter would-be hunters.
....I never said it was a particularly good explanation, only that one had been given.
@@MusicalHell Fair enough! At least it does have an explanation!
One saving grace might be that Roger Moore got to perform a kick-butt cover of "Talk to the Animals" on The Muppet Show (with a twist, of course).
I have to say, as a kid I loved Dr Doolittle. I also had the soundtrack on vinyl and literally wore it out. I recently rewatched it and was SHOCKED at how boring it was. And yeah... Harrison just calls this one in and gives us Henry Higgins, part two. Sadly, this is one of those films that had so much potential, but ultimately, the payoff just never happens. On a positive note, it's far superior to Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. That's something, no?
Gotta love that the new remake didn't even try to rewrite the one prominent African character and just got rid of him altogether. So basically, bad representation makes way for no representation.
Twitter would complain no matter what you do, guess in this day and age it;s better to do it that way.
I will say this...at least the new one with Robert Downey Jr. looks like it will be fun and charming
Oh my gosh! I've been waiting for you to do this since you brought it up during the Chorus Line review. I will say this one is a guilty pleasure for me, Anthony Newley is a personal hero of mine.
Ah yes, I remember owning Doctor Dolittle on vhs as a kid...and remembering nothing about it outside the first few minutes.
This movie is proof that even before Green Book, the oscars were a joke
At least this didn;t actually win!
When I was little I couldn't fall asleep without something playing on the TV, and this movie was my go-to, It knocked me out really fast.
14:30 So the island which explicitly moves all over the place... is on the map? The map which is presumably at least a few months old?
Okay, I gotta say, this is one of those movies I grew up on and will love until the end of my days. It's wacky, it's weird, and it makes me deeply nostalgic. And at least the music is kinda kickass.
The movie took a turn from a guy talking to animals to a kaiju flick at the end
The part with the seal sounds like the funniest bit actually
I am just waiting for a Cinema Snob review of this, so Snob can make a Rex Harrison really wanted to fuck a seal joke.
The family film musicals after Mary Poppins and Sound of Music never learned the lessons of their construction or dynamics, instead seemingly trying to imitate without understanding what made them work so well. Disney songs are SHORT. Only select musical sequences have rousing numbers with lots of characters. Like many of its contemporaries, Doctor Doolittle seems to think that everyone off the screen is wildly enthused, but they don't give us a chance to breathe. The songs are too long and there's way too many of them. Nonetheless, I always completely enjoy the production design and costuming (particularly that dress in If I Were A Man), and film quality. What's missing from our contemporary experience is the added pleasure of getting to spend time in a gilded movie palace. I was 7 when this came out and it only played in one theater, a gorgeously palatial cinema. These were big events as a kid. You saw the movie once and then it went away forever. I still have the souvenir booklet. For me it was a great experience no matter how I see the movie now as an adult.
I was just thinking of how I wanted to watch a musical hell episode when my brother told me a notification for a new video had just popped up! How ironic.
My parents took me to see this in the theater when I was a kid. I dozed off within the first 10 minutes and woke up just as the giant snail showed up. Thank you so much for taking the pain for me. After your review, I now realize why I slept through it.
It was one of my first record albums as a kid. Musically, I remember it being enjoyable enough. Even bad musicals sometimes work when you only experience the songs and music and not the story itself.
When I was a kid, I always wanted to watch this movie, so much. I would see snippets and advertising, especially with the scene of him riding the moth. But when I finally had the opportunity, I was so bored I stopped barely 20 minutes in.
I'm glad you took the time to summarize it so I don't have to sit through it. :)
I know you're never kind in your sentencing, O Demoness, but damn this sentence was brutal! I am always in awe of your creativity and sense of judicial proportion. :D
When the Eddie Murphy non musical remake is more enjoyable than this film...😹
The Eddie Murphy non musical version is best version in my opinion
Sorry, Trina, while I respect your opinion, I'll take this movie over the Eddie Murphy films any day.
...debatable.
@@wesleyhunt7599 Hey, at least this movie doesn't have any fart or poop jokes.
...
can't we just put both of them in the "Just not a good movie" bin, and be done with it?