Doctor Dolittle

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Doctor Dolittle

G

Released Dec 19, 1967

2h 32m

Kids & Family

Musical

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29%

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21 Reviews

57%

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50,000+ Ratings

Dr. John Dolittle (Rex Harrison) lives in a small English village where he specializes in caring for and verbally communicating with animals. When Dr. Dolittle is unjustly sent to an insane asylum for freeing a lovesick seal from captivity, his animals and two closest human friends, Matthew Mugg (Anthony Newley) and Tommy Stubbins (William Dix), liberate him. Afterward, they join Emma Fairfax (Samantha Eggar) and set out by boat to find a famed and elusive creature: the Great Pink Sea Snail.

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Ian Nathan

Empire Magazine

Not even a decent performance from Richard Attenborough can save this disappointing production.

Rated: 2/5

May 12, 2008

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Variety Staff

Variety

Leslie Bricusse's adaptation retains the delightful aspects while taking considerable liberty with the plot. His music and lyrics, while containing no smash hits, are admirably suited to the scenario.

May 12, 2008

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

It's so clumsy and pounding that taking a child to it might be grounds for a visit from family services.

May 12, 2008

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

The offer of free food worked beautifully, and Academy voters shamelessly nominated this debacle for Best Picture (thereby rubbing shoulders with the landmark likes of The Graduate and Bonnie and Clyde).

Rated: 1.5/4

Sep 18, 2021

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Nathanael Hood

Unseen Films

The only redeeming moments come from spasms of unintended campiness like a scene where Harrison sings a love ballad to a seal dressed as an old woman.

Rated: 3/10

Jun 27, 2020

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Tim Brayton

Alternate Ending

The failures on display are legion, so many that it's hard to know where to start.

Rated: 1/5

Jan 19, 2020

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Stephen C

Success in 2 hours and 32 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/05/25

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David W

Largely but not entirely saved by the performance of the excellent Rex Harrison. It's whimsical and light despite there being some questionable use of the animals but this was the norm for the time (very much circus fare) and not then considered to be at all inappropriate. It's biggest sin cinematically though is that for a musical there's not really any great or even particularly memorable songs. It all passes the time well enough in a very retro way but it's not a classic in my book.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/13/24

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Alice B. T

This is the first and best version. The one with Eddie Murphy as Dr. Dolittle was hilarious, but it's like comparing apples and oranges.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/12/23

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Audience Member

Awful. The treatment of the animals used is abysmal - bears being forced to walk on their hind legs, seals having balls thrown at their faces. Horrid

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

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donald d

A very dated movie, with NO memorable songs for a so-called musical. The movie drags on and on and.....

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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joel h

I thought Doctor Dolittle was boring when I watched it as a kid, but when I watched it as an adult…it's still pretty boring. Here's the weird thing, though, my kids really liked it. I don't know why, exactly, maybe it's because they just liked seeing animals do silly things, or maybe it's the outlandish story. Regardless of what it was, we ended up having a nice time watching it together, even though I don't really care to watch it again.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Richard Fleischer

Director

Rex Harrison

Doctor John Dolittle

Samantha Eggar

Emma Fairfax

Anthony Newley

Matthew Mugg

Richard Attenborough

Albert Blossom

Peter Bull

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Synopsis

Dr. John Dolittle (Rex Harrison) lives in a small English village where he specializes in caring for and verbally communicating with animals. When Dr. Dolittle is unjustly sent to an insane asylum for freeing a lovesick seal from captivity, his animals and two closest human friends, Matthew Mugg (Anthony Newley) and Tommy Stubbins (William Dix), liberate him. Afterward, they join Emma Fairfax (Samantha Eggar) and set out by boat to find a famed and elusive creature: the Great Pink Sea Snail.

Director: Richard Fleischer
Producer: Arthur P. Jacobs
Screenwriter: Hugh Lofting, Leslie Bricusse
Distributor: CBS/Fox, 20th Century Fox
Production Co: 20th Century Fox, APJAC Productions
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Musical
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 19, 1967, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 18, 2012
Runtime: 2h 32m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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