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March 16, 2017 10:22 AM Subscribe
Oh my god. I saw this movie on the big screen sometime when I was a kid--3rd grade?-- and I just had no idea what was going on. I innocently thought I was going to see a Dr Seuss movie, and instead I spent an hour and a half trapped in a nightmare hellscape. Look at this guy's scary eyes in his mask oh god. It freaked me right the hell out.
(I do remember feeling relieved at the brief oasis of cheerfulness that was the Do-Mi-Do song.)
Now that I am no longer 10 years old, I see what a work of twisted surreal genius this movie was, and the love that Dr Seuss and his team clearly put into every aspect of the story and design. I wish it had been better received.
posted by Pallas Athena at 11:59 AM on March 16, 2017 [4 favorites]
(I do remember feeling relieved at the brief oasis of cheerfulness that was the Do-Mi-Do song.)
Now that I am no longer 10 years old, I see what a work of twisted surreal genius this movie was, and the love that Dr Seuss and his team clearly put into every aspect of the story and design. I wish it had been better received.
posted by Pallas Athena at 11:59 AM on March 16, 2017 [4 favorites]
My introduction to Hans Conried was Fractured Flickers back in childhood. And then I saw this film on TV. It has to be one of my favorite films. I really want a Happy Fingers hat. Please.
posted by njohnson23 at 1:12 PM on March 16, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by njohnson23 at 1:12 PM on March 16, 2017 [1 favorite]
This is glorious. It's been on my writing and work playlists for some time.
I wish this number could turn up in a revue somewhere. The moment that Dr. T. drops his dressing gown and is wearing that, well, it's not to be forgotten. I wonder if this film was an influence on Pee-Wee's Playhouse.
posted by Countess Elena at 2:54 PM on March 16, 2017 [1 favorite]
I wish this number could turn up in a revue somewhere. The moment that Dr. T. drops his dressing gown and is wearing that, well, it's not to be forgotten. I wonder if this film was an influence on Pee-Wee's Playhouse.
posted by Countess Elena at 2:54 PM on March 16, 2017 [1 favorite]
We showed this as part of MST preroll some weeks ago (oh, we show all kinds of stuff). It is entirely awesome. Especially the Elevator Dungeon song Pallas Athena linked. There was actually a verse cut from it, possibly because they thought it was too gruesome but honestly now it doesn't seem any different from the others. Here is the song with the verse restored.
This was a make-or-break film for the career of Hans Conried, and unfortunately the die turned up break. The film flopped so hard that writer and set designer Theodore "Dr. Seuss" Geisel didn't even mention it in his autobiography. The Wikipedia page for the film quotes Conreid: "I had never had any such part before, never have since and probably never will again. We rehearsed for eight weeks before I was engaged to shoot for eight weeks, an extravagance that I as a bit player had never known... If it had been a success, with my prominent part in the title role, it would have changed my life."
The bit right after the Elevator Dungeon has Hans Conried telling the others, gleefully, about a guy trapped in a cell. There's a huge bass drum in the cell, and a guy beating it regularly. Dr. T tells his guests that he once conducted a performance of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. At the place where it goes "Bum-bum-bum-bum," the guy in the cell played, "Bum-bum-bum-bum-bum," one more "bum," an extra "bum," you see.
"Yes, he'll be here forever!"
The others, the kid and his plumber/father surrogate, admitted, as a punishment, having to hit a drum wasn't so bad. Dr. T then told them, joy suffusing his tone, "No no, my man is inside the drum!"
Farewell Hans Conried. Life didn't treat you anywhere near as well as you deserved.
posted by JHarris at 3:01 PM on March 16, 2017 [5 favorites]
This was a make-or-break film for the career of Hans Conried, and unfortunately the die turned up break. The film flopped so hard that writer and set designer Theodore "Dr. Seuss" Geisel didn't even mention it in his autobiography. The Wikipedia page for the film quotes Conreid: "I had never had any such part before, never have since and probably never will again. We rehearsed for eight weeks before I was engaged to shoot for eight weeks, an extravagance that I as a bit player had never known... If it had been a success, with my prominent part in the title role, it would have changed my life."
The bit right after the Elevator Dungeon has Hans Conried telling the others, gleefully, about a guy trapped in a cell. There's a huge bass drum in the cell, and a guy beating it regularly. Dr. T tells his guests that he once conducted a performance of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. At the place where it goes "Bum-bum-bum-bum," the guy in the cell played, "Bum-bum-bum-bum-bum," one more "bum," an extra "bum," you see.
"Yes, he'll be here forever!"
The others, the kid and his plumber/father surrogate, admitted, as a punishment, having to hit a drum wasn't so bad. Dr. T then told them, joy suffusing his tone, "No no, my man is inside the drum!"
Farewell Hans Conried. Life didn't treat you anywhere near as well as you deserved.
posted by JHarris at 3:01 PM on March 16, 2017 [5 favorites]
This is actually my getting ready music
posted by The Whelk at 3:50 PM on March 16, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 3:50 PM on March 16, 2017 [4 favorites]
this needs a redo far more than the Lorax or the Grinch ever did, but sadly a kids' movie with the premise "your music lessons are boring and stupid and music teachers are villainous fops" is going to be mighty unpopular with any kind of parent
posted by Countess Elena at 4:44 PM on March 16, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Countess Elena at 4:44 PM on March 16, 2017 [1 favorite]
This is one of my all time favorite films. I got them to play it once at the Sash Mill theater in Santa Cruz in the mid 80's and the brought it back every 6 months for years after that.
posted by boilermonster at 11:51 PM on March 16, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by boilermonster at 11:51 PM on March 16, 2017 [1 favorite]
"your music lessons are boring and stupid and music teachers are villainous fops" is going to be mighty unpopular with any kind of parent
As a parent of a toddler and soon-to-be-of-a-baby, I hugely look forward to watching this again with my kids.
posted by dmd at 6:44 PM on March 17, 2017 [2 favorites]
As a parent of a toddler and soon-to-be-of-a-baby, I hugely look forward to watching this again with my kids.
posted by dmd at 6:44 PM on March 17, 2017 [2 favorites]
I'm going to have first floor dungeon! going through my head for the rest of my life.
posted by moonmilk at 8:45 AM on March 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by moonmilk at 8:45 AM on March 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
Were you by any chance listening to Irwin Chusid on WFMU last Wednesday?
He played this and I felt awful that he actually had to explain The 5,000 Fingers of Dr T to his young co-host.
I happened to be alone at home one Saturday afternoon when I was about 8 (it was the 60s), and I came on this movie on TV without warning, and I was mesmerized and completely terrified. I saw it again later as an adulthood and I thought it was hilarious camp.
It is the best children's movie EVER.
posted by maggiemaggie at 10:31 AM on March 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
He played this and I felt awful that he actually had to explain The 5,000 Fingers of Dr T to his young co-host.
I happened to be alone at home one Saturday afternoon when I was about 8 (it was the 60s), and I came on this movie on TV without warning, and I was mesmerized and completely terrified. I saw it again later as an adulthood and I thought it was hilarious camp.
It is the best children's movie EVER.
posted by maggiemaggie at 10:31 AM on March 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
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posted by nixon's meatloaf at 11:34 AM on March 16, 2017