The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. is a 1953 musical fantasy film. It is best known for being the only feature film ever written by Theodor Seuss Geisel ("Dr. Seuss"), who wrote the story, screenplay, and lyrics. 1953 (MCMLIII) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The musical film is a film genre in which several songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative. ... Fantasy is a genre of art, literature, film, television, and music that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of either plot, theme, setting, or all three. ... Dr. Seuss is the pen name of Theodor Seuss Geisel (March 2, 1904 – September 24, 1991). ... A screenplay or script is a blueprint for producing a motion picture. ... Lyrics are the written words in a song. ...

The plot revolves around young Bart Collins (Tommy Rettig), who is living with his widowed mother Eloise (Mary Healy). She is being courted by Bart's piano teacher Dr. Terwilliker (Hans Conried), whom Tommy dislikes intensely because of his autocratic style. Bart is trying to get his mother together with another smitten, but less acceptable suitor, local repairman August Zabladowski (Peter Lind Hayes). Eloise also prefers August, but knows that Dr. Terwilliker can provide her and her son with a better living. Tommy Rettig (also known as Tom Rettig) (December 10, 1941 – February 15, 1996) was an American child actor, computer software engineer, and author. ... Hans Conried in 1974 television appearance Hans Georg Conried, Jr. ...

As in The Wizard of Oz, the plot descends into fantasy where the real life anxieties of Bart are duplicated within the fantasy plot. Bart and August step into a world where Dr. Terwilliker becomes the evil Dr. T., a madman with a piano so large that it requires 500 enslaved boys (the aforementioned 5,000 fingers) much like Bart in order to play it. Eloise become the damsel in distress to be saved from Dr. T. (preferably by August) at all costs, while Bart works to free the 500 enslaved boys. The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. ...

It is possible that the character of Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons is based in part on the character of Dr. Terwilliker. Not only are their surnames similar, but Sideshow Bob's accent and countenance bear a superficial resemblance to Hans Conried's performance, and both characters have a nemesis named Bart. Robert Underdunk Terwilliger is a fictional character featured in The Simpsons, voiced by Kelsey Grammer. ... Homer, a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, is a generally well-meaning buffoon whose short attention span often draws him into outrageous schemes and adventures. ... Hans Conried in 1974 television appearance Hans Georg Conried, Jr. ...

Other Facts

• The fantasy is almost entirely musical, with either background music or actual musical numbers (9 in all in just 89 minutes).
• The prefered drink in the Terwilliker Institute is pickle juice.
• Other minor characters include: Siamese twins joined by the beard on rollerskates and a man inside a drum.
• Hypnotism is done to cha-cha music

External links

• The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T at the Internet Movie Database