The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T

The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Roy Rowland
Produced by	Stanley Kramer
Screenplay by	Dr. Seuss Allan Scott
Starring	Tommy Rettig Mary Healy Hans Conried Peter Lind Hayes
Music by	Frederick Hollander Heinz Roemheld Hans J. Salter
Cinematography	Franz Planer
Edited by	Al Clark Harry Gerstad (sup.)
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	July 1, 1953
Running time	92 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$2.75 million

The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953) is a musical fantasy film, the only feature film written by Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss), who was responsible for the story, screenplay and lyrics. It was directed by Roy Rowland, with many takes directed, uncredited, by producer Stanley Kramer.

Young Bart Collins (Tommy Rettig) lives with his widowed mother Heloise (Mary Healy). The bane of Bart's existence are the hated piano lessons he endures under the tutelage of the Dr. Terwilliker (Hans Conried). Bart feels that his mother has fallen under Terwilliker's influence, and gripes to plumber August Zabladowski (Peter Lind Hayes), without result. While hammering at his lessons, Bart dozes off and enters a musical dream, much as did Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz.

In the dream, Bart is trapped at the surreal Terwilliker Institute, where the piano teacher is a madman dictator who has imprisoned non-piano-playing musicians. He built a piano so large that it requires Bart and 499 other boys (hence, 5,000 fingers) to play it. Bart's mother has become Terwilliker's hypnotized assistant and bride-to-be, and Bart must dodge the Institute's guards as he scrambles to save his mother and himself. He tries to recruit Mr. Zabladowski, who was hired to install the Institute's lavatories ahead of a vital inspection, but only after skepticism and foot-dragging is the plumber convinced to help. The two construct a noise-sucking contraption which ruins the mega-piano's opening concert. The enslaved boys run riot, and the "atomic" noise-sucker explodes in spectacular fashion, bringing Bart out from his dream.

The movie ends on a hopeful note for Bart, when Mr. Zabladowski notices Heloise, and offers to drive her to town in his jeep. Bart escapes from the piano, and runs off to play.