Doctor Dolittle

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Doctor Dolittle

G

1967

2h 32m

Kids & Family

Musical

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30%

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20 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

May 12, 2008

2/5

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

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Variety Staff

Variety

May 12, 2008

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.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

May 12, 2008

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

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Sep 18, 2021

1.5/4

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).

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Nathanael Hood

Unseen Films

Jun 27, 2020

3/10

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.

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Tim Brayton

Alternate Ending

Jan 19, 2020

1/5

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

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Robert P

@Superbad Oct 16, 2026

Doctor Dolittle is a *3* star Movie!

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R T

@crillovision Jun 30, 2026

Disappointing beyond belief. Almost none of the charm or humor of the Lofting books is retained and poor Harrison has never been more hamstrung. Far far too much Anthony Newley who grinds it all to a halt more than a few times and songs nobody will ever even dream of singing again. The special effects are the only positive throughout and the giant snail is a beaut.

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alan G

@agenser Jun 11, 2026

How does the two headed llama poop?

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Eli H

@EliHendricks Oct 29, 2025

This is a film where Rex Harrison acts as the agent for a two-headed llama that he gets to perform at Richard Attenborough's traveling circus, and then Oscar winner Rex Harrison helps a seal that misses her husband in the North Pole said escape said circus by throwing her into the channel, but not before he sings a ballad about looking into her eyes and seeing that he loves her and kisses her. All of that was true. What I'm saying is this movie is terrible and I think I might love it.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jun 5, 2025

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

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David W

@Sternhammer Dec 13, 2024

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.

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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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