Doctor Dolittle (1967 film)

Doctor Dolittle
Theatrical release poster by Tom Chantrell
Directed by	Richard Fleischer
Screenplay by	Leslie Bricusse
Based on	Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
Produced by	Arthur P. Jacobs
Starring	Rex Harrison Samantha Eggar Anthony Newley Richard Attenborough
Cinematography	Robert L. Surtees
Edited by	Samuel E. Beetley Marjorie Fowler
Music by	Leslie Bricusse Lionel Newman Alexander Courage
Production company	APJAC Productions
Distributed by	20th Century-Fox
Release dates	December 12, 1967 (1967-12-12) (London premiere) December 19, 1967 (1967-12-19) (United States)
Running time	152 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$17 million[1]
Box office	$9 million[2]

Doctor Dolittle is a 1967 American musical fantasy film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley, and Richard Attenborough. It was adapted by Leslie Bricusse from the Doctor Dolittle novel series by Hugh Lofting, primarily The Story of Doctor Dolittle (1920), The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (1922), and Doctor Dolittle's Circus (1924).

Various attempts to make a film based on Doctor Dolittle began as early as the 1920s. In the early 1960s, actress-turned-producer Helen Winston acquired the film rights, but did not succeed in producing a film. In 1963, producer Arthur P. Jacobs acquired the rights and recruited Alan Jay Lerner to compose songs and Rex Harrison to star in the project. After numerous delays, Lerner was fired and replaced by Bricusse. In addition to the numerous technical difficulties inherent to working with the large number of animals required for the story, the production was impacted by numerous setbacks stemming from poorly chosen shooting locations and creative demands from Harrison, and the finished film cost almost three times more than its original budget of $6 million.

The film premiered in London on December 12, 1967. It recouped $9 million during its theatrical run,^[2] earning only $6.2 million in theatrical rentals and becoming a box-office bomb.^[3] Although the film received negative critical reviews, thanks to intense lobbying by 20th Century-Fox,^[4] it was nominated for nine Oscars, including Best Picture, at the 40th Academy Awards, and won the awards for Best Original Song and Best Visual Effects.^[5] Over time, the film has become a cult classic.^{[citation needed]}