Doctor Dolittle (1967)

Based on three of the Hugh Lofting books, Rex Harrison is the titular doctor whose great love for animals brought him to learn how to speak various animal languages from his parrot friend. For reasons, this leads him on an expedition to find the Great Pink Sea Snail. I do love a film that respects animals as unique individuals and personalities, even when they are as fictitious as the well-crafted Pushmi-Pullyu, and Geoffrey Holder is delightful as the leader of a village of well-read island natives, but this film is way too damn long. Cut out most of the beginning and one or two of the extraneous episodes and it wouldn’t be much of a loss. The songs are mostly unmemorable with Harrison sing songing his way through the majority, even when accompanied by the film’s delightful visuals.   

Oscar Wins: Best Effects, Special Effects; Best Music, Original Song

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Cinematography; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; Best Sound; Best Film Editing; Best Music, Original Music Score; Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment