The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953)

Roy Rowland's musical fantasy children's film is a delight. Much of that is due to the brilliant cast, headed by Tommy Rettig, Peter Lind Hayes, and Hans Conried. The entirety of The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. is imaginative and fascinating, not to mention funny. And the design is genius – Mary Healy's gowns are by Jean Louis and Rudolph Sternad has made Dr. Seuss-inspired sets that also put one in mind of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and both U.S. and German concentration camps.

Thematically the film is about fascism, freedom, and following one's own path rather than those of our elders (or the police!). The film also has a fascinating approach to children and parents, telling kids that adults aren't all they're cracked up to be. The main character, little Bart, sings about how parents aren't to be trusted and never listen to children. Most importantly, this is a kids film that is for kids – not just for adults to "remind them of what it was like to be a kid" or some such business.

And then there is the amazing sequence when the 499 boys show up to play the piano and they are lined up and their suitcases are stacked and their sporting equipment is taken from them. It's designed to look like Auschwitz, and it is an incredible choice.

And the score! The score is fabulous. Not only is the song scoring excellent, but the music throughout is really wonderful.

The film is strangely, queer too. There is an amazing sequence in the dungeon basement that is filled with musicians who don't want to play the piano – kids who play the trombone or violin or piccolo. Except they're not kids at all: they're all fit dancers (including George Chakiris) who are covered in green paint. And they don't play normal instruments but strange, 20-foot trumpets and weird bells and string instruments and enormous xylophones. It's totally bizarre and strangely pleasurable. It's a truly standout number in an excellently weird children's film.

The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. was apparently a flop in 1953. That is insane. It's so good.

I watched this on the Criterion Channel and it was an excellent Saturday matinee.