Doctor Dolittle

DOCTOR DOLITTLE. 1967 American musical film distributed by 20th Century Fox directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Rex Harrison in the title role. The film had a notoriously protracted production with numerous setbacks along the way including complications from poorly chosen shooting locations and the numerous technical difficulties inherent with the large number of animals required for the story. The film exceeded its original budget of $6 million by three times, but recouped $9 million upon its release in 1967. It received mixed to negative critical reviews, but through the studio's intense lobbying, was ultimately nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. It won awards for Best Original Song and Best Visual Effects.