Seven Faces of Dr. Lao

Rating:
Summary: Tony Randall is a genius!
Review: "Every time you stop and think 'I'm alive, and being alive is fantastic!' Every time such a thing happens, you are part of the Circus of Dr. Lao."

Rating:
Summary: Great, entertaining movie!
Review: This is a darn fine little film. If you like it, get the book {entitled The Circus Of Dr. Lao} by Charles Finney. Also the writer of the screenplay, Charles Beaumont, wrote many of the classic Twilight Zone episodes, many of American International's Poe adaptations and was a superb short story writer as well. Tragically he died of Alzeimer's at the tender age of 37 in 1967. You should be able to find his excellent collection A Touch Of The Creature here on Amazon. Great stories well worth your time. Love Tony Randall in this movie. "Times may come and times may go, but no more circuses like this show!" Indeed!

Rating:
Summary: A Movie for the Ages
Review: I first saw this movie when I was twelve and immediately built a cricket cage like the one Dr. Lao had in the movie. I even learned the sleight-of-hand trick the little boy did in the film. Thirty-two years later I have discovered the further depths of meaning in George Pal's masterpiece. If you buy only one movie for your child (probably not a bad idea) get this one. He or she will see "not the dust, but a universe."

Rating:
Summary: A CLASSIC GEM THAT YOU'VE GOT TO SEE
Review: This little sleeper is a gem that you've got to experience. Doesn't matter if you're a child or an adult, it's an imaginative, humorous and as enlightening experience you'll want to share with everyone. Tony Randall was born to play the role of Dr. Lao (and his six cohorts). Thoughtful and provoking to watch with an open mind.

Rating:
Summary: seven faces of Dr lao
Review: I saw this film when i was a little girl and it blew me away,
and understanding that there was a cause and effect value to the film,Also that you have to look inside, was pretty insightful for a child to grasp...but
I caught the end of it just recently and now i have discided it is my all time favorite...

Rating:
Summary: A great old movie!
Review: The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao brought back memories of
going to the movies and being totally delighted!
My 10 year old son enjoyed it too, except the dated
animations of the sea serpent. I guess technology
has come a long way in 40 years. Anyway, Tony Randall
is great in this movie. I'd recommend it to everyone!!!

Rating:
Summary: A Classic!
Review: I love this movie. It blends fantasy, a wee touch of horror and just enough romance into a fabulous tale that you will watch over and over. Whenever I'm depressed, I look at this DVD and I immediately feel 110% better. Tony Randall will surprise you; he is much more versatile in this movie than in anything else he's ever done.

The gentle wisdom and humor of this film make it appropriate for all from 8 to 80 (and beyond!). Buy it and you'll never regret the purchase.

Rating:
Summary: A Heart-Warming Classic Story of Magic & Love
Review: I loved this film when I saw it as a child, because it captured the sense of how this world is conscious and alive -- and how things are not quite what they seem. I love it just as much now that I've seen it on DVD as an adult -- and I'm impressed at how a movie can bear the test of time so well.

The story is about a young boy living in a small town in the wild west (Abalone, Arizona), who befriends a mysterious Chinese gentleman who rides into town on his donkey with what he claims to be a sea serpent in a fishbowl on the donkey's back. This peculiar stranger is Dr. Lao, and he has come to town to put on a very big show in a surprisingly small tent. The townsfolk of Abalone get much more than they bargained for when they attend the Circus of Dr. Lao.

I give this film my highest recommendation -- it's perfect for everyone, and you'll be glad to own it so you can see it again and again!

Rating:
Summary: one of the five best ever made
Review: if you're looking for a great movie, this timeless classic has it all. Humour, pathos, emotion, plot, villains, even a chase scene (although the chaser is the Loch Ness Monster!). I have seen it about twenty times, and I have never failed to come away with a tear in my eye. I highly recommend this movie.

Rating:
Summary: The Tao of Lao
Review: Talk about doing a lot with a little .... A mysterious, ancient Chinaman shows up in a small middle American town-about-to-become-a-ghost-town, riding a donkey and somehow carrying along with him a circus of a most unique sort. There are no clowns or trained jungle animals in this particular circus; rather there are mythological figures and creatures, lying in wait to confront the people of a supposedly "nowhere town" and shake them out of their complacency .... provided they are ready for the experience.

Director George Pal was certainly no Ray Harryhausen, but this early 60s fantasy film was no ordinary action fantasy. A visit to this circus left a person with something to think about. And it is the performance of actor Tony Randall's career. Those of us who knew him as prissy Felix Unger from TV's "The Odd Couple" see as many sides to this underrated actor as he could flush into a character - from an eccentric old Chinese showman with a tendency towards unpredictable changes in dialect to the blatant sexuality of the demigod Pan who nearly seduces the pants off of Barbara Eden. Add to this brilliant performance a clever script with elements that include a shrewd businessman with a secret desire for his own good, the activist journalist who opposes his plans for the town, a lethal farting blowfish, and generous gems of Eastern philosophy injected into small-town American consciousness, all viewed through the eyes of a fatherless child named Mike ... and of course a few bits of period Hollywood corn, which are overcome by the overall good intent of this production.

There was a rumor going around about a remake of this film, and it could certainly benefit from state of the art special effects to bring the theme home to today's jaded young audiences. For those who can see past the dated limitations and cliche's of the orginal, however, the digital rerelease of this cinematic fable should prove a treasure, a quirky thought-provoking tale that reminds us that reality as we know it is always worth questioning. Dr. Lao (pr: Low) is that aspect of life that comes to our rescue when we wonder if our faith in humanity is worth the investment. There is always another face to what we may have conditioned ourselves to see.

"This circus is like a mirror ..."