Seven Faces of Dr. Lao

Pros: Excellent production values, acting and, of course, the make-up and special effects.
Cons: Can't think of any.

THE SEVEN FACES OF Dr. LAO (1964) is a very free adaptation of Charles G. Finney's 1935 novel, The Circus of Dr. Lao.  Indeed, without this movie, the novel itself might have been utterly forgotten, which would have been a loss.  But I ...

Pros: script, direction, Tony Randall, story, makeup, special effects
Cons: love interest subplot, stereotyped characters

George Pal began his film career by making a successful series of animated shorts. He received Oscar nominations for seven consecutive years in the "Best Short Subject, Cartoons" category. His enduring legacy, however, was in science fiction and fantasy...

Pros: Tony Randall's 7 wonderful performances, Special effects, Thought provoking
Cons: Uninteresting subplots

What a wonderful movie this is! The basic plot: The citizens of an old Western town are faced with a crisis, either sell their homes to a corrupt man, or hold on to their 'dying' town. On the eve of the town vote, Dr. Lao and his mystical circus ...

Pros: family film, very entertaining, good music.
Cons: the sound editing is less sophisticated than what is customary these days.

The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao is a movie about the world, how it works, and how be successful in it. Just like Merlin, one of the "faces" he portrays, Dr. Lao is a magician of the highest kind; one who never "tricks," but instead...

Pros: A moralistic fantasy exceptionally well done and acted
Cons: I'd like to see a sequel

The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao made a bigger impression on me than I realized at the time. The way you can tell if a movie really impressed you is if years later there are still parts of it that you recognize in your life and want to incorporate into your...

Pros: Funny, charming, and mysterious, a real experience for moviegoers.
Cons: Might be too deep for some.

Tony Randall outdoes himself in this movie. He's not only the star, but the star several times over. He's the circus owner, he's Pan, he's Merlin, he's Medusa, and he's the town's conscious. This movie explores what we don't understand, makes us face...

Pros: the magic
Cons: no sequel

From the first time that I saw this movie around 1970 or so I fell in love with it. Even at the tender age of ten I understood what it was tring to tell me. The fantasy of all the creatures added to the magic. Pan was by far my favorite and...