Seven Faces of Dr. Lao (DVD, 2000)

this is a classic film I saw a long time ago and was pleased to see that these types of old hard to find films aren't that hard to find and I liked this one as a kid and so does my wife thats why I bought it for her as a surprise

Tony Randall just shines in this movie. It is one of my all time favorites and a sheer joy to watch over and over again. Not too well known to be the classic that it is but well worth having in one's cinema library. Highly recommended for all ages even though the Loch Ness Monster scenes might frighten the younger children.

Great classic from my childhood. It's been about 20 years or more since I've seen this movie. Good story line, but you don't find many early 60's westerns in the fantasy/comedy genre. For it's time the special effects are cutting edge. I recognized many western 'charater actors" of the time. I am very pleased to add this movie to my video collection.

Long before Eddie Murphy started doing multi-character films(Coming To America, The Klumps, etc), Tony Randall got the ball rolling in this fun fantasy film about an inscrutable Chinese entertainer who is out to teach a small turn of the century (that would 1800-1900s) western town a valuable lesson.

Dr Lao arrives in the small western town of Abalone for basically the purpose of putting on a circus. This proves to be a cover as the people of Abalone are besieged by a ruthless land baron, Clint Stark, who wants to buy up all the land in town. Stark is opposed by newspaper editor Ed Cunningham. While the people are trying to decide, they are treated to Dr Lao's bizarre circus. The circus features many strange exhibits & acts among which are Merlin the Magician (who is very aged & forgetful), the seductive Pan, Medusa, a huge snake, the Abominable Snowman & future teller Apollonius of Tyana as well as a glorified catfish Dr Lao claims is the Loch Ness Monster. Some of the towns people are taught lessons about themselves, some not very flattering, by these performers while it will take the grand finale to really show the people their fate. The film offers a variety of twists & turns to keep you guessing what the final outcome will be & just what Dr Lao is up to.

As the title suggests, Tony Randall plays 7 of these characters from Dr Lao himself to the Snowman, Merlin, Medusa, Apollonius & Pan as well as the voice of the serpent. I said "The 8 Faces of Tony Randall" because he also makes an appearance as himself as a spectator in the grandstand. Star power is deceptive in this film as the only other actors whose names you would recognize are Arthur O'Connell who plays Stark & a brunette Barbara Eden as widowed librarian Angela Benedict, BUT, those who are familiar with old westerns of the 50s & 60s will be in for a treat as there are numerous familiar faces amongst the inhabitants of Abalone.

The special effects are dated but were nominated for an Oscar in their time. Some of the outfits are not very good, but makeup effects are solid, done by Academy Award winning makeup artist William Tuttle who received an honorary award for this picture. This film was also nominated for a Hugo Award.

This is a very fun film that the whole family can enjoy! Randall was brilliant in this film & did a very good job in all his roles. I highly recommend it, but remember that though they were Oscar worthy in their time, the special effects are dismal by today's standards.

A little gem of a movie with a cast of veteran tv actors to support Tony Randell in his best movie role. Fantasy and hope collide with the backround of a dusty, dying small town and its people at the turn of the century. Wonderful special effects (especially for its time) by George Pal.

I had been looking for this movier EVERYWHERE and I could not find it, but in a handful of places. Theirs was the least expensive and quality was great!

I LOVED FAST SHIPING AND ITEM AS DESCRIBED.OVERALL SIMPLY THE BEST. THIS IS WHAT EBAYERS ALL AROUND SHOULD BE LIKE,IF I WASNT MARRIED I WOULD PURPOSE.AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ EBAYER

This is one of the most magical and fantasy movies ever. Tony Randall performs 7 different characters in a wholesome, clean fashion for family watching. Used to have this on VHS many years ago and it used to be my son's favorite. We watched over and over when he was a youngster. He is now 28 and I was able to fulfill his wish to find it in DVD. He will be so surprised on Christmas morning as it will be a treasure to him to finally own it and be able to remninence those special and quiet times with his mom when he was a young boy. Thank you so much for having this item available. Sincerely, "The Youngster's Mom"

I bought this movie for grandson. We watched together and love the way Tony Randal played those 7 parts, and also the scene effects. Thankyou.

My item got lost in the mail but I got a refund quickly. Very professional company to deal with. I was disappointed about my movie getting lost but was rather impressed with this company's quick reponse to my questions.

Yeah, this is fairly low budget, but what a great story. This story has romance, horror, monsters, gunplay and humor. That's a pretty full story. Tony Randall is absolutely brilliant as all 7 faces. Barbara Eden is sexy and wholesome at the same time. This movie is for everyone. Kids will love the carnival and the monsters, adults will love the romance and the western story. If you love great movies, buy this one. It is one of the greats!!!!

This is a great film and Tony Randall, is just Great! I saw this film upon its release back in the day and have always kept a copy. I would show this film to anyone its just Great not much more to say!

Vikter

I bought this movie because I loved it as a child and I wanted to share it with my children. It's funny and fantastical and teaches a good lesson about greed and standing up for what's right. Tony Randall is brilliant as all seven characters. The story is unexpected and has an universal theme. I still love this movie, and so do my kids.

a favorite from my childhood, late night cbs monster movies.

the imagination at work here, is worthy of superlatives. its a generally pleasant series of stories, that have a moral.

tony randall. sheer talent.

I think I was 10 when I first saw it. You're watching the interaction of simple people with a common problem, behaving like sheep until a strange little Chinese newcomer imposes a fresh look at themselves on the town. He brings his unusual circus and his lovely philosophies, opens a bunch of questions and leaves the town to answer them. Seems to have a metaphor for everything. The movie is gentle, cute warm-hearted and rewarding

I had looked for this movie for years and finaly found it on e-bay. The movie was one of my favorites from my childhood. I was afraid I was going to be disapointed now that I have grown up but I was not. It is still a very good movie with alot of good leasons to learn. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.

I first saw this when I was a boy in the theater when it was first released.
Over the years it has been one of my favorite movies.

Have you ever heard of a bad George Pal Movie?? No way! Like Ray Harryhausen, Pal's name is, family viewing fantasy. The imagination that is brought out in his films is so magical. "Seven Faces of Dr. Lao", is one of the very best examples of this. Never a dull moment. I.M.O. this film still holds up today.

What I dislike about it is whom I bought this through.

LET THE BUYER BEWARE!!

Red Tag Market. The worst Customer Service I have ever experienced on eBay. Never tried to settle a dispute. Never returned my messages on ebay. Instead they tried to put strikes against me. No Communication from the seller. even though I did all that was asked of me. I had to pay twice for this item.

VERY COLD CORPORATION TO DEAL WITH!!!
NO REMORSE WITH A LOT OF THREATS.

I Did my part... look at my feedbacks.

When I was a kid, this movie played on t.v. one Saturday afternoon. The magic of an old Asian man, traveling from town to town on a mule with an entire circus packed in the saddle bags was awesome! I had to add this wonderful classic video to my collection! Add it to yours...you won't regret it!

I have loved this movie for years. Tony Randall, who in older movies is the traditional best friend of the hero, here has his own tour de force and he is amazing. He plays at least seven characters, and his Dr. Lao is a little bit of a racial stereotype, but I don't find it offensive because Dr. Lao is not really a little old Chinese man, this is just the form he takes to accomplish his goal of changing the town and the people in it. The wild west setting is unusual for this type of movie, and Barbara Eden is luscious as the buttoned-up librarian who secretly smolders. The character parts are all solid and the acting is first rate. I would recommend this movie especially for families because both adults and children would find enjoy watching it and there is no offensive content, unless Barbara Eden sweating and unbuttoning the top button of her blouse counts as sexually suggestive. I LOVE THIS MOVIE!

This is a wornderful movie, Tony Randel is such a great actor, your children will love it........................................

This was the first video I ever purchased. It has long been one of my very favorite films. I first was delighted by it while training at Ft. Sill,Oklahoma for the Army. The story line and charactors are marvelous and gave a wonderful escape to me during troubled times.It still works it's magic and I jumped at the chance to reaquire it whan I saw it on DVD via ebay.

After several years of searching for the above movie, we finally found it on E-Bay. My husband is thrilled and has already enjoyed viewing it several times, thanks to the swiftness of the seller.

While this movie is a tour de force for the acting abilities of Tony Randall, it could be more interesting if it was re-made with today's special effects and sensibilities under the title of the original book, The Circus of Dr. Lao. This film implies that all the characters in Dr. Lao's circus were actually Dr. Lao whereas the book has them all different. There are flashes of the original book in this film though and is certainly a reason why I'd recommend it. The appendices in the original book are a hoot and would certainly be interesting on a DVD. A memorable movie on it's own and can be enjoyed by children and adults of all ages.