7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964)

Directed by George Pal. Starring Tony Randall, Arthur O’Connell, John Ericson, Barbara Eden, Noah Beery Jr, Minerva Urecal, John Qualen, Kevin Tate, Lee Patrick, Frank Cady.

Dr. Lao’s traveling circus arrives in a small Arizona town, where he employs various personas and parables to impart wisdom and change the lives of the townsfolk. Passable fantasy doesn’t have many laughs or much insight, and there are precious few memorable moments, but the movie has an elusive way of being momentarily engaging from scene to scene. Randall essaying the Chinese stereotype of Lao is a musty embarrassment (especially today), but he also plays several other characters (hence the title), including magical Merlin, monstrous Medusa, and soothsaying Apollonius; the range is impressive, and he rarely strains for a showy effect. Does feature a surprisingly frank portrayal of the hot flashes of female arousal when Eden is visited by love god Pan, as well as fine stop motion animation and makeup effects (the latter won William Tuttle a special Oscar). A mild success; George Pal enthusiasts will likely rate it higher.

61/100