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7 Faces Of Dr. Lao

1964, Movie, NR, 100 mins

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Set in the Old West, this is a wonderful fantasy from puppeteer George Pal, whose futurist fancies have delighted many. When Dr. Lao (Tony Randall), an Oriental magician, rides into Abalone with his strange circus, he finds the good citizens threatened by the land-grabbing activities of villainous Clint Stark (Arthur O'Connell). Calling upon his mysterious powers and the services of the bizarre characters who populate the strange circus (all played by Randall), Lao comes to the aid of the crusading young newspaper editor (John Ericson) who tries to prevent Stark's takeover of the town. In the film's most fantastic sequence, Lao's pet fish becomes a seven-headed monster to chase down one of Stark's henchmen. Randall gives a virtuoso multiple-character performance, and the special effects are dazzling, including a few scenes from Pal's ATLANTIS, THE LOST CONTINENT. Makeup man William Tuttle won the first of only two special Academy Awards for his work on this film--before the category was permanently established in 1981. leave a comment
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