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Doctor Dolittle (film)
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This article is about the 1967 film. For the 1998 film, see Dr. Dolittle (film). For other uses of "Dr. Dolittle", see Doctor Dolittle (disambiguation).
Doctor Dolittle
Theatrical release poster by Tom Chantrell
Directed by
Richard Fleischer
Produced by
Arthur P. Jacobs
Screenplay by
Leslie Bricusse
Based on
Doctor Dolittle
by Hugh Lofting
Starring
Rex Harrison
Samantha Eggar
Anthony Newley
Richard Attenborough
Music by
Leslie Bricusse
Lionel Newman, Alexander Courage
Cinematography
Robert L. Surtees
Edited by
Samuel E. Beetley
Marjorie Fowler
Production
company
APJAC Productions
Distributed by
20th Century Fox
Release date
12 December 1967 (World Premiere, London)
US
December 19, 1967 (1967-12-19)
Running time
152 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$17 million[1]
Box office
$9 million[2]
Doctor Dolittle is a 1967 American musical film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley and Richard Attenborough. It was adapted by Leslie Bricusse from the novel series by Hugh Lofting. It primarily fuses three of the books The Story of Doctor Dolittle, The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, and Doctor Dolittle's Circus.
The film had a notoriously protracted production with numerous setbacks along the way such as complications from poorly chosen shooting locations and the numerous technical difficulties inherent with the large number of animals required for the story. The film exceeded its original budget of $6 million by three times, and recouped $9 million upon release in 1967,[2] earning only $6.2 million in theatrical rentals.[3]
The film received mixed to negative critical reviews, but through the studio's intense lobbying, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture and won awards for Best Original Song and Best Visual Effects.
Contents
[hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Musical numbers
4 Production
5 Reception
6 Influence
7 Academy Awards
8 See also
9 References
10 External links
Plot[edit]
In early Victorian England, Matthew Mugg (Anthony Newley) takes his young friend Tommy Stubbins (William Dix) to visit eccentric Doctor John Dolittle (Rex Harrison) for a sick duck that Tommy had acquired from a local fisherman. Dolittle, a former physician, lives with an extended menagerie, including a chimpanzee named Chee-Chee (Cheeta), a dog named Jip, and a talking parrot named Polynesia (the uncredited voice of Ginny Tyler). Dolittle claims that he can talk to animals. In a flashback, he explains that he kept so many animals in his home that they created havoc with his human patients, who took their medical needs elsewhere. His sister, who served as his housekeeper, demanded that he dispose of the animals or she would leave; he chose the animals. Polynesia taught him that different animal species can talk to each other, prompting Dolittle to study animal languages so that he could become an animal doctor.
While treating a horse, Dolittle's lack of human empathy offends the horse's owner, General Bellowes (Peter Bull). Bellowes' niece, Emma Fairfax (Samantha Eggar), chides Dolittle for his irresponsibility and rudeness to her uncle. Matthew falls in love with her at first sight. After she has gone, Dolittle admits he also finds her attractive.
A friend of Dolittle's sends him a rare Pushmi-pullyu, a creature that looks like a llama with a head on each end of its body. Dolittle takes the creature to a nearby circus, where the Pushmi-Pullyu becomes the star attraction. The doctor befriends a circus seal named Sophie who longs to return to her husband at the North Pole. Dolittle disguises her in women's clothing to convey her to the coast, and then throws her into the ocean. Fishermen mistake the seal for a woman, and have Doctor Dolittle arrested on a charge of murder. General Bellowes is the magistrate in his case, but Dolittle proves he can converse with animals by talking with Bellowes' dog. Though Dolittle is acquitted, the vindictive judge sentences him to a lunatic asylum. Dolittle's animal friends rescue him, and he, Matthew, Tommy, Polynesia, Chee-Chee and Jip set sail in search of the legendary Great Pink Sea Snail. Emma stows away, seeking adventure. They randomly choose their destination: Sea-Star Island, a floating island currently in the Atlantic Ocean.
The ship is torn apart during a storm, but everyone washes ashore on Sea-Star Island. Emma and Dolittle admit they have grown to like each other. The party is met by the island's natives, whom they mistake for hostile savages. The populace are in fact highly educated and cultured from reading books that have washed ashore from innumerable shipwrecks. Their leader is William Shakespeare the Tenth (Geoffrey Holder); his name reflects the tribe's tradition of naming children after favorite authors. William explains that they are wary of strangers coming to the island, and that the tropical island is currently endangered because it is drifting north into colder waters. Mistrust leads the islanders to blame the doctor and his party. Dolittle persuades a whale to push the island south, but this causes a balancing rock to drop into a volcano, fulfilling a prophecy that dooms Dolittle and party to be burned at the stake. The whale also causes the island to rejoin the mainland, fulfilling another prophecy that dictates that the doctor and his friends be heralded as heroes, and they are freed. While treating the animals on the island, Dolittle receives a surprise patient - the Great Pink Sea Snail, which has caught a severe cold. Dolittle discovers that the snail's shell is watertight and can carry passengers. Dolittle sends Matthew, Tommy, Emma, Polynesia, Chee-Chee, and Jip back to England with the snail. Emma wishes to stay on the island with him, but the Doctor is adamant that a relationship would never work. She finally admits her love for the Doctor, and kisses him goodbye.
Dolittle cannot go back because he is still a wanted man. Furthermore, he wishes to investigate the natives' stories of another creature, the Giant Lunar Moth. After his friends leave, Dolittle realizes painfully that he has feelings for Emma. Sophie the seal arrives, accompanied by her husband. They bring a message: the animals of England have gone on strike to protest his sentence, and Bellowes has agreed to pardon him. Dolittle and the islanders construct a saddle for the Giant Lunar Moth, and Dolittle flies back to England.
Cast[edit]
Rex Harrison as Doctor John Dolittle
Samantha Eggar as Emma Fairfax (a character created for the film)
Anthony Newley as Matthew Mugg
Richard Attenborough as Albert Blossom
Peter Bull as General Bellowes (a character created for the film)
Muriel Landers as Mrs. Blossom
William Dix as Tommy Stubbins
Geoffrey Holder as William Shakespeare X, leader of the island, based loosely on Prince Bumpo, a character from the books
Portia Nelson as Sarah Dolittle, the Doctor's sister
Norma Varden as Lady Petherington, an elderly hypochondriac who was one of the Doctor's main patients when he was an M.D.
Ginny Tyler (uncredited) as the voice of Polynesia
Jack Raine (uncredited) as the Vicar
Paul Vernon (uncredited) as Fisherman
Bob Winters (uncredited) as Juggler
Queenie Leonard (uncredited) as Courtroom Spectator
Gub-Gub (uncredited) as Pig
Rufus (uncredited) as Dog
Sophie (uncredited) as Seal
Polynesia (uncredited) as Parrot
Wally Ross (uncredited) as Elephant Act
Musical numbers[edit]
"Overture"
"My Friend the Doctor" - Matthew
"The Vegetarian" - Dolittle
"Talk to the Animals" - Dolittle, Polynesia
"If I Were a Man" - Emma
"At the Crossroads" - Emma
"I've Never Seen Anything Like It" - Blossom, Dolittle, Matthew
"Beautiful Things" - Matthew
"When I Look in Your Eyes" - Dolittle
"Like Animals" - Dolittle
"After Today" - Matthew
"Fabulous Places" - Dolittle, Emma, Matthew, Tommy
"Where Are the Words?" (deleted scene) - Matthew
"I Think I Like You" - Dolittle, Emma
"Doctor Dolittle" - Matthew, Tommy, the Island Children
"Something in Your Smile" (deleted scene) - Dolittle
"My Friend the Doctor" (reprise) - Company
In the original cut of the movie, Dr. Dolittle and Emma did eventually begin a relationship. He sang Where Are the Words?, when he realised he was falling in love with her, but in a revised version, it's actually Matthew who falls for Emma and it is his recording of the song which is featured on the soundtrack album.
Both versions were filmed and both actors recorded their respective versions, but the footage for both, as well as the vocal track by Rex Harrison have been lost to history.
In both scenarioes, Something In Your Smile, is sung by Dolittle when he realizes he himself has fallen for Emma, however, although Harrison's vocal for the song survives, the footage does not exist. A Special Anniversary 4k restoration Blu-ray taken from the 65mm camera elements has been released by Twilight Time in November 2017.
The film's 1967 release was accompanied by an enormous media blitz, with over a million copies of the soundtrack issued to stores in both Mono as well as Stereo however the advertising campaign failed miserably. Being the last musical to be mixed for mono on a soundtrack album, copies of the original release, especially the monaural versions could be found in "bargain bins" for decades after the film's theatrical run. The album has never been re-released on LP since then and only received a CD re-release for its 30th Anniversary; however, no extraneous material such as excised numbers (other than those described above) was included.
Production[edit]
20th Century Fox had originally intended the film to reunite Rex Harrison with Lerner and Loewe, following the success of My Fair Lady, but Loewe had retired from writing musicals. Alan Jay Lerner was originally chosen to write the script, but was fired by producer Arthur P. Jacobs on May 7, 1965 for his endless procrastination stretching over a year.[4] Jacobs then tried to get the Sherman Brothers, but they were tied to Walt Disney. Instead, Lerner was replaced by Leslie Bricusse, who was in high demand after his success with the musical Stop the World - I Want to Get Off. Determined to make a good impression for his first screenplay commission, Bricusse proved agreeably productive from the start for Jacobs, suggesting numerous story ideas at their first meeting on May 6, 1965 and followed up just two months later with a full treatment that included various song suggestions while effectively blunting the book's racist content in an adaptation that met with Hugh Lofting's widow's approval.[5] Lerner's replacement by Bricusse gave Harrison the chance to sit out his contract, while demanding that the proposed actor for the role of Bumpo, Sammy Davis Jr., be replaced by Sidney Poitier, despite the fact that Poitier was not a musical performer.[6] Eventually, the part of Bumpo was cut altogether. Harrison's demands drove the producers to approach Christopher Plummer as a replacement, but when Harrison agreed to stay the producers paid Plummer his agreed-upon salary to leave the production. The film was originally budgeted at $6 million, but the final cost was triple that.
It was photographed in 70 mm Todd-AO by Robert Surtees. The village scenes were filmed in Castle Combe in Wiltshire. The producers did not anticipate that the trained animals for the production would be quarantined upon entering the UK, forcing replacement of the animals at considerable extra expense to meet deadlines. The producers chose to ignore reports of the area's frequently rainy summers, and the resulting weather continually interfered with shooting and caused health problems for the animals. Some of the producers' decisions (such as removing TV aerials from people's homes) irritated the population. An artificial dam built by the production was destroyed by British Army officer (and future explorer) Ranulph Fiennes because he believed it ruined the village.[7] The producers were forced to rebuild some sets in California for costly re-shoots. The film ended up taking over four years to complete.
Scenes were shot in Marigot Bay, Saint Lucia; this location was equally problematic, and problems with insects and frequent tropical storms halted production. The final scene with a giant snail was complicated not only by the poor design of the large prop, but because the island's children had recently been struck by a gastrointestinal epidemic caused by freshwater snails, and mobs of angry locals threw rocks at it.[8] The Marigot Bay Hotel, now located there, has the Pink Snail Champagne Bar in honor of the film. The walls of the bar are adorned with original photos from the film.
Personality conflicts added to the tension during the production. Anthony Newley was incensed by comments made by Harrison that he deemed anti-Semitic. Harrison was apparently jealous of his Jewish co-star's participation, and demanded Newley's role be reduced and disrupted scenes featuring Newley.[9] Geoffrey Holder received racist abuse from Harrison's entourage.[10] The younger cast members grew to loathe Harrison for this abuse and they retaliated by antagonizing him.[9]
Over 1,200 live animals were used in the film including dogs, pigs, birds, and even giraffes. One giraffe died on set before insurance had gone into effect. There are anecdotes of a goat who ate a script and a parrot that learned to yell "cut." In one instance, ducks for the film were placed on a lake, but had apparently forgotten how to swim and began to sink. Crew members had to jump into the water to save them. Animals also bit and defecated on the cast and crew.
Just prior to release, 20th Century Fox was sued for $4.5 million by Helen Winston, a producer involved early in the development of the film. She claimed that the plot point about animals threatening to go on strike on Dolittle's behalf was lifted from her rejected screenplay. Bricusse, who had read Winston's script, assumed it was from the books and included it in his own treatment by mistake. Because the producers only had rights to the content of the original books, they had no legal defence and were forced to settle out of court. The animal strike is mentioned in the movie but was not actually filmed.[11]
Reception[edit]
The film's first sneak preview in September 1967 at the Mann Theatre in Minneapolis was a failure. The audience consisted largely of adults, who were not the primary target audience. The general audience response was muted during the screening and comment cards rated it poorly, with frequent complaints about the film's length. A shorter edit of the film previewed in San Francisco was no more successful; a still shorter edit previewed in San Jose was well enough received to be approved as the final cut.[12]
The film had its official Royal World Charity Premiere on 12 December 1967 at the Odeon Marble Arch in London in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth II. The US premiere was one week later. Doctor Dolittle screenings acted as fundraisers for various places after its release including Cedars of Lebanon Children's Hospital, Project Hope, and the library at The College of Mount St. Vincent.
Reviewing the film for The New York Times, Bosley Crowther said, "The music is not exceptional, the rendering of the songs lacks variety, and the pace, under Richard Fleischer's direction, is slow and without surprise."[13] In his annual Movie Guide, critic and historian Leonard Maltin called the film a "colossal dud". Maltin admired the film's photography, but was quick to point out how it nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox. He admitted that, "The movie has one merit: If you have unruly children, it may put them to sleep."[14]
The film also faced strong competition from the Walt Disney animated feature film, The Jungle Book, which had opened to considerable critical and audience acclaim two months earlier and was still in wide release. Doctor Dolittle's appeal as family fare was undermined when the press drew attention to racist content in the books, prompting demands to have them removed from public schools.[15]
There is speculation that the film's poor reception may have had to do with the timing of its release. Doctor Dolittle came out soon after the smash hit The Sound of Music; starting with that film particularly, film musicals had become all the rage once again, and production studios went on a sort of musical spree. When the musical era began its downturn, Hollywood studios tried to revamp it by creating Roadshow releases that were seen as special events and had expensive tickets, but Roadshow releases became too common as well. By the time Doctor Dolittle had its Roadshow release, audiences were tired of the genre and wanted something different and the film lost $11 million.
According to the book Behind the Oscar, Fox mounted an unparalleled nomination campaign in which Academy members were wined and dined. As a result, the film was nominated for nine Oscars, including Best Picture.
The film currently holds a 32% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[16]
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
2004: AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs:
"Talk to the Animals" – Nominated[17]
Influence[edit]
Attempts at tie-in merchandising failed miserably. The public was bombarded with over 300 different products to choose from months before the film was even released. Products ranged from talking dolls and soundtracks to cereal and even pet food. However, the marketing efforts did not appeal to the public and $200 million worth of merchandise was never sold. The lackluster sales of tie-in merchandise diminished studio enthusiasm for similar forms of marketing for years. George Lucas took advantage of this attitude to acquire those rights, and he profited spectacularly with his 1977 film, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
In 1998, the film was adapted into a stage musical, starring Phillip Schofield as Doctor Dolittle, a pre-recorded Julie Andrews as the voice of Dolittle's parrot Polynesia, and the animatronic wizardry of Jim Henson's Creature Shop. The show ran for 400 performances in London's West End and at the time was one of the most expensive musicals ever produced. The musical also starred Bryan Smyth, a former milkman and full-time actor and singer who then went on to host his own TV game show for RTÉ.[18]
Bobby Darin Sings Doctor Dolittle was released on Atlantic Records in August, 1967.[19] Darin's recording of "Beautiful Things" from this LP was featured in a 2013 TV commercial for Etihad Airways.[20][21][22] A cover version of the same song by The Shiny Lapel Trio was used in a Christmas 2008 TV commercial campaign for the United States retail chain Kohl's.[23][24]
The film is shown to the students of Springfield Elementary School in the episode "Cue Detective" episode of the American television series The Simpsons. The episode first aired on 4 October 2015.
Academy Awards[edit]
The film won Academy Awards for Best Special Effects (L.B. Abbott) and Best Song (Leslie Bricusse for "Talk to the Animals").[25]
It was nominated for Best Picture, Best Art Direction (Art Direction: Mario Chiari, Jack Martin Smith and Ed Graves; Set Decoration: Walter M. Scott and Stuart A. Reiss), Best Cinematography (Robert L. Surtees), Best Film Editing (Samuel E. Beetley) and (Marjorie Fowler), Best Original Music Score (Leslie Bricusse), Best Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment (Lionel Newman) and (Alexander Courage) and Best Sound (20th Century Fox).[26]
See also[edit]
List of American films of 1967
References[edit]
Jump up ^ Solomon, Aubrey. Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History (The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1989. ISBN 978-0-8108-4244-1. p254
^ Jump up to: a b "Box Office Information for Doctor Dolittle". . The Numbers. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
Jump up ^ Solomon p 230.
Jump up ^ Harris, Mark Pictures at A Revolution, Penguin Press, pg. 77
Jump up ^ Harris, pg. 90, 124-5.
Jump up ^ Harris, pp. 127-28.
Jump up ^ "I am not a madman". The Guardian. 5 October 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
Jump up ^ Harris, Mark Pictures at A Revolution, Penguin Press, pg. 242-43
^ Jump up to: a b Harris, pg. 242.
Jump up ^ Harris, pg. 243.
Jump up ^ Harris, pg. 357-58.
Jump up ^ Harris, pg. 353-57.
Jump up ^ Crowther, Bosley (December 20, 1967). "Screen: That Grand Zoomanitarian, 'Doctor Dolittle,' Arrives for the Holidays on a Great Pink Snail". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
Jump up ^ Maltin, Leonard, ed. (2007). Leonard Maltin's 2008 Movie Guide. New York: Signet. p. 362. ISBN 978-0-451-22186-5.
Jump up ^ Harris, pg. 378.
Jump up ^ "Doctor Dolittle". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
Jump up ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-07-30.
Jump up ^ Doctor Dolittle, Music Theatre International, accessed July 31, 2013
Jump up ^ JT Griffith. "AllMusic.com". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
Jump up ^ "Etihad Airways". Etihad.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-15. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
Jump up ^ from STITCH PRO 11 months 1 day ago Not Yet Rated (2013-03-06). "Etihad Airways "Beautiful Things" on Vimeo". Vimeo.com. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
Jump up ^ "CommercialTuneage.com". Commercialtunage.com. 2013-11-21. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
Jump up ^ "Kohl's 2008 TV Commercial on YouTube". Youtube.com. 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
Jump up ^ "SplendAd.com". SplendAd.com. 2008-11-03. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
Jump up ^ "NY Times: Doctor Dolittle". NY Times. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
Jump up ^ "The 40th Academy Awards (1968) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-08-25.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Doctor Dolittle (film).
Doctor Dolittle on IMDb
Doctor Dolittle at the TCM Movie Database
Doctor Dolittle at AllMovie
Doctor Dolittle at Rotten Tomatoes
The Washington Post on filming Doctor Doolittle
[show]
v
t
e
Hugh Lofting's Doctor Dolittle
Books
The Story of Doctor Dolittle
The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle
Doctor Dolittle's Post Office
Doctor Dolittle's Circus
Doctor Dolittle's Zoo
Doctor Dolittle's Caravan
Doctor Dolittle's Garden
Doctor Dolittle in the Moon
Doctor Dolittle's Return
Doctor Dolittle and the Secret Lake
Doctor Dolittle and the Green Canary
Doctor Dolittle's Puddleby Adventures
Gub Gub's Book
Films
Doctor Dolittle
Dr. Dolittle
Dr. Dolittle 2
Dr. Dolittle 3
Dr. Dolittle: Tail to the Chief
Dr. Dolittle: Million Dollar Mutts
Other
Characters
TV series
Stage musical
Hugh Lofting
[show]
v
t
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Films directed by Richard Fleischer
Child of Divorce (1946)
Banjo (1947)
So This Is New York (1948)
Bodyguard (1948)
The Clay Pigeon (1949)
Follow Me Quietly (1949)
Make Mine Laughs (1949)
Trapped (1949)
Armored Car Robbery (1950)
The Narrow Margin (1952)
The Happy Time (1952)
Arena (1953)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Violent Saturday (1955)
The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955)
Bandido (1956)
Between Heaven and Hell (1956)
The Vikings (1958)
Compulsion (1959)
These Thousand Hills (1959)
Crack in the Mirror (1960)
The Big Gamble (1961)
Barabbas (1961)
Fantastic Voyage (1966)
Doctor Dolittle (1967)
The Boston Strangler (1968)
Che! (1969)
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
10 Rillington Place (1971)
The Last Run (1971)
See No Evil (1971)
The New Centurions (1972)
Soylent Green (1973)
The Don Is Dead (1973)
The Spikes Gang (1974)
Mr. Majestyk (1974)
Mandingo (1975)
The Incredible Sarah (1976)
The Prince and the Pauper (1977)
Ashanti (1979)
The Jazz Singer (1980)
Tough Enough (1983)
Amityville 3-D (1983)
Conan the Destroyer (1984)
Red Sonja (1985)
Million Dollar Mystery (1987)
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Madea's Witness Protection
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Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Tyler Perry
Produced by
Tyler Perry
Ozzie Areu
Paul Hall
Written by
Tyler Perry
Starring
Tyler Perry
Eugene Levy
Denise Richards
Doris Roberts
Romeo Miller
Tom Arnold
John Amos
Marla Gibbs
Music by
Aaron Zigman
Cinematography
Alexander Gruszynski
Edited by
Maysie Hoy
Production
company
Tyler Perry Studios
34th Street Films
Distributed by
Lionsgate
Release date
June 29, 2012 (2012-06-29)[1]
Running time
114 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$20 million[2]
Box office
$66.9 million[2]
Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection is a 2012 American comedy film directed, written and produced by Tyler Perry.[3] It is the fourteenth film by Tyler Perry and the seventh in the Madea franchise. It is the fourth Tyler Perry film not to be adapted from a play, alongside The Family That Preys, Daddy's Little Girls and Good Deeds, as well as the first Madea film not to be adapted from a play.
The film was filmed in Atlanta from mid to late January to the beginning of March 2012 and was released through 34th Street Films and Lionsgate. With total box office gross of $66.9 million,[2] Madea's Witness Protection is in the top three of Tyler Perry's most successful movies, after Boo! A Madea Halloween and Madea Goes to Jail.[4]
Contents
[hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Reception
3.1 Box office
4 Home media
5 References
6 External links
Plot[edit]
George Needleman, a nerdy, high level CFO in New York City, promises his son that he will take him to his Saturday afternoon baseball game after he gets back from the office. He gets to his office and arrives to a harrowing scene; his co-workers are shredding documents and are in a state of chaos. He sees his boss, Walter, who informs him that his company is a Ponzi scheme run by the mob. He is being accused of spearheading the scheme and laundering funds and has to enter his family into a witness protection program. The program relocates them to a refuge where no one will think to look for them: Madea and Joe's house in Georgia.
Meanwhile, Jake - whose elderly, ailing father is a church pastor who has put him in charge of the church's mortgage fund - stages a robbery (which is unsuccessful). Jake, who has a criminal past but whose father trusts that he has turned over a new leaf, is trying to recover church funds that he has invested in Needleman's company without his father's knowledge or consent, only to lose the entire investment in the Ponzi scheme.
The Needlemans' first meeting with Madea and Joe is awkward and bodes poorly for how everyone will get along. However, over time, Madea helps Kate and Cindy relate better to each other and to other family members, while Joe and Kate help George become more confident, more in touch with his surroundings and people around him, and more effective in channeling his emotions. Barbara displays dual sensibilities about "colored people". On one hand, she mistakes Madea for a domestic named Sadie, treats "Sadie" imperiously, and threatens to get her fired. On the other hand, she recognizes Joe as a man she slept with years ago (and George's biological father), and relates to him seductively; she also enjoys Negro spirituals and repeatedly asks to be taken to the African American church down the street from Madea's house.
Pastor Nelson's sermon inspires George to recognize a pattern in his company's records that explains where 10% of the stolen funds have been stashed. After church, watching Whoopi Goldberg's Oda Mae Brown character in Ghost inspires George to involve Madea in a plan to redivert funds from the "stashed" accounts back to the charities whose investments were stolen in the Ponzi scheme. The plan requires George (who disguises himself as a Frenchman to avoid detection by the Malone mob "family"), Jake, and Madea (who assumes the identity of an upscale woman named Precious Jackson) to travel to New York City, and for "Precious" to meet with a bank manager to transfer funds from the laundered accounts to the legitimate charities. Madea successfully accomplishes her mission, although she improvises both an expansion of her assumed identity (by pretending to be the oldest Jackson sister) and of the accounts to which "Precious's" funds are transferred by having some money sent to her real bank account, unbeknownst to George and Jake.
When George and Jake begin to share their plan with Brian (Perry), he cuts them off and advises them it's illegal. However, after they pull off the caper, Brian informs George that his cooperation with the authorities and his successful efforts to return the charities' funds have given Brian leverage to dismiss the charges against George. Kate points out to George that the situation has strengthened their relationship and their family, and that it is a blessing in disguise. Upon leaving Madea's house, Cindy and Howie ask if they can come back to visit but both Madea and Joe immediately decline (though Madea does so in a sweet demeanor).
Before returning to New York, the Needlemans visit Pastor Nelson's church one last time. The Pastor and Jake burn the mortgage papers and the entire congregation celebrates the mortgage's being paid off, and the Needlemans enjoy the Negro spirituals. Madea also enjoys the spiritual music from her front porch, celebrating her new wealth.
Cast[edit]
Tyler Perry as Mabel "Madea" Simmons, Brian Simmons and Uncle Joe Simmons
Eugene Levy as George Needleman
Denise Richards as Kate Needleman
Romeo Miller as Jake Nelson
Doris Roberts as Barbara Needleman
Danielle Campbell as Cindy Needleman,
The daughter and oldest child of George Needleman from a previous relationship.
Devan Leos as Howie Needleman,
The son of George and Kate Needleman and George's youngest child.
John Amos as Pastor Nelson
Marla Gibbs as Hattie (cameo)
Tom Arnold as Walter
Jeff Joslin as Lucas
Reception[edit]
The film received generally negative reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 21% based on 33 reviews.[5] On Metacritic, the film has a 42% rating, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[6]
Madea's Witness Protection has received five Golden Raspberry Award nominations including Worst Actress (Tyler Perry as Madea), Worst Director, Worst Screen Couple (Perry and his drag getup), Worst Screen Ensemble and Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel.
Box office[edit]
The film opened with $25,390,575 in its opening weekend, ranking #4 behind Ted, Magic Mike, and Brave.[7] The film had grossed total of $66,899,242 worldwide, surpassing its $20 million budget.[2]
Home media[edit]
Madea's Witness Protection was released on DVD and Blu-Ray on October 23, 2012.
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Madea's Witness Protection at Box Office Mojo
Jump up ^ "Madea's Witness Protection". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
Jump up ^ "Tyler Perry box office total grosses". Retrieved 2012-09-02.
Jump up ^ Madea's Witness Protection at Rotten Tomatoes
Jump up ^ Madea's Witness Protection at Metacritic
Jump up ^ Weekend Box Office Results for June 29-July 1, 2012 Box Office Mojo
External links[edit]
Madea's Witness Protection on IMDb
Madea's Witness Protection at AllMovie
Madea's Witness Protection at Box Office Mojo
Madea's Witness Protection at Rotten Tomatoes
Madea's Witness Protection at Metacritic
[hide]
v
t
e
Tyler Perry
Stage
I Know I've Been Changed
I Can Do Bad All by Myself
Diary of a Mad Black Woman
Madea's Family Reunion
Madea's Class Reunion
Why Did I Get Married?
Meet the Browns
Madea Goes to Jail
What's Done in the Dark
The Marriage Counselor
Laugh to Keep from Crying
Madea's Big Happy Family
A Madea Christmas
Aunt Bam's Place
I Don't Want to Do Wrong!
The Haves and the Have Nots
Madea Gets a Job
Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned
Madea's Neighbors from Hell
Madea on the Run
Films
Daddy's Little Girls
Why Did I Get Married?
Meet the Browns
The Family That Preys
Why Did I Get Married Too?
For Colored Girls
Good Deeds
Peeples
Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor
The Single Moms Club
Acrimony
Madea series
Diary of a Mad Black Woman
Madea's Family Reunion
Madea Goes to Jail
I Can Do Bad All by Myself
Madea's Big Happy Family
Madea's Witness Protection
A Madea Christmas
Madea's Tough Love
Boo! A Madea Halloween
Boo 2! A Madea Halloween
A Madea Family Funeral
Television
House of Payne
Meet the Browns
For Better or Worse
The Haves and the Have Nots
Love Thy Neighbor
If Loving You Is Wrong
Too Close to Home
The Paynes
Books
Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings
See also
Madea
Tyler Perry Studios
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Madea%27s_Witness_Protection&oldid=817844863"
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2012 films
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text:
Witch-king of Angmar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Witch-king of Angmar
Tolkien's legendarium character
Aliases
Black Captain
Lord of the Nazgûl
Chieftain of the Ringwraiths
Race
Nazgûl, men
The Witch-king of Angmar, also known as the Lord of the Nazgûl and the Black Captain, is a character in Tolkien's legendarium. In J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, he is the chief of the Nazgûl or "Ringwraiths", the chief servants of the Dark Lord, Sauron. His name is not revealed in any of Tolkien's writings, nor are the names of any of the other Nazgûl except Khamûl.
Contents
[hide]
1 Literature
1.1 Origin
1.2 Campaign against Arnor
1.3 Pursuit of the Ring
1.4 Campaign against Gondor
2 Adaptations
3 References
4 External links
Literature[edit]
Origin[edit]
In the manuscript of his notes for translators, Tolkien stated that the Witch-king's name and background were not recorded, but that he was probably of Númenórean descent.[1] In the Second Age, the Rings of Power were forged by the Elves of Eregion under Sauron's direction, and nine of these were given to men of the time, one of whom became the Witch-king. The rings gave them immense power, and they "became mighty in their day, kings, sorcerers, and warriors of old."[2] The rings extended their life span, and eventually corrupted them, turning them into the ghastly, undead Nazgûl. The Witch-king became their leader and, as Lord of the Nazgûl, served as Sauron's second in command for over 4,000 years.
Campaign against Arnor[edit]
A millennium into the Third Age, the Witch-king reappeared in Angmar, a realm in the far North straddling the Misty Mountains. He quickly dominated Angmar, and turned to wage war against the three splinter kingdoms of Arnor (Arthedain, Rhudaur, and Cardolan); for Sauron, seeing that Gondor remained strong, sought to capitalise on the dissension among the northern kingdoms. It was during these northern wars, prosecuted against the Dúnedain for the next several hundred years, that the King of Angmar became known as the Witch-king. Rhudaur was soon compromised; power there was seized by evil Hillmen allied with Angmar. Argeleb I of Arthedain fortified the border against Rhudaur along the Weather Hills, but was killed in battle with Angmar and Rhudaur. The Witch-king then invaded Cardolan. King Arveleg I of Arthedain was killed defending Weathertop, but the palantír there was saved and moved to Fornost. The last Prince of Cardolan was killed, and most of the Dúnedain of Rhudaur were killed or driven out. Later the Great Plague destroyed many of the remaining Dúnedain of Cardolan, and evil spirits from Rhudaur and Angmar infested the burial mounds in the Barrow-downs.[3]
Only Arthedain remained to resist the Witch-king (though with frequent help from both Lindon and Rivendell). Araval won a victory over Angmar and sought to reoccupy Cardolan, but the barrow-wights terrified all who tried to live near the Barrows.[4] Finally, as it became apparent that Angmar was preparing another attack, Arvedui appealed for help from King Eärnil II of Gondor. But before help could arrive, Angmar overran Arthedain. The Witch-king captured Fornost Erain, the capital of Arthedain. Arvedui fled north, only to drown in the Ice Bay of Forochel early the next year when the ship from Lindon that rescued him sank.[3]
The following summer, arriving too late to save Arvedui, Prince Eärnur of Gondor landed at the harbours of Mithlond with an army from Gondor. The Elves of Lindon and the remnant of the northern Dúnedain joined his army and the combined forces marched against the Witch-king.[5] On the plains west of Fornost Eärnur's army met the army of Angmar, which was forced to retreat toward Fornost. As his army was routed, the Witch-king fled north toward Carn Dûm in Angmar; but Eärnur and Glorfindel, with reinforcements from Rivendell, pursued the retreating party and defeated them. In the process the Witch-king caused the panic of much of Gondor's cavalry, including Eärnur's horse. But with the appearance of Glorfindel the Witch-king fled into the gathering darkness. Eärnur attempted to follow him, but Glorfindel stopped the prince and prophesied, "Do not pursue him! He will not return to these lands. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man will he fall."[5]
The Witch-king returned to Mordor and led the Nazgûl in the siege of Minas Ithil. The city soon fell to the Nazgûl, and was known afterward as Minas Morgul, the Tower of Black Sorcery. Here the Witch-king made his stronghold, and he was called "the Lord of Morgul".
When King Eärnil II of Gondor died, his son Eärnur, the Witch-king's old enemy, inherited the throne. The Witch-king challenged him to single combat, but Eärnur refused. Seven years later, the Witch-king again challenged him; this time the king accepted. Eärnur rode out of Minas Tirith to meet the Witch-king in Minas Morgul. He entered the city's gates and was never seen again. From this time the Stewards of Gondor ruled the kingdom on behalf of the absent line of kings.
Pursuit of the Ring[edit]
During the time of the events of The Lord of the Rings, Sauron learned from Gollum that the One Ring was held by a hobbit named Baggins in a land called "Shire". Sauron sent the Ringwraiths forth to search for the Ring. The Riders did not at first know the location of the Shire, and were dispelled by Saruman from Isengard, but when they came by chance upon Gríma Wormtongue in Rohan, he told them what he knew of Saruman's plans, including his interest in the Shire and the Shire's location.
The Witch-king and the other Nazgûl rode from Mordor and Dol Guldur searching for the Shire. Four entered the Shire, and found that "Baggins" had moved to Buckland. Several Nazgûl attacked Gandalf on Weathertop and tried to ambush Frodo Baggins in Buckland and at Bree. Five, including the Witch-king, finally found Frodo on Weathertop with the other hobbits, accompanied by the Ranger Aragorn. The Ringwraiths attacked the party, and the Witch-king wounded Frodo with a Morgul-blade. Frodo's wound threatened to turn him into a wraith under the control of the Nazgûl.
As the company made for Rivendell, the realm of Elrond Half-elven, they met Glorfindel, who loaned Frodo his horse, Asfaloth. Pursued by all nine Nazgûl, the horse carried Frodo across the Bruinen. From the far bank, Frodo defied the Nazgûl. When the Witch-king rode into the water, Elrond, who controlled the river, released a flood that caught three Nazgûl and their horses. Glorfindel advanced and drove the terrified horses of the remaining Nazgûl into the flood. The horses drowned and all nine Nazgûl were swept away.
Campaign against Gondor[edit]
On their return to Mordor, the Nazgûl were remounted on great winged beasts. The Witch-king returned to Minas Morgul to prepare the assault upon Gondor. His forces attacked Faramir's Rangers in the Battle of Osgiliath and drove them back across the Anduin.
The Witch-king soon led large numbers of Orcs, Haradrim, and Easterlings to besiege Minas Tirith in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. After the gates of the city were broken, he rode to enter the city but was prevented from entering by Gandalf.
Recalled to the battle by the unexpected advance of the Rohirrim, the Witch-king attacked Théoden, who had outrun his own riders. Snowmane, Théoden's horse, was struck by a dart and fell upon Théoden. As the Witch-king approached him for the kill, Éowyn, the king's niece, barred his way. She decapitated his mount, and the Witch-king replied with a powerful blow from his mace, breaking her arm and her shield. As he prepared to finish her off, the hobbit Meriadoc Brandybuck stabbed the back of the Witch-king's knee with a Dúnedain dagger which bore enchantments deadly to the Witch-king. Éowyn then thrust her sword into the void between the Witch-king's crown and torso. Her sword shattered but the Witch-king's clothing fell to the ground and he vanished with a wailing cry.
This fulfilled the prophecy of Glorfindel, for the Witch-king fell not by "the hand of man", but by a woman and a hobbit.
Adaptations[edit]
The Witch-king (played by Lawrence Makoare) in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Cover of the video game The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king
The Witch-king appears in all adaptations of The Lord of the Rings for film, radio and stage.
In Ralph Bakshi's adaptation, he is voiced by William Squire and appears mostly as a black armoured figure, having removed his cloak following the attack on the Hobbits in Bree.
The Witch-king appears in the Rankin/Bass adaptation of The Return of the King. His physical appearance is much the same as described in the novel, with an invisible head with a crown on top and two red eyes as his only visible feature. His voice was provided by John Stephenson.
In New Line Cinema's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy directed by Peter Jackson, the Witch-king is portrayed by Brent McIntyre, in flashback by Ben Price in The Fellowship of the Ring, and by Lawrence Makoare in The Return of the King. In one movie he was voiced by Andy Serkis. In the first film, the Witch-king leads the Nazgûl in pursuing Frodo and his friends all the way to Weathertop. The Witch-king stabs Frodo with his Morgul blade before being driven off by Aragorn, and pursues the Hobbit and Arwen with the other Nazgûl before they are swept away by a flood that Arwen summons. In The Two Towers, he appears in a few flashbacks when Frodo is at the Dead Marshes. In The Return of the King, the Witch-king leads his forces from Minas Morgul in the siege of Minas Tirith. During the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, after mortally wounding Théoden, the Witch-king overpowers Éowyn with his sword and a huge flail. While Éowyn in the book reveals herself as a woman before the fight, the Witch-king in the film is unaware of her true identity until Merry wounds him sufficiently for Éowyn to land the deathblow. In the extended edition, the Witch-king flies up to Minas Tirith, confronts Gandalf, but breaks the wizard's staff before being interrupted by the Rohirrim.
The original helmet designed for the Witch-king in The Return of the King was similar to an illustration by John Howe, and this original armour can be seen in the game adaptation by Electronic Arts; but crew members who had not read the books were confused over whether it was Sauron or the Witch-king on the battlefield. This prompted WETA to revise the helmet's design to be more suggestive of a Black Rider; his scenes were then re-shot during the 2003 pick-ups.
The Witch-king also appears in Jackson's Hobbit trilogy, first when he attacks Radagast in Dol Guldur as a spectral ghostly figure wielding a Morgul blade. In a departure from the book (where he fled from Angmar to Minas Morgul), the Witch-king's mortal body was buried in the High Fells of Rhudaur with the other fallen kings, and their tombs are sealed with magic. But the Nazgûl are summoned to Dol Guldur by Sauron in his guise as the Necromancer, and appear as spectral beings wearing Morgul armour in the third film when they fight the White Council.
In the video game Middle-earth: Shadow of War, the Witch-king appears as one of the two main antagonists, alongside Sauron himself, voiced by Matthew Mercer. He is once again portrayed as the leader of the Nazgûl, as well as the oldest and most powerful. His aim throughout the game is to make Talion one of the Nine. He makes a deal with General Castimir to have Minas Ithil and the Palantír as long as he spares his daughter, Idril. The Witch-king promptly betrays Castimir once he has the Palantír, killing him and ordering the Nazgûl to execute Talion and Idril. While Idril is able to escape as Talion holds off the Nazgûl, the Witch-king quickly defeats Talion and attempts to corrupt him before Eltariel enters and stuns them, kills Talion (who cannot stay dead due to being the host of Celebrimbor's wraith) and escapes. He continues to hold Minas Ithil (now Minas Morgul) until Talion returns, now separated from Celebrimbor and instead using the ring of Isildur (who is a Nazgûl in Shadow of War) to stay alive, now being a Ringwraith himself although not a servant of Sauron. The Witch-king and Talion battle until Talion finally banishes the Witch-king to Barad-dûr with the rest of the Nazgûl, claiming Minas Morgul for himself. Talion keeps Mordor in a state of perpetual war for decades, managing to fight off Sauron's corruption for many years, though eventually, the Witch-king returns and Talion finally succumbs to the corruption, becoming one of the Nazgûl and taking Isildur's place among the Nine.
References[edit]
Middle-earth portal
Fictional characters portal
Jump up ^ Quoted in Hammond & Scull, Reader's Companion, p. 20.
Jump up ^ Tolkien, The Silmarillion, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age", p 289.
^ Jump up to: a b The Return of the King, Appendix A (I, iii).
Jump up ^ The Peoples of Middle-earth, "The Heirs of Elendil", p. 195.
^ Jump up to: a b The Return of the King, Appendix A (I, iv).
External links[edit]
"Witch-king of Angmar". Tolkien Gateway.
Witch-king of Angmar at The Thain's Book
[show]
v
t
e
J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
The Return of the King
Production and reception
Composition
Themes
Influences
Translations
Russian
Swedish
Reception
Fandom
Study
Related works
The Hobbit
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil
The Road Goes Ever On
The Silmarillion
Unfinished Tales
The History of Middle-earth
The History of The Lord of the Rings
Bilbo's Last Song
The Children of Húrin
The History of The Hobbit
Beren and Lúthien
Characters
Aragorn
Arwen
Bilbo
Boromir
Butterbur
Celeborn
Denethor
Elladan and Elrohir
Elrond
Éomer
Éowyn
Faramir
Frodo
Galadriel
Gandalf
Gildor
Gimli
Glorfindel
Gollum
Legolas
Merry
Mouth of Sauron
Old Man Willow
Pippin
Radagast
Sam
Saruman
Sauron
Shelob
Théoden
Tom Bombadil
Treebeard
Witch-king
Wormtongue
[show]
Adaptations and other derivative works
Books
Bored of the Rings (1969)
The Last Ringbearer (1999)
Muddle Earth (2003)
Theatre
Fellowship! (2005)
Lord of the Rings (2006)
Radio
The Lord of the Rings (1955)
The Lord of the Rings (1979)
Hordes of the Things (1980)
The Lord of the Rings (1981)
Der Herr der Ringe (1992)
Film
Animated
The Lord of the Rings (1978)
The Return of the King (1980)
Peter Jackson series
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Fan-made
The Hunt for Gollum (2009)
Born of Hope (2009)
Video games
Journey to Rivendell
Game One
Game Two: Shadows of Mordor
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