This is a list of characters from the ''
Doctor Dolittle
Doctor John Dolittle is the central character of a series of children's books by Hugh Lofting starting with the 1920 ''The Story of Doctor Dolittle''. He is a physician who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in the ...
'' series of children's books by
Hugh Lofting
Hugh John Lofting (14 January 1886 – 26 September 1947) was an English American writer trained as a civil engineer, who created the classic children's literature character Doctor Dolittle. The fictional physician to talking animals, based in a ...
and movies based on them. Most of the characters were introduced in the first book, the 1920 novel ''
The Story of Doctor Dolittle
''The Story of Doctor Dolittle, Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts'' (1920), written and illustrated by the British author Hugh Lofting, is the first of his Doctor Dolittle books, a series ...
''.
Humans
Doctor Dolittle
;Portrayed by:
*
Rex Harrison
Sir Reginald Carey "Rex" Harrison (5 March 1908 – 2 June 1990) was an English actor. Harrison began his career on the stage in 1924. He made his West End debut in 1936 appearing in the Terence Rattigan play ''French Without Tears'', in what ...
(
1967
Events
January
* January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair.
* January 5
** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...
)
*
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...
(
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
,
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
)
*
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor and producer. His career has been characterized by critical and popular success in his youth, followed by a period of substance abuse and legal troubles, before a resurgence of ...
(
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
)
Doctor John Dolittle is an English physician who became a doctor for animals after his parrot, Polynesia, taught him to speak animal languages. He lives in the fictional town of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh in England's
West Country
The West Country (occasionally Westcountry) is a loosely defined area of South West England, usually taken to include all, some, or parts of the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, and, less commonly, Wiltshire, Gloucesters ...
, along with his many animal friends. He has very few human friends and spends most of his time treating animals, travelling the world with his animals and conducting research into new animals and new forms of animal languages.
He is portrayed by
Rex Harrison
Sir Reginald Carey "Rex" Harrison (5 March 1908 – 2 June 1990) was an English actor. Harrison began his career on the stage in 1924. He made his West End debut in 1936 appearing in the Terence Rattigan play ''French Without Tears'', in what ...
in the 1967 film ''
Doctor Dolittle
Doctor John Dolittle is the central character of a series of children's books by Hugh Lofting starting with the 1920 ''The Story of Doctor Dolittle''. He is a physician who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in the ...
'',
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...
in ''
Dr. Dolittle
Doctor John Dolittle is the central character of a series of children's books by Hugh Lofting starting with the 1920 ''The Story of Doctor Dolittle''. He is a physician who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in the ...
'' (
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
) and ''
Dr. Dolittle 2
''Dr. Dolittle 2'' (also known as ''Doctor Dolittle 2'') is a 2001 American fantasy comedy film and a sequel to the 1998 film ''Dr. Dolittle''. It was written by Larry Levin, one of the co-writers of ''Dr. Dolittle'', and directed by Steve Carr. ...
'' (
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
), and by
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor and producer. His career has been characterized by critical and popular success in his youth, followed by a period of substance abuse and legal troubles, before a resurgence of ...
in ''
Dolittle'' (
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
). The Murphy films bear little resemblance to Lofting's character or plots. In the
TV series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...
, Doctor Dolittle is voiced by
Bob Holt.
Tommy Stubbins
Thomas "Tommy" Stubbins is a boy from Puddleby who, after taking an injured squirrel to Doctor Dolittle, becomes the doctor's friend and assistant. His father is the doctor's favourite shoemaker. He first appears in the 1922 novel ''
The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle
''The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle'' is the second of Hugh Lofting's Doctor Dolittle books. Published in 1922, the writing style is aimed at a more mature audience and features more sophisticated illustrations than its predecessor. The novel's sc ...
'' and acts as the narrator in all the books that take place after his arrival.
He is portrayed by William Dix in the 1967 film, and by
Harry Collett
Harry Collett (born 2004) is a British actor. He began his career as a child actor on the West End. He went on to play Oliver Hide in the BBC medical drama ''Casualty'' (2016–2022), Tommy Stubbins in the film '' Dolittle'' (2020), and Jaca ...
in the 2020 film.
Matthew Mugg
Matthew Mugg is the
cat's-meat-man from Puddleby. He is a friend of Doctor Dolittle and helps to take care of the doctor's house and garden when the doctor is away travelling. He is illiterate but practical, and is the one who advised Dolittle to become an "animal doctor" and learn animal languages. He was played by
Anthony Newley
Anthony Newley (24 September 1931 – 14 April 1999) was an English actor, singer, songwriter, and filmmaker. A "latter-day British Al Jolson", he achieved widespread success in song, and on stage and screen. "One of Broadway's greatest leading ...
in the 1967 film.
Prince Bumpo
''Prince Bumpo'' is an African prince from the kingdom of Jolliguinki, who has been sent to study at
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
by his father, and becomes a friend of the Doctor's. Bumpo is recognisable by his green umbrella and bare feet - not used to wearing shoes, he usually discards them.
He was originally supposed to appear in the 1967 film intact, but casting problems eventually led to his character being considerably softened and renamed as "William Shakespeare the Tenth", played by
Geoffrey Holder
Geoffrey Lamont Holder (August 1, 1930 – October 5, 2014) was a Trinidadian-American actor, dancer, musician, and artist. He was a principal dancer for the Metropolitan Opera Ballet before his film career began in 1957 with an appearance in ' ...
.
Colonel Bellowes
Colonel Bellowes is a snobbish old man in Puddleby who appears briefly in ''The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle''.
In the 1967 film, he became General Bellowes, a retired military commander and a magistrate, played by
Peter Bull
Peter Cecil Bull, (21 March 1912 – 20 May 1984) was a British character actor who appeared in supporting roles in such films as '' The African Queen'', '' Tom Jones'', and ''Dr. Strangelove''.
Biography
He was the fourth and youngest son ...
. He loathes any sort of new, unusual, or odd ideas, including veterinary science; he rejects that a veterinarian can talk to animals. He owns several dogs, horses and other animals, all of whom betray their owner when Dolittle queries them at his trial about their owner's excesses of food, drink and female companionship. General Bellowes deals harshly with Dolittle, who then flees the country before he can be committed to an asylum. By the end of the film, General Bellows decides to pardon Doctor Dolittle when all the local animals go on strike.
Emma Fairfax
Emma is portrayed in the 1967 film by
Samantha Eggar
Victoria Louise Samantha Marie Elizabeth Therese Eggar (born 5 March 1939) is a retired British-American actress. After beginning her career in Shakespearean theatre she rose to fame for her performance in William Wyler's thriller '' The Collec ...
, as the niece of General Bellowes, for a romantic interest to The Doctor.
Lily Dolittle
The deceased wife of the Doctor in the 2020 film, who is played by
Kasia Smutniak
Katarzyna Anna "Kasia" Smutniak (; born 13 August 1979) is a Polish-Italian actress and model.
Personal life
Smutniak was born in Piła, Poland. Her father, Brigadier General Zenon Smutniak, is a military pilot and served in the Polish Air Fo ...
. She is described as an adventurous explorer who shared Dolittle's love for animals, and the daughter of Rassouli, king of pirates. She died during a naval voyage she undertook on her own, when her ship was hit by a typhoon. Her father is in the possession of her journal, which is key to saving the life of the Queen of England. The journal contains the whereabouts of the Eden Tree.
Long Arrow
Long Arrow is an American Indian, son of Golden Arrow. He is the world's greatest naturalist, specializing in botany and traveling through the mountains of Peru and Spider Monkey Island. He has learned the language of eagles and thus is able to communicate with Dr. Dolittle. He is featured in ''
The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle
''The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle'' is the second of Hugh Lofting's Doctor Dolittle books. Published in 1922, the writing style is aimed at a more mature audience and features more sophisticated illustrations than its predecessor. The novel's sc ...
''.
William Shakespeare the Tenth
William Shakespeare the Tenth is the tribal leader of Sea Star Island, a floating tropical paradise. He and his tribe are well educated in literature and history and each citizen is able to speak several languages ever since different books have washed up on Sea Star Island. Parents name their children after their favorite authors, hence his name.
He is nicknamed "Willy" and was played by
Geoffrey Holder
Geoffrey Lamont Holder (August 1, 1930 – October 5, 2014) was a Trinidadian-American actor, dancer, musician, and artist. He was a principal dancer for the Metropolitan Opera Ballet before his film career began in 1957 with an appearance in ' ...
in the 1967 film. He never appeared in any of Lofting's original books and is loosely based on Prince Bumpo.
Sarah Dolittle
John Dolittle's sister and former housekeeper, first featured in ''
The Story of Doctor Dolittle
''The Story of Doctor Dolittle, Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts'' (1920), written and illustrated by the British author Hugh Lofting, is the first of his Doctor Dolittle books, a series ...
''. When Dolittle allows the crocodile to reside on his premises, which scares his clients away and throws the household back into poverty, she leaves in disgust and gets married when Dolittle refuses to evict the reptile.
She later reappears in ''
Doctor Dolittle's Circus
''Doctor Dolittle's Circus'', written by Hugh Lofting and published in 1924 by Frederick A. Stokes, is set in England sometime between the original story and the later voyages narrated by Stubbins. It was one of the novels in the series wh ...
'', along with her husband, Reverend Launcelot Dingle from Grimbledon. She convinces her brother to use the alias "John Smith" while appearing in the circus (so as to not embarrass Sarah if her new social circle learn she is related to a 'circus showman').
Doctor Dolittle's animals
Polynesia
Polynesia is Doctor Dolittle's first animal friend, a parrot. She is able to speak English and was the one who first taught Doctor Dolittle the language of animals. She always says she can never remember how old she is, but she remembers that when she came to England, she saw
Charles II of England
Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of England, Scotland and Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685.
Charles II was the eldest surviving child of ...
, hiding in an oak tree from the
Roundhead
Roundheads were the supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War (1642–1651). Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I of England and his supporters, known as the Cavaliers or Royalists, who ...
s: "he looked very frightened".
Along with Chee-Chee and the crocodile, she decided to stay in Africa at the end of the original book, but returned in later stories. In ''The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle'' she is described as grey and scarlet.
In the
1967 film and the
2020 film (where she is voiced by
Emma Thompson
Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is a British actress. Regarded as one of the best actresses of her generation, she has received numerous accolades throughout her four-decade-long career, including two Academy Awards, two British A ...
and narrates the story), she is portrayed as a macaw; the first film has her explicitly state that she is 199 years old and remembers everything from when she arrived in England and saw King Charles II in hiding, and the stage musical features her sad over how Dolittle will miss her two-hundredth birthday due to his exile.
She is absent from the
Eddie Murphy movie and is replaced with Lucky the dog (voiced by
Norm MacDonald
Norman Gene MacdonaldThe capitalization of Norm Macdonald's surname has been inconsistently reported in publications such as ''TV Guide''. Books that discuss him, such as ''Shales'' (2003) and Crawford' (2000), as well as other sources such as ...
), but it's possible the owl character (voiced by
Jenna Elfman) is based on her.
Gub-Gub
Gub-Gub is Doctor Dolittle's pet pig. He is a great lover of food. ''
Gub Gub's Book
''Gub Gub's Book: An Encyclopedia of Food: In Twenty Volumes'' is a 1932 children's book in the Doctor Dolittle series by Hugh Lofting.
Gub-Gub the pig was one of the first animals with whom Doctor Dolittle learned to talk and appears in most ...
: An Encyclopedia of Food'' is written as if it were a record of conversations with Gub-Gub on its contents.
Jip
Jip is Doctor Dolittle's dog. He has a very keen sense of smell. In ''
The Story of Doctor Dolittle
''The Story of Doctor Dolittle, Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts'' (1920), written and illustrated by the British author Hugh Lofting, is the first of his Doctor Dolittle books, a series ...
'', he was able to rescue a man stranded on an island by following the man's scent across the ocean.
He appears as a Labrador Retriever in the 1967 film. In the
2020 film, he appears as a different breed and wears glasses, and is voiced by
Tom Holland
Thomas Stanley Holland (born 1 June 1996) is an English actor. His accolades include a British Academy Film Award, three Saturn Awards, a Guinness World Record and an appearance on the ''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 Europe list. Some publications h ...
.
In the
1998 movie and all
four
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smallest c ...
of its sequels
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
, Dolittle has a different dog named Lucky (voiced by
Norm MacDonald
Norman Gene MacdonaldThe capitalization of Norm Macdonald's surname has been inconsistently reported in publications such as ''TV Guide''. Books that discuss him, such as ''Shales'' (2003) and Crawford' (2000), as well as other sources such as ...
).
Chee-Chee
Chee-Chee is a monkey from Africa whom Doctor Dolittle buys from an organ-grinder in ''
The Story of Doctor Dolittle
''The Story of Doctor Dolittle, Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts'' (1920), written and illustrated by the British author Hugh Lofting, is the first of his Doctor Dolittle books, a series ...
''. His name apparently means "ginger" in monkey language.
He appears as a chimpanzee in the 1967 film. In the
2020 film, he appears as a gorilla voiced by
Rami Malek
Rami Said Malek (; , ; born May 12, 1981) is an American actor. He is known for portraying computer hacker Elliot Alderson in the USA Network television series ''Mr. Robot'' (2015–2019), for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outs ...
.
Dab-Dab
Dab-Dab is Doctor Dolittle's pet duck. After the doctor's sister, Sarah Dolittle, leaves the house in Puddleby due to her dislike of crocodiles, Dab-Dab becomes the doctor's housekeeper. She appeared in the
2020 film voiced by
Octavia Spencer
Octavia Lenora Spencer (born May 25, 1970) is an American actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Critics' Choice Awards and three Screen Actors Gu ...
.
Too-Too
Too-Too is the doctor's pet owl. He acts as the Doctor's accountant, and can tell the Doctor immediately how much money he has in the money box.
Cheapside
Cheapside is a Cockney sparrow from
East London
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...
. He often visits the doctor, to gossip or bring important news. He is notorious for using bad language. Cheapside and his wife Becky live at
St. Paul's, in the statue of
St. Edmund
Edmund the Martyr (also known as St Edmund or Edmund of East Anglia, died 20 November 869) was king of Kingdom of East Anglia, East Anglia from about 855 until his death.
Few historical facts about Edmund are known, as the kingdom of East An ...
's left ear. He is a recurring character in the books.
Pushmi-Pullyu
![Story of Dr Dolittle p107](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Story_of_Dr_Dolittle_p107.jpg)
The Pushmi-Pullyu (pronounced "push-me—pull-you") is a "
gazelle
A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . This article also deals with the seven species included in two further genera, ''Eudorcas'' and ''Nanger'', which were formerly considered subgenera of ''Gazella''. A third f ...
/
unicorn
The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead.
In European literature and art, the unicorn has for the last thousand years o ...
cross" with two heads (one of each) at opposite ends of its body. In ''
The Story of Doctor Dolittle
''The Story of Doctor Dolittle, Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts'' (1920), written and illustrated by the British author Hugh Lofting, is the first of his Doctor Dolittle books, a series ...
'', the grateful monkeys in Africa persuade it to accompany Dr. Dolittle to England to earn money for him megan Blackwell has a meathead (in ''Doctor Dolittle's Circus'' and ''Doctor Dolittle's Caravan''). The pushmi-pullyu usually only uses one of its heads to talk, reserving the other for eating (thus allowing it to eat while speaking without being rude) and claims that its great-grandfather was the last unicorn.
In the
1967 film, the pushmi-pullyu was instead portrayed as a double-sided
llama
The llama (; ) (''Lama glama'') is a domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a List of meat animals, meat and pack animal by Inca empire, Andean cultures since the Pre-Columbian era.
Llamas are social animals and live with othe ...
. The doctor can immediately speak to the pushmi-pullyu, knowing that llamas speak a dialect of camel language. This is the version that appears in the
TV series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...
where he is voiced by
Don Messick
Donald Earle Messick (September 7, 1926 – October 24, 1997) was an American voice actor. He was best known for his performances in Hanna-Barbera cartoons.
His best-remembered vocal creations include Scooby-Doo, Bamm-Bamm Rubble and Hoppy in ...
.
The 1998
Eddie Murphy film has a brief scene where a pushmi-pullyu is walking in the background while Dr. Dolittle talks to the tiger in the cage. This is in keeping with the fact that
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...
's version is only very loosely based on the books.
Toggle
Toggle is a visually-impaired plowhorse who gets spectacles in ''The Story of Doctor Dolittle''. In the film, he is owned by General Bellowes.
Great Glass Sea Snail
This enormous undersea mollusk with a transparent airtight shell is injured when the mysterious floating Spider Monkey Island finally comes to rest in ''The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle''. The animals arrange for him to ferry Dr. Dolittle and his party back through the ocean to Puddleby.
In the 1967 film, Dolittle resigns himself to living abroad for the rest of his life due to the price on his head issued by General Bellowes. The
enamedGreat Pink Sea Snail takes Matthew, Tommy, Emma and a host of small animals from the
enamedSea Star Island back to England.
Sophie the Seal
Sophie the Seal is rescued by Dolittle in ''Dr Dolittle's Circus''. She makes it apparent to the doctor that she does not like life at the circus and wants to return to the sea to find her husband. Dolittle disguises her as a woman and takes her to the sea, but a villager in Brighton witnesses Dolittle throwing her off a cliff and gets him arrested for murder. The doctor is released from jail by the local magistrate, Sir William Peabody, who is an old school friend. In the book this is the last we hear of Sophie, and it is presumed she makes it back to Alaska.
However, in the 1967 film, Dolittle is tried and found guilty of insanity by General Bellowes, who commits him to an insane asylum. The animals catch wind of it and help Dolittle hightail it out of town before he can be incarcerated, embarking upon a series of worldwide adventures on the open sea.
When Sophie catches up to him again, he is ensconced upon Sea Star Island. As the Great Pink Sea Snail leaves with his human and animal cargo, Sophie along with her husband and pups informs him that every animal in Puddleby has gone on strike to protest the treatment of Dolittle by General Bellows. Overjoyed, he enlists the services of the Giant Lunar Moth to help him return to Britain.
Giant Lunar Moth
In Lofting's original books, the Giant Moth named Jamaro Bumblelily makes the arduous trip between Earth and the Moon in ''Doctor Dolittle's Garden'' and ''Doctor Dolittle in the Moon''.
In the 1967 film, the Giant Lunar Moth travels regularly back and forth between Earth and the Moon. When Doctor Dolittle gets good news from England that the animals have gone on strike and General Bellows has decided to pardon Doctor Dolittle, he ends his exile on Sea Star Island by persuading the moth to make a slight detour and drop him off in Puddleby.
Miranda
In ''
The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle
''The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle'' is the second of Hugh Lofting's Doctor Dolittle books. Published in 1922, the writing style is aimed at a more mature audience and features more sophisticated illustrations than its predecessor. The novel's sc ...
'' Miranda is the purple bird of paradise. She helps Doctor Dolittle get to Spidermonkey Island by telling him the weather conditions. She also relays messages between Long Arrow and Doctor Dolittle, and one who tells Doctor Dolittle that Long Arrow has gone missing.
References
''Doctor Dolittle's Garden''
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Characters In The Doctor Dolittle Series
*List
Doctor Dolittle
Doctor John Dolittle is the central character of a series of children's books by Hugh Lofting starting with the 1920 ''The Story of Doctor Dolittle''. He is a physician who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in the ...
Doctor Dolittle
Doctor John Dolittle is the central character of a series of children's books by Hugh Lofting starting with the 1920 ''The Story of Doctor Dolittle''. He is a physician who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in the ...
Doctor Dolittle
Doctor John Dolittle is the central character of a series of children's books by Hugh Lofting starting with the 1920 ''The Story of Doctor Dolittle''. He is a physician who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in the ...
Doctor Dolittle
Doctor John Dolittle is the central character of a series of children's books by Hugh Lofting starting with the 1920 ''The Story of Doctor Dolittle''. He is a physician who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in the ...