EDITOR’S NOTE: 7 Faces of Dr. Lao was on the CBS Late Movie on June 22 and December 14, 1973; June 30, 1975 and May 27, 1976.

The last film directed by George Pal was written by Charles Beaumont, who wrote many Twilight Zone episodes, Queen of Outer Space, Burn, Witch, Burn! and The Masque of the Red Death. Pal said that the writer had “a kooky mind like mine.” It was based on The Circus of Dr. Lao by Charles G. Finney.

Abalone, Arizona, is, well, falling to pieces. Clinton Stark (Arthur O’Connell) knows that the railroad is coming to town, so he’s trying to buy it out from under the townspeople. He’s opposed by only librarian Angela Benedict (Barbara Eden) and newspaper editor Ed Cunningham (John Ericson).

Then, the enigmatic Dr. Lao (Tony Randall) and his mesmerizing circus, brimming with magical wonders, grace the town for a fleeting two days, casting a spell of fascination over the townspeople.

Dr. Lao, a 7,321-year-old sage, arrives with his circus, assuming the roles of Merlin, Pan, a giant serpent, Medusa, Apollonius of Tyana, and the Abominable Snowman. He imparts his profound wisdom, ‘This is the circus of Dr. Lao. We show you things that you don’t know. Oh, we spare no pains, and we spare no dough; oh, we want to give you one hell of a show. And youth may come, and age may go, but no more circuses like this show.‘ His teachings are a revelation, a beacon of enlightenment for the town.

He also takes a moment to explain life to Ed’s son Mike (Kevin Tate):

Dr. Lao: Mike, let me tell you something. The whole world is a circus if you know how to look at it. The way the sun goes down when you’re tired comes up when you want to be on the move. That’s real magic. The way a leaf grows. The song of the birds. The way the desert looks at night, with the moon embracing it. Oh, my boy, that’s…that’s circus enough for anyone. Every time you watch a rainbow and feel wonder in your heart. Every time you pick up a handful of dust, and see not the dust, but a mystery, a marvel, there in your hand. Every time you stop and think, “I’m alive, and being alive is fantastic!” Every time such a thing happens, you’re part of the Circus of Dr. Lao.

Mike: I don’t understand.

Dr. Lao: Neither do I.

Despite the henchmen of Stark destroying the newspaper office — look for Royal Dano as one of them — the entire building is unharmed in the morning.

That night, during the second show, Lao shows the town a magic lantern show that relates their town to Woldercan, a kingdom destroyed by greed (and using special effects from past Pal effects movies like Atlantis, the Lost Continent and The Time Machine). The town is saved by this lesson while the henchmen decide to destroy the circus. As they break a fishbowl, it unleashes the Loch Ness Monster, who chases them away.

As the circus departs, it leaves behind a town transformed, its inhabitants filled with newfound hope and understanding, ready to embrace the magic of life.

Sources

7 Faces of Dr. Lao – Wikiquote. https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/7_Faces_of_Dr._Lao