Doctor Dolittle is a 1967 musical film directed by Richard Fleischer, based on the series of childrens books by Hugh Lofting, which tells the story of a doctor, Doctor Dolittle, who learns from his pet parrot Polynesia to talk to animals. The film stars Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley and Richard Attenborough. It was photographed in 70 mm Todd-AO by Robert Surtees.

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. Rex Harrison himself was another problem with his obstinate personality creating so much trouble that he was temporarily replaced by Christopher Plummer, only to be replaced himself, by a somewhat chastened Harrison. The film went three times over its original budget of $6 million, and only recouped $9 million on its release in 1967. It received extremely negative critical reviews, but was nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award and won awards for Best Song and Best Effects.

The failure of the film is credited with hastening the demise of the roadshow theatrical release in favour of the more general release which continues to this day. The resulting poor sales of the film's related merchandise also significantly discouraged enthusiasm for that kind of marketing until George Lucas took advantage of the attitude to gain those rights and profited spectacularly in that respect among others with his film, Star Wars, in 1977.