I used to like this movie a lot when I was a child, of course back then, I wouldn't have understood that the ethnic depictions were racist and the way the woman falls for the main character is pretty obnoxious, but it wasn't a total wash.

The small town people are largely loathesomely small-townish. Dr Lao is a flim-flam man; a one-man traveling circus. He is, of course, a youngish white guy (Tony Randall) playing and elderly chinese man, but it doesn't come across as hatefully as say Jerry Lewis. Also, by the nature of the film, you get the idea that it might just be part of the circus act.


Anyhow, the major themes in the show are 'The world doesn't stop at the edge of your town. There's a whole universe beyond it.', 'It's okay to be weird', 'Art and creativity are real magic. Believe in the power of your dreams.'

I think these things all resonated with me pretty deeply as a child. I felt trapped where I lived, limited by invisible walls and kept away from art. I was the kid who wanted to run away with Dr. Lao's circus, but like him, I didn't get the chance to go with Dr. Lao. I had to stay there. I'm away from there now, of course, but it's good to remember that the world is my circus and that you can find beauty in all things if you just look for it. I can see why I liked this movie when I was small.