of stop-motion animation and was produced by George Pal, a stop-motion animator of long experience. The "7 faces" are all portrayed by Tony Randall. He appears as Dr. Lao, who alternates between a comical Chinese stereotype speaking in broken English and a dignified figure with a solemn deep voice and a mastery of English; Medusa; Pan; the Abominable Snowman; Apollonius of Tyana, who serves as the sideshow fortune teller and who refuses to shield people from unhappy truths; the magician Merlin, who is so old and fumbling that the obtuse audience does not realize he performs actual miracles when not performing clumsy sleight of hand; a stop-motion serpent that changes its face, depending on who looks at it; and, finally, a circus patron who appears once in a crowd scene. According to Turner Classic Movies, Peter Sellers had also been considered seriously for the multiple roles, but was not yet considered a big enough star. In the book the name Lao is evidently pronounced "Low", as the doctor recites a doggerel poem which requires that pronunciation for the sake of rhyme. A version of the poem is recited in the film. In the movie the name is variously pronounced to rhyme with low and how, and Randall himself uses both pronunciations. Similarly, the town's name of Abalone is pronounced various ways: like the name of the mollusc (), to rhyme with "Avalon", and to rhyme with "have alone". The movie follows the book in only a vague way and inserts a plot about how the town miser, played by Arthur O'Connell, wishes to dupe townspeople into selling their land, as he knows a new railroad is coming. References Sources External links Bibliography at isfdb.org 1935 American novels 1935 fantasy novels American fantasy novels adapted into films Circus books Novels set in Arizona National Book Award-winning works Viking Press books Roc (mythology) Western (genre) novels