Five Times Five

About This Movie

So, 'Five Times Five' is this intriguing little documentary from 1939 that really captures a moment in time. It’s about the Dionne Quintuplets, five little girls celebrating their fifth birthday, and the atmosphere feels so intimate yet surreal. There’s a certain charm to watching these sheltered French-Canadian sisters having their private party, complete with their doctor, Roy Dafoe, in attendance. The pacing is relaxed, allowing the viewer to soak in the innocence and the peculiarities of their lives. It’s fascinating how it reflects societal attitudes of the era towards fame and childhood. The practical effects are mostly just the raw footage of their interactions, but it’s the genuine performances that really pull you in and make this film a distinctive artifact of early 20th-century life.

This film holds a peculiar place in documentary history and is quite scarce in circulation. It was released in a few different formats over the years, but finding a good quality print can be a challenge. Collectors seem to gravitate toward it not just for its subject matter but also for its representation of childhood in a bygone era. There’s a certain curiosity about the Dionne Quintuplets that keeps it relevant among enthusiasts.