 Jacobs met with the Loftings' attorney Bernard Silbert in which he told him of his intentions to produce "Dr. Dolittle" as a musical with lyricist Alan Jay Lerner and actor Rex Harrison attached.On Christmas Day 1963, Jacobs acquired the rights, but he was given the condition to find a distributor within six months.In January 1964, "The New York Times" reported that Alan Jay Lerner had signed on to write the script and compose the songs.