Oliver Twist (1933)

Director:

William J. Cowen

Writers:

Charles Dickens (novel)
Elizabeth Meehan (writer)

Release Date:

28 February 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

An orphan boy in 1830's London is abused in a workhouse, then falls into the clutches of a gang of thieves. |

Plot Keywords:

1830s | Oliver Twist | Children | Based On Novel | Character Name In Title

Cast

Dickie Moore	...	Oliver Twist
Irving Pichel	...	Fagin
William 'Stage' Boyd	...	Bill Sikes
Doris Lloyd	...	Nancy Sikes
Alec B. Francis	...	Mr. Brownlow
Barbara Kent	...	Rose Maylie
Sonny Ray	...	The Artful Dodger
George K. Arthur	...	Toby Crackit
George Nash	...	Charles Bates
Clyde Cook	...	Chitfing
Lionel Belmore	...	Mr. Bumble
Tempe Pigott	...	Mrs. Corney
Nelson McDowell	...	Sowerberry
Virginia Sale	...	Mrs. Sowerberry
Harry Holman	...	Grimwig

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG

Company:

Monogram Pictures

Trivia:

While this film is not especially well-remembered today, and has been eclipsed by practically all of the later film versions of the Charles Dickens novel, it did begin a Hollywood "fad" for Dickens that lasted for about five years. It was followed by Great Expectations (1934) (a poorly reviewed and now forgotten version with Jane Wyatt and Phillips Holmes), the classic MGM all-star The Personal History, Adventures, Experience, & Observation of David Copperfield the Younger (1935), Universal's Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935) (with Claude Rains), the classic A Tale of Two Cities (1935) - another MGM Dickens blockbuster - and MGM's 1938 A Christmas Carol (1938) with Reginald Owen. There would be very few versions of Dickens from Hollywood after that; most films based on Dickens' books would be made by British studios. However, notable exceptions have been the many versions of "A Christmas Carol" produced for American television.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Oliver's Mother: My baby, my boy. I want to see him.

Movie Connections:

Version of "The Further Adventures of Oliver Twist" (1980)

Poor acting

A sincere,but atrociously acted and flatly staged film version of the book, with no authentic period flavor whatsoever. Dickie Moore is so syrupy sweet you want to slap him; Irving Pichel tries very hard but is just adequate as Fagin, as is Doris Lloyd as Nancy, but William (Stage) Boyd acts as if he thought he were doing one of those corny silent melodramas. Lionel Belmore (not to be confused with Lionel Barrymore) gives a very stereotypical performance as Mr. Bumble, and nobody else makes any kind of an impression whatever.

An embarrassment to the memory of a great author, and especially so when compared with so many other Dickens films.