Oliver Twist (1948)

Director:

David Lean

Writers:

Charles Dickens (by)
David Lean (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

30 July 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

A Screen Event To Be Remembered For All Time !

Plot:

Based on the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist is about an orphan boy who runs away from a workhouse and meets a pickpocket on the streets of London...

Plot Keywords:

Pickpocket | Orphan | Young Boy | Charles Dickens | Caning

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Robert Newton	...	Bill Sikes
Alec Guinness	...	Fagin
Kay Walsh	...	Nancy
Francis L. Sullivan	...	Mr. Bumble
Henry Stephenson	...	Mr. Brownlow
Mary Clare	...	Mrs. Corney
Anthony Newley	...	Artful Dodger
Josephine Stuart	...	Oliver's Mother
Ralph Truman	...	Monks
Kathleen Harrison	...	Mrs. Sowerberry
Gibb McLaughlin	...	Mr. Sowerberry
Amy Veness	...	Mrs. Bedwin
Frederick Lloyd	...	Dr. Grimwig
John Howard Davies	...	Oliver Twist
Henry Edwards	...	Police Official

Runtime:

116 min | USA:105 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | Germany:12 | Egypt:(Banned) (original release) | Canada:G (Ontario) | UK:A (Janus print) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Cineguild

Trivia:

The wordless opening sequence, in which Oliver's mother staggers over the rain-swept moors to give birth on the steps of the workhouse, was devised by Kay Walsh

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the crowd chase Oliver down an alleyway following the theft at the bookstore, the "brick" wall wobbles, revealing its flimsy structure.

Quotes:

Mr. Brownlow: Somehow I feel you and I are going to be good friends.

Movie Connections:

References The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)

Soundtrack:

My Hat, It Has Three Corners

Lean does it again - A Masterpiece

David Lean spoils us yet again, Oliver Twist is an amazing piece of work. I regard this version of the Dicken's classic as definitive. No one could capture the eerie quality and the authentic style better than Lean.

The film is quite dark, strong blacks dominate the canvas.

The acting is extraordinary, Alec Guinness as Fagin steals the film. Perfect casting. Robert Newton is equally superb as the drunk, Sykes. John Howard Davies as Oliver is fantastic, he fits the character perfectly.

The direction and screenplay are awesome, I can't put into words how perfect everything is.

Watch the greatest adaptation of Oliver Twist by David Lean, it's a masterpiece!