Oliver! (1968)

Musical adaptation about an orphan who runs away from an orphanage and hooks up with a group of boys trained to be pickpockets by an elderly mentor.

Director:

Carol Reed

Writers:

Lionel Bart (book), Vernon Harris (screenplay),

Stars:

Ron Moody, Shani Wallis, Oliver Reed

Won 5 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 23 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ron Moody	...	Fagin
Shani Wallis	...	Nancy
Oliver Reed	...	Bill Sikes
Harry Secombe	...	Bumble
Mark Lester	...	Oliver
Jack Wild	...	The Artful Dodger
Hugh Griffith	...	Magistrate
Joseph O'Conor	...	Mr. Brownlow
Peggy Mount	...	Mrs. Bumble
Leonard Rossiter	...	Sowerberry
Hylda Baker	...	Mrs. Sowerberry
Kenneth Cranham	...	Noah Claypole
Megs Jenkins	...	Mrs. Bedwin
Sheila White	...	Bet
Wensley Pithey	...	Dr. Grimwig

Storyline

Musical adaptation of Charles Dickens's classic tale of an orphan who runs away from the orphanage and hooks up with a group of boys trained to be pickpockets by an elderly mentor.

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Plot Keywords:

orphanage | pickpocket | orphan | theft | undertaker | 

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Taglines:

Much Much More Than a Musical!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Family | Musical

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 October 1968 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Oliver

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$16,800,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Romulus Films, Warwick Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

153 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm optical prints) 70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints) 4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System) (35 mm magnetic prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Amazingly, the composer of this highly respected score, Lionel Bart, could not read music himself. From his earliest days in theater, he would sing his melodies to a trained pianist, who would then set the tunes down on sheet music and orchestrate them.

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Goofs

Just after Oliver asks for more gruel and is taken by Mr. Bumble to the governor of the workhouse, they are standing at the door - Oliver mouths Mr. Bumble's lines, and then to cover it up, starts wiggling his tongue.

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Quotes

Bill Sikes: [realizing he's trapped] Nancy, I loved you didn't I? Look what you've done to me!

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Connections

Referenced in Indie Sex: Censored (2007)

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Soundtracks

"As Long as He Needs Me"
(1960) (uncredited)
Words and Music by Lionel Bart
Sung by Shani Wallis

User Reviews

A true work of art...excellent songs, amazing performances...

"Oliver!" is a vast improvement over the marvelous Broadway stage version, opening up the scenes with the ability to expand the range of the material and still remain faithful to the Dickens story. Brimming with unforgettable songs and dances (that choreography by Onna White is timeless), it is so well cast--down to the smallest roles--and so faithful to the spirit of Dickens' work that you can no longer imagine that classic without the songs.

Fagin is played to perfection by Ron Moody. His "You Gotta Pick A Pocket Or Two" is just one of the highlights incorporating clever lyrics and great choreography. The boys who kidnap Oliver are a rowdy lot, looking every bit the ruffians they're supposed to be. The best of the lot is Jack Wild's Artful Dodger, leading the gang in "Consider Yourself".

But not all is light and cheery. The darker aspects of the story are sometimes a little too graphic for my taste, although all of the performances are extremely well played, including Oliver Reed as Bill Sykes. The scenes involving his demise are so melodramatic they seem to belong to another film.

Whatever the faults may be, including a rather extended running time, there is scarcely a dull moment. With songs like "Who Will Buy?" and "Where Is Love?" -- not to mention "Food, Glorious Food" -- you will find yourself falling under the spell of this great musical. Highly recommended and fully deserving of its Best Picture Oscar.