Oliver! (1968)

After being sold to a mortician, young orphan Oliver Twist runs away and meets a group of boys trained to be pickpockets by an elderly mentor.

Director:

Carol Reed

Writers:

Lionel Bart (book), Vernon Harris (screenplay)

Stars:

Mark Lester, Ron Moody, Shani Wallis

Won 5 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 25 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.

---

Plot Keywords:

title spoken by character | character name in title | remake | character name as title | child in jeopardy | 

---

Taglines:

The big Bright musical for absolutely everyone...in Magnificent 70mm

---

Genres:

Drama | Family | Musical

---

Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bryan Forbes was the first choice to direct back in 1964.

---

Goofs

On his way to London, Oliver gets onto a cart which is being pulled along a tarmac road. The first tarmac road in Britain was in 1902, the story was set in the 1800s.

---

Quotes

Nancy: [singing] Who cares if straightlaces sneer at us in the street? Fine airs and fine graces don't have to sin to eat.

---

Connections

Spoofed in Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)

---

Soundtracks

Who Will Buy?
(1960) (uncredited)
Words and Music by Lionel Bart
Sung by Kathe Green and Chorus

User Reviews

I consider Oliver! the movie to be my mate.

Charles Dickens famous novel of an orphan boy, Oliver Twist, who escapes from his poor life to seek his fame and fortune in London, is adapted as a glossy musical.

Who would have thought that a story from the brilliant Dickens could be so sweet and endearing? So it be with Carol Reed's (Best Director Winner) unforgettable 1968 Best Picture Winner. Yes it's some way away from the essence of the source, those in need of that should be seeking out David Lean's fabulous 1948 version, but with an array of wonderful tunes and choreography, this Oliver is a treat for all the family. The cast are uniformly strong, notably Ron Moody (Fagin), Oliver Reed (who as Bill Sykes is probably playing himself!), Mark Lester (Oliver) and the fabulous Jack Wild (The Artful Dodger). While Lionel Bart's songs are as timeless as they are engaging.

The 60s was a tough decade for cinematic musicals, with many of them turning out to be bloated exercises in tedium. But Oliver! is one of the shining lights in the genre, a true uplifter guaranteed to have the feet a tapping and the smile firmly implanted on ones face. So if you have yet to see and be charmed by it? Come on in, join our number and consider yourself one of us. 8/10

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 September 1968 (UK)

Also Known As:

Oliver!

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

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