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IMDb > Oliver! (1968)
Oliver!
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Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   8,493 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Charles Dickens (freely adapted from "Oliver Twist")
Lionel Bart (book)
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Oliver! on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
5 October 1968 (Japan) more
Genre:
Tagline:
More of a Masterpiece Than a Musical! [re-release] more
Plot:
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. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won 5 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 23 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(7 articles)
Lester Lands Saxon Fan Son A Part In Comeback Film
 (From WENN. 3 February 2009, 2:00 PM, PST)

Oliver's Lester To Battle Craig At The Box Office?
 (From WENN. 12 November 2008, 5:57 AM, PST)

User Comments:
This is proof that British film studios of the 1960's could provide high quality productions more (118 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (complete, awaiting verification)
Ron Moody ... Fagin
Shani Wallis ... Nancy

Oliver Reed ... Bill Sikes
Harry Secombe ... Mr. Bumble
Mark Lester ... Oliver Twist

Jack Wild ... The Artful Dodger
Hugh Griffith ... The 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
James Hayter ... Mr. Jessop
Elizabeth Knight ... Charlotte
Fred Emney ... Chairman - Workhouse
Edwin Finn ... Pauper - Workhouse
Roy Evans ... Pauper - Workhouse

Norman Mitchell ... Arresting Policeman
Robert Bartlett ... Fagin's Boy
Graham Buttrose ... Fagin's Boy
Jeffrey Chandler ... Fagin's Boy
Kirk Clugston ... Fagin's Boy (as Kirk Clugeston)
Dempsey Cook ... Fagin's Boy
Christopher Duff ... Fagin's Boy
Nigel Grice ... Fagin's Boy
Ronnie Johnson ... Fagin's Boy
Nigel Kingsley ... Fagin's Boy
Robert Langley ... Fagin's Boy
Brian Lloyd ... Fagin's Boy
Peter Lock ... Fagin's Boy
Clive Moss ... Fagin's Boy
Ian Ramsey ... Fagin's Boy
Peter Renn ... Fagin's Boy
Billy Smith ... Fagin's Boy
Kim Smith ... Fagin's Boy
Freddie Stead ... Fagin's Boy
Raymond Ward ... Fagin's Boy
John Watters ... Fagin's Boy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Baskcomb ... Workhouse Governor (uncredited)
Frank Crawshaw ... Workhouse Governor (uncredited)
Harry Fielder ... Smart gent (uncredited)
Jack Haig ... (uncredited)
Peter Hoare ... Clerk of Court (uncredited)
Anthony Kemp ... (uncredited)
Arnold Locke ... Workhouse Governor (uncredited)
Elaine Paige ... Urchin (uncredited)
Jane Peach ... Rose - Maid (uncredited)
Norman Pitt ... Workhouse Governor (uncredited)
Nosher Powell ... Man (uncredited)
Keith Roberts ... Policeman Magistrate's Court (uncredited)
Vernon White ... Baker Boy Dancer (uncredited)
Helen Worth ... Urchin (uncredited)
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Directed by
Carol Reed 
 
Writing credits
Charles Dickens (freely adapted from "Oliver Twist")

Lionel Bart (book)

Vernon Harris (screenplay)

Produced by
John Woolf .... producer
 
Original Music by
Lionel Bart 
 
Cinematography by
Oswald Morris 
 
Film Editing by
Ralph Kemplen 
 
Casting by
Jenia Reissar 
 
Production Design by
John Box 
 
Art Direction by
Terence Marsh 
 
Costume Design by
Phyllis Dalton 
 
Makeup Department
George Frost .... makeup supervisor
Bobbie Smith .... chief hair stylist
Hugh Richards .... makeup artist (uncredited)
 
Production Management
Denis Johnson .... production supervisor
Denis Johnson Jr. .... unit production manager
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Colin M. Brewer .... assistant director (as Colin Brewer)
Ray Corbett .... assistant director: second unit
Mike Higgins .... second assistant director: second unit (uncredited)
Chris Kenny .... third assistant director (uncredited)
 
Art Department
Robert Cartwright .... assistant art director (as Bob Cartwright)
Vernon Dixon .... set dresser
Peter Dukelow .... construction manager
Percy Godbold .... production buyer
Ken Muggleston .... set dresser
Roy Walker .... assistant art director
 
Sound Department
Buster Ambler .... sound recordist
John Cox .... sound supervisor
Jim Groom .... sound editor
Bob Jones .... sound recordist
Tony Dawe .... adr and sound effects mixer (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
Alan Bryce .... special effects (as Allan Bryce)
 
Stunts
Nosher Powell .... stunts (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Freddie Cooper .... camera operator
Brian West .... photographer: second unit
Maurice Gillett .... supervising electrician (uncredited)
Bob Penn .... still photographer (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
John Wilson-Apperson .... wardrobe supervisor
 
Editorial Department
Marcel Durham .... assistant film editor
Michael R. Sloan .... assistant editor (uncredited)
Sati Tooray .... colorist (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Dusty Buck .... music coordinator
Johnny Green .... conductor (as John Green)
Johnny Green .... music arranger (as John Green)
Johnny Green .... music arranger: choral (as John Green)
Johnny Green .... music supervisor (as John Green)
Johnny Green .... orchestrator (as John Green)
Robert Hathaway .... associate music editor
Ray Holder .... choreographic music layouts
Eric Rogers .... additional orchestrator
Eric Rogers .... associate music supervisor
Ken Runyon .... music editor (as Kenneth Runyon)
Onna White .... musical sequences stager
 
Other crew
Donald Albery .... produced by arrangement and in association with
Graham Barkley .... title backgrounds designer
George Baron .... assistant choreographer
Pamela Davies .... continuity
Larry Oaks .... assistant choreographer
Loretta Ordewer .... production secretary
Tom Panko .... associate choreographer
Onna White .... choreographer
Kathe Green .... singing double: Mark Lester (uncredited)
Patrick Isherwood .... assistant accountant (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Lionel Bart's Oliver! (UK) (poster title)
Oliver (Spain) [es]
Oliver (Greece) [el]
Oliver! (Argentina) [es]
Oliver! (Finland) [fi]
Oliver! (Denmark) [da]
Oliver! - Masum melekler (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
more
Runtime:
153 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
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)
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Dick Van Dyke was considered to play Fagin. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: Bill Sykes’ shadow does not match his actual steps when we first see him. more
Quotes:
Nancy: I thieved for you when I was half his age and it's your dirty work I've been doing ever since.
Bill: Well if you have it's a living ain't it?
Fagin: Yes, a living is a living.
Nancy: Some living, Lord help me, some living!
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Boy For Sale more

FAQ

What are the three scenes inspired or taken from Dickens novel that were not in the stage version?
more
26 out of 29 people found the following comment useful.
This is proof that British film studios of the 1960's could provide high quality productions, 11 June 2005
9/10
Author: DennisJOBrien from Virginia, United States

I was lucky to see "Oliver!" in 1968 on a big cinema screen in Boston when I was a young teenager. Later, during the summer of 1969, I was pleased to see this film was still playing at a prominent cinema in Leicester Square, London, after it had won the Academy Award for Best Picture of the previous year.

Th success of "Oliver!" on both the stage and screen reminded me that not all talent begins on Broadway and ends in Hollywood. This legendary story by Charles Dickens, which is part of the literary heritage of all English-speaking people, was admirably brought to the London stage by Lionel Bart of Great Britain. His charming musical then became a hit in New York and throughout the world. The film adaptation was made in England during the summer of 1967 and then released in 1968. The sets and musical numbers are mind boggling. The song "Who Will Buy?" required hundreds of actors and the British film director truly deserved his Oscar for putting it all together in a seamless manner. Some Canadian and American talent is also part of this wonderful production, but mostly it is a tribute to the fine craftsmanship of the British film studios, such as Shepperton. Good show! Other film studios at Elstree, Boreham Wood, Bray, Denham, and Ealing have also given the world many films to treasure over the years.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Oliver! (1968)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
How old? katie_dog_mad
OLIVER! and other late 60s musicals - mikwalen
Interesting casting (actual + possible) mikwalen
OLIVER on network TV? mikwalen
Bill Sikes = HOT! Happy_Xmas
Using 'Oliver!' in ESL class--more suggestions? BeckyLadakh
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