Oliver!

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Oliver! (26-Sep-1968)

Writers: Lionel Bart; Vernon Harris

From a novel: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Name Occupation Birth Death Known for

Hugh Griffith Actor 30-May-1912 14-May-1980 Sheik Ilderim in Ben-Hur

Mark Lester Actor 11-Jul-1958 Oliver!

Ron Moody Actor 8-Jan-1924 Fagin in Oliver Twist

Peggy Mount Actor 2-May-1916 13-Nov-2001 George and the Dragon

Oliver Reed Actor 13-Feb-1938 2-May-1999 Lion of the Desert

Leonard Rossiter Actor 21-Oct-1926 5-Oct-1984 The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin

Jack Wild Actor 30-Sep-1952 1-Mar-2006 Oliver!

REVIEWS

Review by Sheila Wynn (posted on 7-Apr-2008)

I enjoyed this musical tremendously. It was wonderful and down through the years I have memorized most of the songs. I still have my ticket stub from 1968 when my high school English teacher took me and 5 other classmates to see this musical. Oliver is a winner and an exceptional film. All of the characters were great and did a very good job acting. I was secretly hoping this film would win over Romeo and Juliette (which I saw also in the same year).

Review by John Mailer (posted on 19-Feb-2005)

Oliver! is a musical rendition of the 1948 classic Oliver Twist but it is agreeable that Oliver! is one of the few examples of a remake being better than the original.

The plot is simple: the musical tells the tale of a boy, named Oliver (Mark Lester) who is discovered by the apprehentice of an aging mentor of pickpockets, the Artful Dodger (Jack Wild).

When the Dodger takes Oliver in, the main character discovers his new home is in the slums. Taken in immediately by robber Fagin, played to perfection by Ron Moody, his psychopathic henchman, Bill Sikes (Oliver Reed), and Sikes' loved one (or is she?), Nancy (Shani Wallis). When he ends up briefly going into the custody of the police, he discovers an unexpected, yet wanted treasure: a family of his own.

With a great plot, and great songs to go with (e.g. Consider Yourself, Pick a Pocket or Two, Reviewing the Situation), Oliver! is highly recommended, with a rating of 10/10.

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