Oliver! (film) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oliver!
British theatrical release poster
Directed by	Carol Reed
Produced by	John Woolf
Screenplay by	Vernon Harris
Starring	Ron Moody Oliver Reed Harry Secombe Shani Wallis Mark Lester Jack Wild
Music by	Lionel Bart (music and lyrics) John Green (music score)
Cinematography	Oswald Morris
Editing by	Ralph Kemplen
Studio	Romulus Films
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	26 September 1968 (1968-09-26)
Running time	153 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	$10 million
Money made	$77.4 million

Oliver! is a famous British musical drama film from 1968. It was directed by Carol Reed and written by Vernon Harris. The movie is based on a popular 1960 stage musical of the same name.

Both the film and the play come from Charles Dickens's classic 1838 book Oliver Twist. The movie is full of memorable songs like "Food, Glorious Food", "Consider Yourself", and "Where Is Love?". It was filmed at Shepperton Film Studio in Surrey, England.

Oliver! was a big success. It won six Academy Awards in 1968, including Best Picture and Best Director for Carol Reed. It also won two Golden Globes. The British Film Institute even named it one of the greatest British films of the 20th century!

The Story of Oliver!

The movie tells the exciting and sometimes sad story of a young orphan boy named Oliver.

Oliver's Journey Begins

Oliver lives in a workhouse in Dunstable, England. The grown-ups eat fancy meals, but the orphans only get a small bowl of gruel. The boys are always hungry. One day, Oliver is chosen to ask for more food. This makes Mr. Bumble and Widow Corney very angry. They decide to sell Oliver.

Oliver is sold to an undertaker. When another boy makes fun of Oliver's dead mother, Oliver gets into a fight. He is locked away in a dark cellar. Alone and scared, Oliver wonders, "Where Is Love?" He then escapes through a window.

After walking for a week, Oliver arrives in London. There, he meets a clever boy called the Artful Dodger. Dodger takes Oliver to a secret hideout. This hideout is home to a group of young pickpockets led by Fagin. Fagin teaches the boys how to steal, singing "You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two."

Fagin also works with Bill Sikes, a dangerous burglar. Sikes's girlfriend, Nancy, is part of their group. One morning, Nancy and her friend Bet visit the hideout. Nancy finds Oliver charming because he is so polite. The boys sing "I'd Do Anything."

Fagin sends Oliver out with Dodger to learn how to pick pockets. Dodger steals a wallet from Mr. Brownlow, but Oliver is caught instead. Fagin and Sikes worry Oliver might tell the police about them. Nancy is sent to court to watch Oliver. A witness, Mr. Jessop, proves Oliver is innocent. Mr. Brownlow, the man whose wallet was stolen, takes Oliver into his home.

Life in London

Oliver wakes up in Mr. Brownlow's beautiful house. He is very happy and watches the people in Bloomsbury Square singing "Who Will Buy?"

Meanwhile, Fagin and Bill Sikes decide to kidnap Oliver and bring him back. Nancy doesn't want to help, but Bill forces her. Even though Bill is mean to her, Nancy still loves him, singing "As Long as He Needs Me."

Mr. Brownlow sends Oliver to return some books. Oliver sees a painting of a young lady who looks like him. Mr. Brownlow thinks Oliver might be his long-lost great-nephew.

While Oliver is out, Nancy and Bill grab him and take him back to Fagin's den. Bill demands money from Fagin for kidnapping Oliver. Oliver tries to run away, and Sikes gets very angry. Nancy steps in to protect Oliver from a beating. Nancy feels sad about their life, but Bill says any life is better than none. Fagin thinks about becoming an honest man, but decides to stay a thief.

Mr. Bumble and Widow Corney visit Mr. Brownlow. They have a locket that belonged to Oliver's mother. She died at the workhouse when Oliver was born. Mr. Brownlow realizes the locket belonged to his niece. He gets angry that Bumble and Corney kept this secret to get a reward.

Sikes forces Oliver to help him rob a house. The robbery fails, but they escape. Nancy, worried about Oliver, goes to Mr. Brownlow. She tells him about the kidnapping but doesn't name Fagin or Sikes to protect herself. She promises to bring Oliver back to London Bridge at midnight.

Later, Nancy tries to distract Sikes at a tavern by singing "Oom-Pah-Pah." But Sikes's dog, Bullseye, alerts him. Sikes follows Nancy and Oliver to London Bridge. He grabs Oliver and then sadly, he hurts Nancy very badly.

Sikes runs off with Oliver. Bullseye, Sikes's dog, goes back to where Nancy was hurt and leads the police to Fagin's hideout. Sikes arrives at the hideout and tells Fagin he hurt Nancy. When they see the police coming, Fagin and the boys run away. Sikes tries to escape with Oliver as a hostage. He is shot by the police.

Fagin decides to change his ways. But then Dodger appears with a stolen wallet. Fagin and Dodger dance off, planning to continue their lives as thieves. Oliver finally returns to Mr. Brownlow's home for good.

Meet the Characters

Here are some of the main actors and the characters they played in Oliver!:

• Ron Moody as Fagin: The leader of the pickpocket gang.
• Shani Wallis as Nancy: Bill Sikes's girlfriend, who cares for Oliver.
• Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes: A dangerous burglar.
• Harry Secombe as Mr. Bumble: The mean workhouse master.
• Mark Lester as Oliver: The main character, a young orphan boy.
• Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger: A clever young pickpocket.
• Joseph O'Conor as Mr. Brownlow: A kind gentleman who helps Oliver.
• Peggy Mount as Mrs. Bumble: Mr. Bumble's wife.

Songs You'll Love

Oliver! is famous for its amazing songs. Here are some of the musical numbers from the film:

Awards and Recognition

Oliver! was a very successful film and won many awards. It was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won six! This included the top awards for Best Picture and Best Director for Carol Reed. The film also received an Honorary Award for its choreographer, Onna White, who created all the dances.

At the 26th Golden Globe Awards, Oliver! won two awards. It was named Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Ron Moody, who played Fagin, won Best Actor – Musical or Comedy.

The film was also recognized by the British Film Institute, which ranked it as the 77th greatest British film of the 20th century. It was the last G-rated film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. It was also the last movie musical to win this award until Chicago won in 2002.

See also

In Spanish: Oliver (película) para niños