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The second of director David Lean's adaptations of a Charles Dickens novel (Great Expectations (1946) was the first), Oliver Twist expertly boils down an enormous novel to a little less than two hours' screen time. The film begins with baby Oliver left on the doorstep of an orphanage/workhouse by his unwed mother. Proving a .. Read more
| Starring | Alec Guinness, Robert Newton, Anthony Newley, Kay Walsh |
|---|---|
| Director | David Lean |
| Genres | Family |
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The second of director David Lean's adaptations of a Charles Dickens novel (Great Expectations (1946) was the first), Oliver Twist expertly boils down an enormous novel to a little less than two hours' screen time. The film begins with baby Oliver left on the doorstep of an orphanage/workhouse by his unwed mother. Proving a difficult charge to the wicked orphanage official, Oliver (John Howard Davies) is sold into a job as an undertaker's apprentice. He runs away and joins a gang of larcenous street urchins, led by master pickpocket Fagin (Alec Guinness). Oliver is rescued from this life by the kindly Mr. Brownlow (Henry Stephenson); but, with the complicity of evil Bill Sikes (Robert Newton), Fagin abducts Oliver. Sikes' girl friend Nancy (Kay Walsh) restores Oliver to Brownlow, leading to tragic consequences before an ultimately happy ending. Oliver Twist was filmed in England in 1948, but its American release was held up for three years due to the allegedly anti-Semitic portrayal of the duplicitous Fagin. Even in its currently censored form, Oliver Twist is one the best-ever film versions of a Dickens novel. It served as a blueprint for Oliver! (1968), the Oscar-winning musical version.
| Starring | Alec Guinness, Robert Newton, Anthony Newley, Kay Walsh, Francis Sullivan, Henry Stephenson, Henry Stephenson, Mary Clare, John Howard Davies |
|---|---|
| Director | David Lean |
| Studio | ITV STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 51 mins LOVEFiLM Instant: 1 hr 51 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Family |
| Language | DVD: English LOVEFiLM Instant: English |
| Released | Production year: 1948 To Watch Online: LOVEFiLM Instant: 20 May 2010 To Rent: DVD: 11 Oct 1999 |
| Watch now | Included in all packages with LOVEFiLM Instant. Subscribe. |
Simplified, brilliantly cinematic version of a voluminous Victorian novel, beautiful to look at and memorably played, with every scene achieving the perfect maximum impact.
- 6
- 0
The best version
Great film,superb acting and atmosphere.Best of the versions.
- 0
- 3
poor cause not musical
rubbish cause first its in black and white and second it dont have the musical side to it 'consierd yourself' and more:(
- 0
- 0
Definitely worth watching
Great insight into old London. Great casting. The characters are full of depth and its easy to get absorbed into the movie. Definitely worth a watch!
- 4
- 1
Excellent
David Lean can be seen to be a true master with his Dickens adaptations, and this is a superb version of this famous tale.
His use of shadow and ... read more »
Producer, writer and director, Chris Columbus has brought us some of the best all-time classics, including Home Alone, Gremlins and The Goonies, to a name a few. Not to mention, he has helped to launch the career of aspiring hopefuls such as Daniel Radcliffe. Sit back, relax and take a trip down memory lane with our top 10 picks from the godfather of family films... His Top 10 Films Gremlins (1984) - Writer Chris Columbus can take credit for creating these cute little critters (with a devilish Read more