Oliver Twist

I highly recommend this movie: The narrative flows well, The set design and photography are wonderful and the acting is very good, especially Coogan & Chaney. The other extensive positive reviews are all on target. Bill Sikes is suitably dangerous and Nancy is pretty and sympathetic

The titles are used effectively given the complexity of Dickens' story. The early scenes, such as when Oliver is in the workhouse, are quite realistically portrayed. The workhouse scenes include some entertaining moments of comedy, but also show Oliver's courage and potential to take advantage of situations.

Fagin's thieves' den feels claustrophobic and Fagin''s creepily manipulative behaviors make you anxious for Oliver's escape. . The movie does not drag out the final scenes thus completing a very satisfying movie experience.

With a good cast headed by Jackie Coogan and Lon Chaney, plus decent atmosphere that conjures up the sights of Dickens' world, this version of "Oliver Twist" works well. The Dickens story makes wonderful movie material, but it is also quite melodramatic, and for a film version to succeed requires convincing characters and a believable recreation of the world of the novel. Coogan, Chaney, and director Frank Lloyd all get the job done.

Coogan was of course the best and obvious choice in his day to play Oliver. But Chaney, although much more limited in his screen time, is even more memorable. Fagin is the kind of role that Chaney most excelled at. His make-up, mannerisms, and gestures are all impressive, and it is amazing the way that without dialogue he can so quickly and efficiently define his character's relationships with the other characters. The rest of the cast are mostly lesser-known names, but they all do a good job of establishing their characters, too. The settings are a bit plain at times, but are always consistent with the story, and they do the job of showing us the varied places where Oliver lived the different stages of his young life.

There have many versions of the Oliver story, and the terrific David Lean version from the 40's is still the one by which all others should be measured. But this is a good adaptation, and it has almost everything you could ask for in a silent version of the story.

I expected a little more from this film than it delivered. It was not imaginative visually and the excellent cast was often not given the opportunity to explore their characters. This was especially true of Lon Chaney, whose Fagin does very little. Of course he looks great and the shot of him in prison toward the end is unforgettable.

I suspect the film-makers were more concerned with making this a Jackie Coogan picture rather than a Charles Dickens one - and this is where the film loses its narrative drive and character development. Mind you Coogan is excellent, but they really turn Oliver into the Kid, he even wears the same hat. I was impressed by Gladys Brockwell as Nancy, and the death of Bill Sykes is pretty special, but overall the film falls a little flat. Of course the hideous music on the Madacy tape I saw didn't help - nor the horrible flickering of the EP recording.

I eagerly popped this DVD into my player because I've always been captivated by early still and motion photography. I was pleased with the beauty of this silent film: some scenes have a brownish color cast resembling a calotype while others look bluish like a cyanotype. This film follows the novel closely, so dickensians and purists should like it. Lon Chaney is convincing as Fagin, and child star Jackie Coogan - who enjoyed a resurgence later as Uncle Fester on "The Addams Family" - earns the sympathy of the viewer. There are the usual histrionics for this period: this is a silent film, and so they come with the territory. Highly recommended to those who like silent films. A must-see for Dickens devotees and Chaney completists.

In Victorian England, young "Oliver Twist" is born in poverty. His mother dies and his father is unaccounted for (assuming you know the story, this version drops hints). The innocent kid grows into Jackie Coogan (as Oliver Twist). A sprightly waif, young Coogan is sent to a workhouse and gets in trouble for requesting more gruel. Running away from abusive conditions, Coogan heads for "polluted" London. He meets "The Artful Dodger" Edouard Trebaol (as Jack Dawkins) and joins a gang of boy pick-pockets led by the crafty old Lon Chaney (as Fagin). The shriveled scoundrel's henchman George Siegmann (as Bill Sikes) and his woman Gladys Brockwell (as Nancy) come to play an important part in Coogan's life...

Sol Lesser and the Coogan family correctly saw Charles Dickens' classic story as an excellent vehicle for their young star, who adds a touch of his own personality to the character. This major production was found and restored in the 1970s. Another famed version, Paramount's 1916 "Oliver Twist" starring Marie Doro is presently unavailable. Although Ms. Doro is miscast for more than one reason, it would be nice to see her "Oliver" in circulation. That "all-star" version featured a cast even more acclaimed (for the time) than this one; notwithstanding the presence of Mr. Chaney, of course. Carl Stockdale (as Monks) plays his role in both. This film is a great one to see if you're not familiar with "silent" films, but know the Dickens.

******** Oliver Twist (10/30/22) Frank Lloyd ~ Jackie Coogan, Lon Chaney, George Siegmann, Gladys Brockwell