Oliver!

... and perhaps that is because it is not set in the 60s. Many sixties films have aged badly, worse than some films made decades before. And this Best Picture winner along with the ones before and after just show the transition going on in film and culture. The year before it was a film about racism with "In The Heat of the Night", then this musical adaptation of a Dickens novel, then in 1969 it was "Midnight Cowboy", a story of a friendship between a male prostitute and a conman.

Getting back to Oliver!, it would have been nice if they had hired a male lead who was masculine or likable or able to carry a tune in any way whatsoever, but this film has so many other pluses and the kid takes a backseat for so much of the film that i look beyond that.

I wonder what happened to the girl who played Nancy in this? She is absolutely wonderful and I don't think she had much of a film career afterwards. She would have made a much better supporting actress nominee than at least one person I can think of who did make the cut that year.

In the end though, I actually have to say that my favorite thing about it is Oliver Reed. It's funny because I read that he was the nephew of the director, and as such the director was incredibly resistant to cast him and was accused of nepotism. Surely all of this kvetching and whispering was shut down the minute everyone saw the film. Everytime I see him in something, I'm blown away by what a very fine actor he was and what amazing physicality he had.

Before watching the movie I read the original novel, and I was not disappointed at all about the adaptation. The movie is really faithful to the spirit of Dickens narrative, but adds a new dimension to it by means of great music and songs.

Oliver! the musical is a favorite of mine. The music, the characters, the story. It all just seems perfect. In this rendition of the timeless classic novel turned stage musical, director Carol Reed brings the Broadway hit to life on the movie screen.

The transition from musical to movie musical is not an easy one. You have to have the right voices, the right set, the right script, and the right play. All signs point to yes for this play. It almost appears that it was written for the screen!

Our story takes place in jolly old England where a boy named Oliver manages to work his way out of the orphanage. He winds his way through the country to London where he meets up with a group of juvenile delinquents, headed by Dodger, the smart talking, quick handed pick-pocket. The leader of this gang is named Fagin, an older fellow who sells all the stolen goods.

But all is not well in London town when Bill Sykes played by Oliver Reed and his loving girlfriend Nancy get tangled up with Oliver, Fagin and his young troops, and the law. What ensues is a marvelous tale of love, affection, and great musical numbers.

Whether or not you like musicals or not, one listen to these tunes and you will be humming them all day long. Oliver! is a triumph on and off the stage and is a timeless work of art.

This film introduced me to musicals at the age of 5 or 6, starting a trend which has lasted for over two decades since - it remains my favourite for a lot of reasons - the great treatment of Dickens' admittedly complicated book; memorable characters who do not sing, alongside those who do (stellar performances from everyone); fun and frolics, and a few heartbreaking moments; and Lionel Bart's tremendous score. The 'Who Will Buy' sequence is one of the best ever. One to watch and cherish and remember just how good musical films used to be.

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.