Oliver Twist

A woman makes her way to a workhouse and dies after giving birth to a boy, who is named Oliver Twist by the workhouse authorities. When he is 9 years old, and apprenticed to an undertaker, he runs away to London where he meets a pickpocket named The Artful Dodger, who takes him to his boss, Fagin.

Based on the novel by Charles Dickens, this is the first talking version of the story but sadly it does not do it justice. Much of the acting is quite stiff and falls short of expectations, other than the performance of the credible young Dickie Moore in the title role. Watch it only if you are a fan of the book.

I was a bit surprised to find that tiny and ultra-low budget studio Monogram made this Dickens story--well before the famous British version from the late 1940s and the Oscar-winning musical. Now because Monogram had few funds compared to the big studios, I expected the film to be terrible but it actually surprised me. It was competently made and in some ways surprisingly good.

When the film begins, you see a shot that is supposed to be England back in the 19th century--but you can see rather modern buildings from this aerial view! Fortunately, the rest of the film DID look period and the costumes and sets appropriate. But, because it was Monogram, the film is full of mostly unknown and lesser talents. By far the most famous star is young Dickie Moore who plays Oliver Twist--a bad casting decision but not a surprising one as Moore was about the hottest male child actor of the day. He was simply adorable. But, he was also too young for the role and he was not a particularly good actor--at least in this point in his young life. Also, oddly, the Artful Dodger was way too old--looking like a man in his 20s instead of a precocious teen criminal. As for the rest, however, they were surprisingly good.

As far as the story goes, it was greatly rushed--and that is the biggest deficit of the film apart from Moore. Instead of slowly unfolding it seemed to go way too quickly. But, it did hit the important parts of the Dickens story and did something subsequent versions seemed to forget--that in the end, Fagan was hung for his litany of crimes! All in all, worth seeing and surprisingly well done.

NOTE: I previously reviewed this one and was much harsher towards it. I am not sure why, but it seemed better the second time around...

This 1933 film is just adequate like a detailed synopsis of the story of OLIVER TWIST. Unlike the 1948 Lean/Guiness blockbuster, or the 1968 Reed/Moody treat, this one is so-so. I only comment on it for two reasons. First Dicky Moore played Oliver (not as well as John Howard Davies or Mark Lester in the later two films. Apparently the director and producer were looking for a child star to mirror the 1922 silent film version with Jackie Coogan as Oliver and Lon Chaney Sr. as Fagin. Moore was rather stiff in the role (as were most of the performers). The second reason is that unlike the 1948 version and the musical, this film did include one of Dickens' best written chapters: Fagin in the Death Cell.

Spoiler ahead - and I apologize as I have refrained from going into it in the two earlier comments.

Fagin discovers through a spy that Nancy had contacted Mr. Brownlow and endangered the entire gang to help Oliver. Angry, he goes to Bill Sykes and tells him this. Sykes hates informers, and is doubly betrayed because he has (in his rough way) loved and protected Nancy. Fagin (in the novel) encourages Sykes to punish Nancy in a way to demonstrate what happens to informers. Sykes kills Nancy.

A hue-and-cry goes up against Sykes. Brownlow tells the authorities what Nancy told him, so the law also goes against Fagin as well (also Monk, the secret enemy of Oliver). Fagin is arrested fairly easily in the novel. Sykes is killed in trying to flee the mob.

Now in Lean's film, Guinness as Fagin did not order the murder. In fact he told Sykes to be gentle with punishing Nancy. He is trapped as the mob is breaking down the door of the warehouse he has been hiding in. Guinness suddenly shows his grit and spunk and as the door crashes demands to know what right the mob has to destroy him. We last see him arrested and taken away.

In OLIVER, the musical had Fagin and the Artful Dodger manage to evade the mob, although Fagin loses the box of stolen jewelry and watches he has kept for himself. It falls into the Thames. Dodger pulls Fagin away. They see the end of Sykes, and then Fagin considers his options. He's getting too old for this type of life. Dodger is not that thrilled about it either (they've just barely escaped with their lives from a mob). Fagin decides it's time to reform. He and Dodger go off together, presumably to try to build up a safer, more respectable life.

In the novel, there is not second chance for Fagin. He basically ordered a hit by Sykes on Nancy, and he should pay for it. He is tried for her murder, There is no Sykes to share the odium with (possibly pass the blame onto). He barely understands the trial - he's in a state of shock. So he only vaguely understands when he is condemned to death.

We see him in the cell, and he is slowly going mad. He sees the evil acts he has committed in the past, and the lack of any friends to help him (including the Dodger, who was tried and sentenced to transporting to Australia in the novel). But hours before the end, Brownlow brings Oliver to see Fagin because the boy asks him to. It momentarily raises Fagin's hopes. He whispers to Oliver a weird plan to escape the noose outside, with Oliver pretending to lead Fagin out of the cell to safety. It's too much for Oliver, and the boy cries for God to forgive Fagin's soul. Brownlow takes Oliver out, and Fagin remains to be hanged.

Oddly enough the chapter only appeared in this version of 1933, as opposed to the 1947 and 1968 films. It is not done very well - again the stiffness of the actors ruins it, but it is shown. Also the moment of the execution is brought home to the audience, when, as Oliver and Brownlow leave the prison, a black flag is hoisted up the flagpole, symbolizing the death of Fagin.

For showing that particular moment of the novel at all, I'll grant this very inferior version a five.

Any version of the movie. The release I had claims Alec Guinness and 1948. But it's actually this one. Not far into sound audio . Think this is better than side 1 with Stud' Lonigan. Much brighter movie. Albeit very skimpy on the plot..

When it was obvious talking pictures were not going to be a fad, it was time to make sound versions of Charles Dickens' classics. In this case, the adaptation of "Oliver Twist" (1922) starring Jackie Coogan and Lon Chaney appears have been the inspiration. This revision comes from the low-budget "Monogram" studios and, while this is clearly what they would have considered a prestige production, today it comes across as cheap.

There was obviously no time for the director and performers to do more than block scenes. Some of it looks like a dress rehearsal. Most unapprised of all is "Little Rascal" Dickie Moore in the title role. However, "Oliver Twist" is actually a very difficult role to play. You have to be a young boy who can play it without gin, sex, or a beard to twirl.

***** Oliver Twist (2/28/33) William J. Cowen ~ Dickie Moore, Irving Pichel, William 'Stage' Boyd, Doris Lloyd