Oliver Twist (1948 film)
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| Oliver Twist | |
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| Directed by | David Lean |
| Produced by | Ronald Neame Anthony Havelock-Allan |
| Written by | David Lean Stanley Haynes Charles Dickens (novel) |
| Starring | Alec Guinness Robert Newton Kay Walsh John Howard Davies Anthony Newley |
| Music by | Arnold Bax |
| Cinematography | Guy Green |
| Editing by | Jack Harris |
| Distributed by | Rank |
| Release date(s) |  30 June 1948 30 July 1951 |
| Running time | 115 min. (GB) / 105 min. (USA) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Oliver Twist (1948) is the second of David Lean's two film adaptations of Charles Dickens novels. Following the success of his 1946 version of Great Expectations, Lean re-assembled much of the same team for his next film, including producers Ronald Neame and Anthony Havelock-Allan, cinematographer Guy Green, designer John Bryan and editor Jack Harris. Lean's then-wife, Kay Walsh, who had collaborated on the screenplay for Great Expectations, played the role of Nancy.
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[edit] Differences from the novel
While in general faithful to the Dickens' storyline, Lean's film omits the Rose Maylie sub-plot altogether. Nancy goes directly to Mr. Brownlow to warn him of the plot against Oliver, and Fagin dispatches the Artful Dodger instead of Noah Claypole (who appears only in the early scenes) to spy on her. Nancy's best friend, Bet, is also omitted from this film. It is the Artful Dodger, and not Bet, who discovers the murder, and who betrays the murderer to the police.
Agnes Fleming, Oliver's mother, is turned in the screenplay into Brownlow's daughter, rather than simply the paramour of Oliver's father.
Oliver's father is never mentioned at all in the film, while in the book he was Mr. Brownlow's best friend.
Although the film includes the character of Monks, Oliver's half-brother, it is never explained in the script that Monks is the half brother at all. He seems to be merely a mysterious stranger who turns up to make trouble for Oliver. The one clue to his identity is furnished when he says to Brownlow, "Is this a trick to deprive me of my inheritance?", and Brownlow replies "You have no inheritance, for as you know, my daughter had the child!" The terms of the will left by Oliver's father - that Oliver would be disinherited if he ever committed a criminal act, are also left unexplained.
[edit] Controversy
Alec Guinness's portrayal of Fagin was considered anti-semitic by some. Guinness wore heavy make-up, including a large prosthetic nose, to make him look like the character as he appeared in George Cruikshank's illustrations in the first edition of the novel. As a result of objections by the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith and the New York Board of Rabbis, the film was not released in the United States until 1951, and with seven minutes of profile shots and other parts of Guinness's performance cut. It received great acclaim from critics, but no Oscar nominations. The film was banned in Israel for anti-semitism, and in Egypt for portraying Fagin too sympathetically.[citation needed]
Beginning in the 1970's, the full-length version of Lean's film began to be shown in the United States. It is that version which is now available on DVD. The film is now considered one of the great classics of British cinema.
[edit] Cast
- John Howard Davies - Oliver Twist
- Robert Newton - Bill Sikes
- Alec Guinness - Fagin
- Kay Walsh - Nancy
- Francis L. Sullivan - Mr. Bumble
- Anthony Newley - The Artful Dodger
- Henry Stephenson - Mr. Brownlow
- Ralph Truman - Monks
- Michael Dear - Noah Claypole
- Diana Dors - Charlotte
- Frederick Lloyd - Mr. Grimwig
- Mary Clare - Mrs. Corney
Hattie Jacques from the Carry On films appears momentarily as a pub singer.
[edit] Production trivia
Robert Donat auditioned for the role of Sikes.
Kay Walsh was married to David Lean at the time of the filming, but the stresses of filmmaking caused Lean to enter psychoanalysis. This played a large part in their ultimate divorce.
David Lean was unconvinced that Alec Guinness could ever play Fagin, until Guinness auditioned for the part.
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
[edit] Bibliography
- The Great British Films, pp 117-120, Jerry Vermilye, 1978, Citadel Press, ISBN 080650661X
[edit] External links
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