Mr. Movie: Oliver: More? Maybe Not

One of my very favorite movies is Oliver (1968). This is the musical version of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, the story of a poor orphan sold into slavery, then rescued by a bunch of juvenile thieves and their boss. He has many adventures as a part of the gang and winds up finding a good home and his true family. The music is sensational and the photography the best. And it won the Oscar for Best Movie. 

On recently watching it yet again, it occurred to me that this wonderful film seemed to be almost the end of the road for most of the cast. Very strange!

Oliver is portrayed by the angelic Mark Lester, a wonderful little actor just right as the waif of the title. And yet, although he had plenty of acting jobs, none seemed close to fulfilling the promise of Oliver. Of course, he grew up and that did him no favors. You would have thought that he would have become a big star after playing Oliver. Just wasn’t in the cards.

The rapscallion Artful Dodger is played to perfection by Jack Wild. He was the leader of the gang of miscreants and a fitting mentor to Oliver. It seemed like a part he was born to play, and he was so good in it that big things should have happened to his career. He died at 54 but his major accomplishment after Oliver was as Jimmy in the children’s TV series HR Puffnstuff.

The gang of child pickpockets are given a place to live and a job by the villainous Fagin, played to the hilt by Ron Moody. He was only 54 when Oliver was filmed, and he had lots of good jobs both before and after that one. But he never seemed to quite get over the hump and realize the promise of his role in Oliver.

Shani Wallis shines as Nancy, singing barmaid and sometimes attempted savior of the criminal boys. She has really lousy taste in men, though, pairing off with the criminal Bill Sykes. She was a real jewel in the rough in this part and came to a bad end because of her relationship with Sykes. She explains her loyalty to the treacherous Sykes in her solo He Needs Me. And she sings and dances up a storm in the wonderful pub scene. She seemed destined for great things, but alas it just didn’t happen. She had plenty of jobs on up into the 2000s but never seemed to hit it big.

Harry Secombe had a great part as Mr. Bumble, famously informing all that “if that isn’t true, I’ll eat me head.” Well, he was then and remained a good character actor, never really aspiring to more.

Oliver Reed, perfectly cast as the glowering Bill Sykes, had loads of work his entire career but never really rose above the Sykes role. Sykes not only forces poor Oliver and his juvenile friends to help him rob people, he also is the ne’er-do-well and violent boyfriend of Nancy. She meets a sad fate because of her attraction to Sykes.

Well, Carol Reed, who directed this great film, won the directing Oscar for Oliver and helmed lots more good movies. 

Oh, and my subtitle? “More” is the word that got Oliver in trouble in the orphanage when he had the temerity to ask for more food.

■ Rusty Hammond, a former judge, has watched, studied and reviewed movies for various publications.