Oliver! The musical and film

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Based on Lional Bart's hit musical, it was obvious that Shepperton Studio's 1968 film was going to be something special right off the drawing board.

An incredibly strong cast was one of the film's major assets. Oliver Reed brought a sense of brooding menace to the part of Bill Sykes although his musical number was cut and the music used as an incidental theme when he appears. Ron Moody, already famous for playing Fagin on stage, reprised his role for the film. A special mention must go to Shani Wallis, who played Nancy. In a nod to the censors, the character of Nancy was a barmaid and pickpocket, rather than her original occupation in the books, but she retained the strong will and heart of gold. The producers were initially concerned that Shani Wallis was too posh to play Nancy, only to find out that her family came from Tottenham and she had grown up with the accent.

Mark Lester managed the part of the shy Oliver well, although recent rumours are that the songs were dubbed by the daughter of one of the crew members. Among the child actors, Jack Wild stole the show, playing the Artful Dodger as a swaggering street smart urchin with a vulnerable edge.

The choreography was redone for the film, taking advantage of the space and set designs allowed by cinema, rather than stage. Moving the action to the streets of London created memorable images such as the numbers "Consider yourself" and "Who will Buy" where the streets are filled with dancing passersby.

The film eventually won six academy awards and has become a staple of holiday viewing.
2008, the fortieth anniversary of the film, saw the release of a special edition and a documentary made to reunite the surviving cast members. Both Oliver Reed and Jack Wild sadly passed away before it was made.