Oliver Twist (1948)
I grew up watching the 1969 musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’s famous novel Oliver Twist. It’s a visually beautiful film, and the performances of everyone but the title character are so wonderful, I thought I’d never like another version. Enter David Lean’s 1948 film. While it’s a little too scary for me to watch over and over again, there’s so much about it to appreciate.
First off, let’s talk about John Howard Davies. A remarkable and highly endearing child actor, John was perfectly cast as Oliver—and this was his first movie, too! . He’s scrawny, filthy, and gaunt. It’s not hard to believe he hasn’t bathed in a year, and it’s easy to see why the Artful Dodger chooses to take him home to Fagin’s lair of pickpockets. In the musical, Mark Lester looks like he gets pampered and has never known a day’s work in his life. Why would Dodger think he’s a good candidate to join Fagin’s boys? In this version, it makes sense. John looks like he’s seen hell in the workhouse of his childhood and has nowhere else to go when he arrives in London.
Next up, we have the bad guys: Fagin and Bill Sykes. In the musical, Fagin is made out to be a very lovable, kindhearted character. Now that I’ve read the novel, I know that that’s an inaccurate portrayal of the character, so if you really like Ron Moody, beware of this version. Alec Guinness, layered and layered with makeup, is frightening, and very clearly a bad guy. When he makes his entrance, it’s extremely scary. Robert Newton plays Bill Sykes and is even scarier than Alec Guinness! His wild, volatile performance is terrifying, and he continued to give me nightmares years after I watched the movie.
Those of you who grew up with the 1969 version as I did will delight in the visual similarities between the two films. Fagin’s hideaway, the bridge outside Nancy’s bar, and the boys’ home where Oliver first grows up, look almost identical in both versions! Also, even though the 1948 film is an extremely heavy drama, I got a kick out of the places in the scenes that were direct setups for songs in the musical. For example, Fagin teaches Oliver how to pick a handkerchief out of his pocket, and you can almost hear the music—Arnold Bax’s music sounds like the inspiration to the musical’s songs during some scenes—leading up to the musical number “Pick a Pocket or Two”.
First off, let’s talk about John Howard Davies. A remarkable and highly endearing child actor, John was perfectly cast as Oliver—and this was his first movie, too! . He’s scrawny, filthy, and gaunt. It’s not hard to believe he hasn’t bathed in a year, and it’s easy to see why the Artful Dodger chooses to take him home to Fagin’s lair of pickpockets. In the musical, Mark Lester looks like he gets pampered and has never known a day’s work in his life. Why would Dodger think he’s a good candidate to join Fagin’s boys? In this version, it makes sense. John looks like he’s seen hell in the workhouse of his childhood and has nowhere else to go when he arrives in London.
Next up, we have the bad guys: Fagin and Bill Sykes. In the musical, Fagin is made out to be a very lovable, kindhearted character. Now that I’ve read the novel, I know that that’s an inaccurate portrayal of the character, so if you really like Ron Moody, beware of this version. Alec Guinness, layered and layered with makeup, is frightening, and very clearly a bad guy. When he makes his entrance, it’s extremely scary. Robert Newton plays Bill Sykes and is even scarier than Alec Guinness! His wild, volatile performance is terrifying, and he continued to give me nightmares years after I watched the movie.
Those of you who grew up with the 1969 version as I did will delight in the visual similarities between the two films. Fagin’s hideaway, the bridge outside Nancy’s bar, and the boys’ home where Oliver first grows up, look almost identical in both versions! Also, even though the 1948 film is an extremely heavy drama, I got a kick out of the places in the scenes that were direct setups for songs in the musical. For example, Fagin teaches Oliver how to pick a handkerchief out of his pocket, and you can almost hear the music—Arnold Bax’s music sounds like the inspiration to the musical’s songs during some scenes—leading up to the musical number “Pick a Pocket or Two”.
I can’t stress enough how dark and frightening this version of Oliver Twist is. Alec Guinness, completely believable as the old crime boss even though he was only thirty-four at the time, is menacing and unfeeling. Robert Newton is terrifying and sets the bar so high no other Bill Sykes has come close to him. Until I became more familiar with Bobbie’s work, I called him “the Bill Sykes guy” for years. In case you’re too shaken up after the end of the movie, check out the backstage pictures so you can see Bobbie wasn’t really that scary in real life.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to violence and upsetting scenes involving children, I wouldn’t let my kids watch it.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "daniel dona" for posting!
More Alec Guinness movies here!
More Robert Newton movies here!
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of 1982's Oliver Twist here!
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to violence and upsetting scenes involving children, I wouldn’t let my kids watch it.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "daniel dona" for posting!
More Alec Guinness movies here!
More Robert Newton movies here!
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of 1982's Oliver Twist here!