Onesa drama and one a musical, so it was difficult to konw which thread to use.
i get the impression that Cameron Mcintosh in his up-coming stage musical Oliver, will, though still using Lionel Bart's musical score, be more like the David Lean film and go for a more realistic approach.
it's hard to tell which is best. i think the musical has an advantage as it's longer, where the early film is quite short. for example Shani Wallace's Nancy and Mark Lester Oliver already have a relationship, before she and Oliver Reed's Bill Syckes kidnap him on the way to the library, whereas the first time John Howard Davies' Oliver meets Kay Walsh's Nancy was the kidnapping scene.
one difference is that Oliver Reed apart, all the other characters do have sympathetic qualites, even Ron Moody's Fagin (Rowan Atkinson is to play him in the stage play), while the young Alec Guiness in OT, made up to look old, is evil in the role. in OT Anthony Newley's Dodger is hard streetwise thief, while Jack Wild is more of a cheeky endearing chappie. There is more of Shani Wallace's Nancy and we could see where she was coming from as she befriended Oliver from Fagin and Syckes, whereas it came right out of the blue to see the hard Kay Walsh suddenly become the boys champion. that said Walsh was probably more realistic as a young woman, who spent most of her life thieving.
i think Harry Secome in the musical was a lot better than the actor in OT as Mr. Bumble and could have played it in a non-musical version
Oliver Twist or Oliver, which do you prefer
Jack Wild became a huge child star after the film was made, but he kind of self destructed
if i had wrote Oliver, i would have made one change. i would have made Browlow younger, playing Oliver's uncle instead of grandfather. the reason being to create a sexual tension between him and Nancy, but without actually anything happening between them
if i had wrote Oliver, i would have made one change. i would have made Browlow younger, playing Oliver's uncle instead of grandfather. the reason being to create a sexual tension between him and Nancy, but without actually anything happening between them
Jack Wild became a huge child star after the film was made, but he kind of self destructed
if i had wrote Oliver, i would have made one change. i would have made Browlow younger, playing Oliver's uncle instead of grandfather. the reason being to create a sexual tension between him and Nancy, but without actually anything happening between them. i also would have a fist fight to the death between him and Syckes after Nancy's murder
if i had wrote Oliver, i would have made one change. i would have made Browlow younger, playing Oliver's uncle instead of grandfather. the reason being to create a sexual tension between him and Nancy, but without actually anything happening between them. i also would have a fist fight to the death between him and Syckes after Nancy's murder
Liza Minnelli just gave a master class to 3 girls competing in a talent contest as to who play Nancy in the up-coming Oliver on The West End stage. she helped them understand and perform the lyrics of Maybe This Time. she did such a good job that the 3 girls as trio sang the number magnificently and were rewarded witha standing ovation
Well, "Oliver Twist" has always been my favorite book by Charles Dickens and I thing that the David Lean version is by far the best film version. It certainly keeps closer to the book and the b&w photography is brilliant in its dark and moody reflection of the poverty and depression of London that Dickens described in many of his works. The casting, to me, was perfect.
That said, "Oliver" is a favorite when it comes to musicals. Of course, it a "sanitized" version of what Dickens wrote, but taking it for what it is I think it's delightful.
That said, "Oliver" is a favorite when it comes to musicals. Of course, it a "sanitized" version of what Dickens wrote, but taking it for what it is I think it's delightful.