Oliver Twist is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by William J. Cowen. The earliest sound adaptation of Charles Dickens's 1838 novel of the same title, it stars Dickie Moore as Oliver, Irving Pichel as Fagin, Doris Lloyd as Nancy, and William "Stage" Boyd as Bill Sikes.
Released by Monogram Pictures, the film was made on an extremely low budget. The film never really achieved much success and was out of circulation for many years, but resurfaced on television in the 1980s.[citation needed]
Plot
Interspersed with segments of Dickens' novel comes the story of an orphan boy in 1830s London, who is abused in a workhouse, then falls into the clutches of a gang of thieves.
Cast
- Dickie Moore as Oliver Twist
- Irving Pichel as Fagin
- William "Stage" Boyd as Bill Sikes
- Doris Lloyd as Nancy Sikes
- Alec B. Francis as Mr. Brownlow
- Barbara Kent as Rose Maylie
- Sonny Ray as The Artful Dodger
- George K. Arthur as Toby Crackit
- George Nash as Charles Bates
- Clyde Cook as Chitfing
- Lionel Belmore as Mr. Bumble
- Tempe Pigott as Mrs. Corney
- Nelson McDowell as Sowerberry
- Virginia Sale as Mrs. Sowerberry
- Harry Holman as Grimwig
- Bobby Nelson as Noah Claypole
Release
Early releases of the film include scenes with Oliver at Sowerberry's; these were removed for unknown reasons and makes the lasting cut look like Oliver escaped from the workhouse.
References
External links
- Oliver Twist at IMDb
- Oliver Twist at AllMovie
- Oliver Twist at the TCM Movie Database
- Oliver Twist at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Oliver Twist is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
