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Stars: Mark Lester, Ron Moody, Jack Wild, Oliver Reed, Shani Wallis, Harry Secombe, Joseph O’Conor, Hugh Griffith, Peggy Mount, Leonard Rossiter, Hylda Baker, Kenneth Cranham, Megs Jenkins, Sheila White, Wensley Pithey, James Hayter, Elizabeth Knight, Fred Emney| Written by Vernon Harris | Directed by Carol Reed

Charles Dickens wrote some amazing tales during his lifetime. Think about A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield or the holiday classic A Christmas Carol. But in only his second novel, he wrote a tale that has and will forever live in our thoughts. Of course, I’m talking about the little parish boy Oliver Twist.

Charles Dickens’ little orphan boy Oliver’s life story has been adapted for film and TV more than 20 times. In 1968, Columbia Pictures brought the world an epic musical version of Oliver Twist in the film Oliver! This Academy Award-winning musical is rapidly approaching its 60th anniversary. Now, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment...

Ron Moody as Fagin in 'Oliver!' based on Charles Dickens' 'Oliver Twist.' Ron Moody as Fagin in Dickens musical 'Oliver!': Box office and critical hit (See previous post: "Ron Moody: 'Oliver!' Actor, Academy Award Nominee Dead at 91.") Although British made, Oliver! turned out to be an elephantine release along the lines of – exclamation point or no – Gypsy, Star!, Hello Dolly!, and other Hollywood mega-musicals from the mid'-50s to the early '70s.[1] But however bloated and conventional the final result, and a cast whose best-known name was that of director Carol Reed's nephew, Oliver Reed, Oliver! found countless fans.[2] The mostly British production became a huge financial and critical success in the U.S. at a time when star-studded mega-musicals had become perilous – at times downright disastrous – ventures.[3] Upon the American release of Oliver! in Dec. 1968, frequently acerbic The...