When it was found without intertitles in the 1970s, the film was restored with the help of Jackie Coogan and Sol Lesser. New intertitles were created by Blackhawk Films. The version now seen on TCM is from a tinted original, with an excellent organ score by John Muri, copyright 1975 by the Eastin Phelan Corporation, and with the original opening credits and intertitles which were apparently located after the Blackhawk replacements were temporarily substituted, but which are no longer relevant.
Producer Sol Lesser admitted that the original master of "Oliver Twist" was burned for its silver nitrate content worth $80.
Jackie Coogan described Lon Chaney as an acting thief who would steal scenes by any means possible. One day during filming, Coogan managed to achieve the same thing at his leading man's expense. After that, Chaney approached Coogan and said to him: "Hey kid, you're alright."
Producer Sol Lesser bought up all the prints of the 1916 version, at a cost of $50,000, so that no one would try to revive that film once his was released.
This title and "A Christmas Carol" are amongst the most frequently made films having been made some 21 and 18 times respectively.
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