Voices of Josh Albee, Jane Webb, Les Tremayne, and Davy Jones
Directed by Hal Sutherland
Music and Lyrics by Sherry Gaden and Richard Canada
Filmation began in 1963 as a two-person outfit. By the late 60's, they had their first major hits with a series of cartoons revolving around DC superheroes and characters from Archie comics. They were known for their low-cost animation that usually revolved around a property popular with kids. Oliver Twist was the first of their two musical retellings of classical British literature. How does it compare with the better-known live action film from 1968? Let's begin with the birth of the title character and find out...
The Story: Oliver (Albee) lives in a workhouse in the mid-19th century, where he's treated little better than a slave. After he asks for more to eat, he's sent to become the apprentice to an undertaker. When the undertaker beats him unfairly, he runs away to London.
He's taken in by a street gang led by the mischievous Artful Dodger (Jones) and crafty thief Fagin (Tremayne). Oliver's caught on his first job, but is rescued from jail the man the gang tried to rob, Mr. Brownlow (Phil Clark). Mr. Brownlow and his nurse take Oliver in and nurse him back to health. The gang isn't done with him, though. Big Bill Sykes (Michael Evans) in particular is worried the boy will tattle on them. His girl Nancy (Webb) is fond of the boy and is more determined to protect him.
The Animation: About on par with the Filmation TV shows of the time...which means the characters move somewhat stiffly, but there's some exquisite London backdrops. The mean streets are done in attractive deep blues and purples, bringing more life to Oliver's gritty world than the bland cartoony characters do.
The Song and Dance: There's some decent performances here, along with those lovely backdrops and a few ok songs. I'm actually surprised at how well they stuck to the original story...up to and including Nancy and Bill Sykes' fates. They aren't shown, but that might actually make them even more effective, especially with the young. They even manage to get in some of Oliver's more convoluted backstory.
Favorite Number: The film opens with the dreamy ballad "Once Upon a Time" over the credits. The first actual number is the Bumble (Leslie D. Mann)'s dreary orders for the boys to "Work, Work, Work." Oliver asks his new frog friend Squeaker "Who's Afraid of Ghosts?" when he's shut up with the coffins. The Artful Dodger claims to be a "Man About Town" as he shows Oliver all around London. Fagin insists that "It's Just a Game" and they're not stealing, only having a little fun. He and his boys perform the title number as they search for Oliver literally all over London, from Big Ben to the mean streets.
Trivia: Warner Bros was so disappointed with test screenings, they barely released it. It turned up later on NBC as an "NBC Special Treat."
What I Don't Like: The additional animal sidekicks - Oliver's buddy Squeaker the Frog, Sykes' dog Bulldog, and Fagin's bird crew - are standard procedure for most Filmation TV adaptations, but completely unnecessary here other than a few mildly amusing gags. Nancy's breathy ballad "If You Should Leave" is dull and too romantic for a woman singing about a sick boy she barely knows, and sounds way too modern for the 19th century. Most of the characters are barely shadows of their originals; Fagin in particular comes off more as a tired old man than a randy thief.
The Big Finale: In the end, this is really for only major fans of Jones, Filmation, or 70's animation. Anyone else would probably be better off looking up the Oscar-winning 1968 live-action film.
Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming, often for under 10 dollars.
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