Oliver! Souvenir Brochure
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Fa{/i/l Ron Moody Producer John Woolf Vancy hani Wallis Director. ..... ..... .. .............. .. .. 'arol Re d llill ; ·ik,'s " " 00iv r Heed Book, Music and Lyrics by Lion IBart Mr. Bumb! Harry Seeombe L creeuplau .. ..... ... .... ...... • . ... V rnonHarris CllOrengruphy and Musical S equ ences Uli» r Mark Lest '1' Staaed hy Onna White Tlu Artful DwlYe1· Jack WiI,I Music Sup raised. U/7T.lllY clami . The Mayistmtl' HUJ);h Griffit h conducted hy John Green Mr. LJn,1I71l1llJ' • • . • . • . • • • ••• . •• • •• . • . • • •Ioseph O' onor Production Desitmer ~ .•John Box lvII'S. SOIl, ,.rb"·I7"Y Hylda Baker Directur ojPhotofl1Ylphy Oswald MOITis. B.S.C. Mr. SOIl'I. rh errt] . .. .. .••• .... Leonard Rossit I' Film Editor Ralph Kemplen lJat. •'h eila White A ssoclat «: Music Sup ruisor Eric Rozors Wido 11, orneu .... .. .. .... .. .... .... • . Peggy Mount Pruduction Sup roisor Deni s Johnson Ail.'. IJ du -in. .• ... ... Megs Jenkins .4rt Director Terene Marsh Jessop lames Ilayte r Costuuu: Desiuner Phyllis Dalton : oa]: Cla!/pnle Kc nneth ranham Associat« Chorcognlph I' . • ••• .• .• •• • • ••• ••• • Tom Panko Dr. Grimu-iq " " Wensley Pithey Orclusstrution and Chora! Armllll mcnts John Green Charli lJat e.~ . .. .. ... .. .. .. ....... liv > Moss Additional Orchestration Eric Rogers Oth er Fuy i/l);Boys Hol irt Rartl 'Lt hOl'coyraphic IHu .~ic Lauout» Ray IIolder .Jefr handl er MlIsic Editor Kenn th Runyon Chris Duff A ssociat e Music Editor Rober t Hathaway MII.~ie i r i ~re l Gric • Coordinator Dusty Bu.k Ronni J ohnson Assistant Ch'Jrcor/lllph crs Larry Oaks • igel Kingsley G ~ rge Baron Robcrt Langl 'y AssistantDirector ....... ...... ... .. olin Brewer Peter Lock U1I it Production Manaoer Denis Johnson •.Jr. lan Ramsey Camera Operator Freddie Cooper Billy Smith Assistant Film Editor Marcel Durham KimSmith 'a«t iJ/{/ ••••• ••• • ••••••••• • • • •••• ••• •••.•••Ienia Reissar Freddie Stead 'olltillllity . • • .• • •.•. ..• •• . Pamela Davies Raymond Ward Production Secretary LOl tta Ordewer John Watters Assistant Art Director» Roy \\ alker Chariotte Elizabeth Knight BobCan.wright OliveI');Mother Veronic - Pag- et Dressers Ken Muggieston Doctor Henry Kay Ve1110n Dixon Maid Iliose] . .•. ..... .••. .... .. Jane Peach (lrmstruction Mouaaer Peter Duk ·Iow tst Policeman IMagi.~tlYltesCollrtl • . ... .... Keith Rohert. Somul Sup rrisor J ohn Cox Clerk ofthe Court "." Peter Hoar Sound Recordist« Busier Ambler Chairman of Workhouse Governors Fred Emney Bob Jon WorkhlJll.~e Gouernors John Baskcomh Sound Editor Jim Groom orrnan PiU Mak e'lIp uperoisor George Frost Arnold Lock Chie] Hairdresser Bobble mith Frank 'raws haw IlYlrdmbc Supervisor J ohn \Vii n-Apperson •'prcial Effect s . .. ... .. .. .. ... .. lan Bryee 2nd Unit fllwto!llllphy .... .. ... .. .. .• . .. Brian West Film clill PA AVISIO , ' 2nd lit Assistant Directo r Ray Corbeu at Sh pp rton tudios, London, Ellglalld Produ ct ion Buy r Percy Codbold 'olour by Technicolor Title Buckuround» Graham Barkley A Romulus Produ itiun Produced by A rrauqement (11111 ill Association With Douakl Alb ry Pres III tl by olumbia Pictur s 1·/(b1i.~hrd by Nutioual Puhlish ers, Inc. Writ/ellmu!edite d 1)11 Nullum II'ci.,,, .Idditiollll! cO!Jics of th is Sou vc/lir Book A rt/lltr Klm; P)'f..~idl'/(I Art dirl'l'/itm IJ!J R"I'N'( ( i / 'i.~ s lllmlll ma y be obtaillcd by ma ilillg 6/- to: I atiollol Publish rs. [n e., 3 Tiltwy tr&et, London, 11'./. 'Please, sir, 1 want 8vm e more" o .... ttuu! .... not olll!J for "Ulircr!" hilt 01.... 0 f or Oriffillolit!J. Lil:c oil th e yr('ot irorl:.... of tlu: motlcrn tlicat cr aut! .... cr ccn, that'..... 1I'11fI/ "Oli rcr!" 1/(/s. "Olircrl" is (/11 oriyill((l. III th e ucarh) tell ucar.... bctuecu the time Lioucl Bar! f ir.... t .... et ) )('11 to ))(I) )(>J' to create it .... hook, 1I1I1.... ic atul lyric.... and the tim e of tlu: rclc«.... c hy Columbi« Pictu re of the lac!.... li film 1' (' r.... io11 ofth « 10/1 tt:nI/I, ill/cnut tiUIlO 11 y -II ccl«iJII crl t 11 y(' .... /I cccs», thcre nuurluu -c been //IOI!.I} otlteratteinpt .... to capture that .... pccial blenrl (~r innocence and sophistication which is th e essen ce of "Olioerl's" art, but hardly one has com e close. That is why ichen you see "Olive!'!" it is Oil experie nce unlike anuother. Th ere teas I/O pre cedentfor "Olioer!" B efore it Charles Dick ens Il.'(/S thouqlit one of history's great icriters of classics, but som eone to be releqated to clussroom and libraru. Throuqh sh eer yellills, icithoui tamperinq icitli th e ntooiiu] hon esty of th e source nuitcria], Lionel Ba rt took "Olioer Ticist" and rcndered an interpretationofitin terms ofmodern III usical theater ichich sp eaks vibrantly, yet faithfully, to today's world. A «trikiiu) ente rtainment utilizing song anddance, comedy andpoignance, spectacle and beauty, it offers a new vision by which "Oliuer!"[ulfills and enhances every thing Dickens had in mind. As in virtually all of the g-reat stories which last, That's the exuberant, happy-go-lucky song the love is at the core of "Olive!'!" Its theme is the boys sing as they march to take their places at search for love. That is little Olivers search from the workhouse tables. They are in the mood for the very beginning, and even though it is punc allsorts of marvelous food- cold jelly and custard, tuated with a great variety of stunning musical a great big steak. But all they get are small bowls sequences the main dramatic line is never lost on of porridge! The irony of the musical number, the the turbulent way to a gloriously happy ending as boys marching past the overfed governors of the golden in spirit as the color of the little boy's hair. institution enjoying a feast, is climaxed by the It is in the workhouse of the orphanage where unheard-of audacity of little Oliver, It can be we first meet angel-faced, sweet-voiced Oliver. said, as has been true of literature at many times At nine, we sense at once that he is unlike the in the past, that one line changed the world. In a other children. And that he will speak for the quavering voice, innocent little Oliver asks the author-for Dickens himself-of the hypocrisy of unthinkable. He says, "Please, sir-I want some an era in 19th century England when the innocent more." went hungry amid a time of bawdy opulent life One can now look back on this as one of those for the privileged. In many ways it can now be moments that shook the world, the point at which argued that it was Dickens who helped to correct authority was challenged and, though it could not an evil. "Oliverl" is the radiant, happy, exciting be known at the time, a force was set in motion account of that change. which would grow and grow until it toppled insti tutions and introduced reforms which came to reflect a new world. But that is the long range. In "Oliver!" all it "Food. glon'ous food! does is start the boy on a merry chase. Mr. Bum Hot sausage and musturtl!" ble, the thunderous guardian of the workhouse, sets out in pursuit of the boy-to the rollicking title song, "Oliver!"-and once he is captured it is Mr. Bumble who sets out in the snowy, Christ massy streets of old London town to apprentice young Oliver Twist to a merchant. "One boy. Boy for sale. Re's going cheap; Only seven guineas. That 01' thereabout... " The image, like so many of Dickens', endures. And so does the song of Lionel Bart's: at once as beautiful as a Christmas card, as sadly poignant as an elegy. Oliver does not find love with Mr. Sowerberry, to whom he is apprenticed, and his family. He is ill-treated by the Sowerberrys, bullied by their older hired hand, Noah Claypole. Locked in the below-stairs workshop of the Sowerberry estab lishment, Oliver sings: ..WheTe is love? Does it fail fT01n skies above ?... Who can say where love mc'lY hide? Must I trauel fer and wide?" This song contains the soul of a boy who dreams of finding someone to whom he can mean "some thing." That "something" is love and it is the theme of Lionel Barts masterpiece. This is the moment which inspires little Olivers escape. The Odyssey of "Oliver!" is now begun. 'When little Oliver pries himself out from behind the bars of his prison, all life awaits him. Call it myth; call it fancy. By now it is a legend. The adventure of little Oliver Twist in the outside world transports not only the boy, but the imagination of all who cheer him on. II. Olivers first look at London-the London of the brawling, sprawling market streets of that age is overwhelming. The people, the shops, the horse-and-carriages, all of it is breathtaking enough-and then little Oliver sees in the dis tance a bright red train spouting steam as it crosses a railway bridge. The boy hardly knows which way to look, but, as it happens, there's another boy who has his eye on Oliver. He's The Artful Dodger, and he's a little older, far cockier, and very sure of himself-so long as there's no policeman around. You see, The Dodger is the ringleader of a gang of boy thieves run by that old wizard of pickpocketry, Fagin, The Dodger sizes up the situation. A bewil dered, runaway orphan like Oliver would be per fect for Fagin's gang. The Dodger presents him self as a kind of "tour guide" and before he knows it Oliver and The Dodger have embarked on a dancing tour of the Dickens world of meat dealers, fishmongers, news hawkers, shop keepers and just about every segment of the street life of a great city, not forgetting a carnival which has come to town, fire eaters and all, and always keeping a wary eye out for the policemen who seem to dance by at every wrong moment.