Oliver Twist (1982 TV film)
Encyclopedia
Oliver Twist is a 1982
made-for-TV adaptation of the Charles Dickens
classic of the same name
, premiering on the CBS
television network as part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame
. Stars include George C. Scott
, Tim Curry
, Cherie Lunghi
, and introducing Richard Charles as Oliver, in his first major film role.
With some difficulty, the unnamed woman gives birth to a baby boy (played by Joseph Shiner), with the assistance of a midwife, known as Mrs. Corney (Anne Tirard). The woman, barely able to speak, asks to see her son. When he is given to her, she smiles weakly at him and kisses the baby's forehead before she collapses and dies. Witnessing the woman's birth is Mr. Bumble (Timothy West
), a hard-nosed man in charge of the local orphans workhouse
. With no information on the mother's identity, he gives the boy the name Oliver Twist
.
Like the other boys in the workhouse, Oliver lives a hard life of endless labour and schooling, with only a bowl of gruel
for supper, while Bumble sits above them feasting on food such as leg of lamb. After seeing his half-starved friend Dick devour his bowl and still wanting more, Oliver, in a gesture of compassion, offers the lad his own, then goes up to Bumble and asks for more, unaware of the consequences. His request angers Bumble, who hires him out to work for Mr Sowerberry, a local undertaker.
Sowerberry exploits Oliver's pathetic features by using him as a silent mourner, present at burials for the dead who are without family or friends, many of them children. Oliver's situation is not much different than the workhouse, as he is given a workbench to sleep on and scraps that Sowerberry's dogs refuse to eat for food. Oliver also becomes the object of Noah Claypole's (Philip Davis) hatred.
Claypole, a teenager, has been assigned to supervise Oliver. He gives Oliver harsh tasks and becomes further resentful when Sowerberry decides to use Oliver instead of him for silent mourner duties. Claypole taunts Oliver one day, making fun of his dead mother. The remark angers Oliver, who delivers a surprisingly powerful blow to Claypole's face, breaking his nose.
Sowerberry rushes in and after learning what caused the fracas, takes Claypole's side and tells Oliver he will be returned to the workhouse the following day. Oliver waits until later that evening and then sneaks out. He roams the streets that evening until he arrives in the market town of Barnet (near London), where he is met by the Artful Dodger (Martin Tempest). Aware of Oliver's plight as he too is an orphan, the Artful Dodger offers Oliver lodgings from his benefactor. Oliver agrees, unaware of what he has got himself into.
Oliver is now part of a band of thieves, overseen by Fagin
(George C. Scott
), a kindly Jewish man of dark features. Among Fagin's group are Bill Sikes
(Tim Curry
), a drunk who oversees the orphan thieves, and Nancy, an attractive young woman often used for sexual favors, and frequently abused by Bill. She takes a liking to Oliver and tries to help him, but for this, she is eventually viciously murdered by Bill.
Oliver is made aware of his true purpose with Fagin when he is expected to work as a pickpocket
. Sikes forces Oliver to help him burglarize a home in the countryside. The boy is shot in the process. An elderly man, Mr Brownlow
, along with his niece Rose Maylie
and housekeeper, Mrs. Bedwin, take pity upon him and nurse the boy back to health. He finds both a newly found happiness and joy with them. Mr. Brownlow and Mrs. Bedwin notice a close resemblance between Oliver and a lady's portrait on the wall, leading them to eventually discovering the boy's true identity.
Throughout all of this is the obsession of one man bent on destroying Oliver and his reputation, even going so far as to try to have him murdered. Monks
(Oliver Cotton
), who has a distinguishing red birthmark over his left eye, has learned that although he and Oliver are born of different mothers, they are of the same father. Monks learns that their father has disinherited him in favor of Oliver, though he inherited what should have been Oliver's inheritance after his mother's death. Though Monks is legitimate, he also has aspirations of wealth and stature that his inheritance would provide. Thus, he also sees the relationship between them as socially scandalous. His efforts prove unsuccessful in the end, however.
When Nancy's body is discovered, an angry mob descends upon the gang and captures Fagin. "Filthy Jew!" shouts one man who strikes him in the face. Fagin rails against the crowd as he is led away. "If you need money, I am the clever Jew! If you need my help I am the kind Jew! You all sicken me!"
Bill, fleeing after Nancy's murder, tries to kill his pet dog, but the dog escapes and leads the mob straight to Bill, who accidentally hangs himself after trying to flee over a rooftop and hallucinating that he sees Nancy's bloody ghost.
Brownlow is revealed to be a friend of Oliver's father, Philip ("Edwin" in the novel). Monks' real name is revealed to be Edward Leeford, and Philip's marriage to Edward' mother had been an unhappy one. Having separated from her, Philip moved to the country where he met and fell in love with Oliver's mother, revealed to have been named Agnes Fleming. Leeford never told Agnes of his marriage, nor did she tell him when she became pregnant with his child (Oliver). He left for London to ask Edward's mother for a divorce so he could marry Agnes, but died before he could do so. Already having had a premonition that he was going to die, Leeford wrote a will in which he left a small inheritance to Edward and his mother, but the rest to Agnes. Feeling abandoned and ashamed, Agnes ran away and disappeared, leading up to the events at the beginning of the film. Before he went to London, Leeford left both the will and a portrait he had painted of Agnes with Brownlow.
Brownlow does some investigative work on his own to bring justice to his friend's young son. He learns of the cruelty and inhumane conditions at the workhouse, and also learns of Bumble's theft of workhouse funds for his own benefit, money which has been intended to properly feed and clothe the orphans. Bumble immediately blames his wife, Mrs. Mann (to whom he proposed marriage at the start of the film) for the misappropriations and claims to love Oliver as he does the other orphans. After receiving a locket Mrs. Bumble had stolen from Agnes's corpse and revealing to everyone the boy's true identity, Brownlow tells Monks that he will be going to prison. Then, not fooled by Bumble's charade, Brownlow informs him that under British law, a husband is accountable for his wife's misdeeds, prompting Bumble's famous reply "If that's the eye of the law, then the law is a ass." Brownlow then tells Bumble that he will use his influence to see to it that he and his wife lose their workhouse jobs and may even face criminal charges.
The film ends with Monks going to prison and Brownlow and Rose assuring Oliver that he is no longer a foundling, but now has a true identity of his own. Everyone then climbs into Brownlow's coach and they make the journey back to Brownlow's estate.
1982 in television
The year 1982 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1982.For the American TV schedule, see: 1982-83 American network television schedule.-Events:...
made-for-TV adaptation of the Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
classic of the same name
Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens, published by Richard Bentley in 1838. The story is about an orphan Oliver Twist, who endures a miserable existence in a workhouse and then is placed with an undertaker. He escapes and travels to...
, premiering on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television network as part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The second longest-running television program in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2011...
. Stars include George C. Scott
George C. Scott
George Campbell Scott was an American stage and film actor, director and producer. He was best known for his stage work, as well as his portrayal of General George S. Patton in the film Patton, and as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick's Dr...
, Tim Curry
Tim Curry
Timothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
, Cherie Lunghi
Cherie Lunghi
Cherie M. Lunghi is an English film, television and theatre actress. She is probably best known for her role as Guinevere in the 1981 film Excalibur, as football manageress Gabriella Benson in the 1990s television series The Manageress and for starring in a series of adverts for Kenco coffee. She...
, and introducing Richard Charles as Oliver, in his first major film role.
Plot
The film opens with a young, blonde-haired woman outdoors during a rainstorm. She is seen struggling on her knees, and she manages to stumble into a home. The occupants, learning that the pregnant woman is about to go into labour, make preparations for her birth.With some difficulty, the unnamed woman gives birth to a baby boy (played by Joseph Shiner), with the assistance of a midwife, known as Mrs. Corney (Anne Tirard). The woman, barely able to speak, asks to see her son. When he is given to her, she smiles weakly at him and kisses the baby's forehead before she collapses and dies. Witnessing the woman's birth is Mr. Bumble (Timothy West
Timothy West
Timothy Lancaster West, CBE is an English film, stage and television actor.-Career:West's craggy looks ensured a career as a character actor rather than a leading man. He began his career as an Assistant Stage Manager at the Wimbledon Theatre in 1956, and followed this with several seasons of...
), a hard-nosed man in charge of the local orphans workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
. With no information on the mother's identity, he gives the boy the name Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist (character)
Oliver Twist is the protagonist of the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. He was the first child protagonist in an English language novel.-Background:...
.
Like the other boys in the workhouse, Oliver lives a hard life of endless labour and schooling, with only a bowl of gruel
Gruel
Gruel is a food preparation consisting of some type of cereal—oat, wheat or rye flour, or rice—boiled in water or milk. It is a thinner version of porridge that may be more often drunk than eaten and need not even be cooked...
for supper, while Bumble sits above them feasting on food such as leg of lamb. After seeing his half-starved friend Dick devour his bowl and still wanting more, Oliver, in a gesture of compassion, offers the lad his own, then goes up to Bumble and asks for more, unaware of the consequences. His request angers Bumble, who hires him out to work for Mr Sowerberry, a local undertaker.
Sowerberry exploits Oliver's pathetic features by using him as a silent mourner, present at burials for the dead who are without family or friends, many of them children. Oliver's situation is not much different than the workhouse, as he is given a workbench to sleep on and scraps that Sowerberry's dogs refuse to eat for food. Oliver also becomes the object of Noah Claypole's (Philip Davis) hatred.
Claypole, a teenager, has been assigned to supervise Oliver. He gives Oliver harsh tasks and becomes further resentful when Sowerberry decides to use Oliver instead of him for silent mourner duties. Claypole taunts Oliver one day, making fun of his dead mother. The remark angers Oliver, who delivers a surprisingly powerful blow to Claypole's face, breaking his nose.
Sowerberry rushes in and after learning what caused the fracas, takes Claypole's side and tells Oliver he will be returned to the workhouse the following day. Oliver waits until later that evening and then sneaks out. He roams the streets that evening until he arrives in the market town of Barnet (near London), where he is met by the Artful Dodger (Martin Tempest). Aware of Oliver's plight as he too is an orphan, the Artful Dodger offers Oliver lodgings from his benefactor. Oliver agrees, unaware of what he has got himself into.
Oliver is now part of a band of thieves, overseen by Fagin
Fagin
Fagin is a fictional character who appears as an antagonist of the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist, referred to in the preface of the novel as a "receiver of stolen goods", but referred to more frequently within the actual story as the "merry old gentleman" or simply the "Jew".-Character:Born...
(George C. Scott
George C. Scott
George Campbell Scott was an American stage and film actor, director and producer. He was best known for his stage work, as well as his portrayal of General George S. Patton in the film Patton, and as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick's Dr...
), a kindly Jewish man of dark features. Among Fagin's group are Bill Sikes
Bill Sikes
William "Bill" Sikes is a fictional character in the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.He is one of Dickens's most vicious characters and a very strong force in the novel when it comes to having control over somebody or harming others. He is portrayed as a rough and barbaric man. He is a career...
(Tim Curry
Tim Curry
Timothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
), a drunk who oversees the orphan thieves, and Nancy, an attractive young woman often used for sexual favors, and frequently abused by Bill. She takes a liking to Oliver and tries to help him, but for this, she is eventually viciously murdered by Bill.
Oliver is made aware of his true purpose with Fagin when he is expected to work as a pickpocket
Pickpocketing
Pickpocketing is a form of larceny that involves the stealing of money or other valuables from the person of a victim without their noticing the theft at the time. It requires considerable dexterity and a knack for misdirection...
. Sikes forces Oliver to help him burglarize a home in the countryside. The boy is shot in the process. An elderly man, Mr Brownlow
Mr. Brownlow
Mr. Brownlow is a character from the novel, Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens. He is later revealed to be none other than a very close friend of Oliver's father.-Description:Dickens describes Brownlow's first appearance:-The novel:...
, along with his niece Rose Maylie
Rose Maylie
Rose Fleming Maylie is a character in Charles Dickens's novel Oliver Twist. She is Oliver's maternal aunt.-Biography:Rose is an orphan raised from young childhood by Mrs. Maylie. Bill Sikes and Toby Crackit, two thieves, break into the Maylies' house, accompanied by Oliver. Oliver is shot by the...
and housekeeper, Mrs. Bedwin, take pity upon him and nurse the boy back to health. He finds both a newly found happiness and joy with them. Mr. Brownlow and Mrs. Bedwin notice a close resemblance between Oliver and a lady's portrait on the wall, leading them to eventually discovering the boy's true identity.
Throughout all of this is the obsession of one man bent on destroying Oliver and his reputation, even going so far as to try to have him murdered. Monks
Monks (Oliver Twist)
Edward "Monks" Leeford is a character in the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. He is actually the criminally-inclined half-brother of Oliver Twist, but he hides his identity. Monks's parents separated when he was a child, and his father had a sexual and romantic relationship with a young...
(Oliver Cotton
Oliver Cotton
Oliver Cotton is an English actor, known for his work on stage, TV and film.After training at the Drama Centre London, he has worked extensively at the Royal National Theatre playing in many productions including The Royal Hunt of the Sun, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Much Ado About...
), who has a distinguishing red birthmark over his left eye, has learned that although he and Oliver are born of different mothers, they are of the same father. Monks learns that their father has disinherited him in favor of Oliver, though he inherited what should have been Oliver's inheritance after his mother's death. Though Monks is legitimate, he also has aspirations of wealth and stature that his inheritance would provide. Thus, he also sees the relationship between them as socially scandalous. His efforts prove unsuccessful in the end, however.
When Nancy's body is discovered, an angry mob descends upon the gang and captures Fagin. "Filthy Jew!" shouts one man who strikes him in the face. Fagin rails against the crowd as he is led away. "If you need money, I am the clever Jew! If you need my help I am the kind Jew! You all sicken me!"
Bill, fleeing after Nancy's murder, tries to kill his pet dog, but the dog escapes and leads the mob straight to Bill, who accidentally hangs himself after trying to flee over a rooftop and hallucinating that he sees Nancy's bloody ghost.
Brownlow is revealed to be a friend of Oliver's father, Philip ("Edwin" in the novel). Monks' real name is revealed to be Edward Leeford, and Philip's marriage to Edward' mother had been an unhappy one. Having separated from her, Philip moved to the country where he met and fell in love with Oliver's mother, revealed to have been named Agnes Fleming. Leeford never told Agnes of his marriage, nor did she tell him when she became pregnant with his child (Oliver). He left for London to ask Edward's mother for a divorce so he could marry Agnes, but died before he could do so. Already having had a premonition that he was going to die, Leeford wrote a will in which he left a small inheritance to Edward and his mother, but the rest to Agnes. Feeling abandoned and ashamed, Agnes ran away and disappeared, leading up to the events at the beginning of the film. Before he went to London, Leeford left both the will and a portrait he had painted of Agnes with Brownlow.
Brownlow does some investigative work on his own to bring justice to his friend's young son. He learns of the cruelty and inhumane conditions at the workhouse, and also learns of Bumble's theft of workhouse funds for his own benefit, money which has been intended to properly feed and clothe the orphans. Bumble immediately blames his wife, Mrs. Mann (to whom he proposed marriage at the start of the film) for the misappropriations and claims to love Oliver as he does the other orphans. After receiving a locket Mrs. Bumble had stolen from Agnes's corpse and revealing to everyone the boy's true identity, Brownlow tells Monks that he will be going to prison. Then, not fooled by Bumble's charade, Brownlow informs him that under British law, a husband is accountable for his wife's misdeeds, prompting Bumble's famous reply "If that's the eye of the law, then the law is a ass." Brownlow then tells Bumble that he will use his influence to see to it that he and his wife lose their workhouse jobs and may even face criminal charges.
The film ends with Monks going to prison and Brownlow and Rose assuring Oliver that he is no longer a foundling, but now has a true identity of his own. Everyone then climbs into Brownlow's coach and they make the journey back to Brownlow's estate.