Coorabell Hall Film Club
Wednesday 4 February

Oliver!

Winner of 6 Academy Awards!!

Food & drinks (Licensed) from 6.00PM
Movie starts at 7.30PM

Oliver! (1968)

After a stella career making technical masterpieces of suspense-thrillers Sir Carol Reed became a key figure in post-war British cinema; celebrated for his atmospheric, suspenseful, and sometimes morally ambiguous films, particularly the crime and noir genres. His greatest triumph however was near the end of his career with his venture into the only musical he made.

Oliver! won six Academy awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Reed and a special choreography award for Oona White who used large-scale, dynamic choreography in numbers like ‘Consider Yourself’ and ‘Who Will Buy?’

Because of the enormity of John Box’s design of the film, including the vast sets at Shepparton, and Reed’s demand for detail and perfection, the film took 15 months to film, posing some problems for the boys’ growth spurts. They were, of course, all terrified of Carol’s nephew Oliver Reed’s ‘Sykes’.

Considering how famous the musical and the film are it is amazing to consider that Lionel Bart could not read or write music. He created the original stage show by humming the tunes to a transcriber.

Overall, the commitment and care invested in the creation of one of Britain’s most celebrated and enduring musicals are evident, as demonstrated by its 57-year legacy. Its cultural significance, influence, and broad appeal remain apparent to this day.