Oliver Twist (1922)

'Twist of Legend'

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy Oliver Twist on DVD.

This silent version of Charles Dickens's 1838 novel is, above anything else, a triumph of casting. Lon Chaney plays Fagin, the gnarled old man who teaches orphans and street urchins how to pick pockets. With Chaney's mix of make-up mastery and his built-in tragic face, he makes the perfect Fagin, perhaps unequalled in the history of cinema. In the lead role, Jackie Coogan came fresh from his enormous success in Charles Chaplin's The Kid (1921), bringing his awesome screen presence and supreme pathos to the role. Otherwise, director Frank Lloyd cuts the story way down to a speedy 77 minutes, forsaking great chunks of the novel in order to capture its essence. David Lean's 1948 film is a richer experience, but Lloyd's gets closer to the bone.

Though not a terribly interesting director in general, Lloyd went on to direct two Best Picture Oscar winners in the sound era, Cavalcade (1933) and Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), winning two Best Director awards (for The Divine Lady and Cavalcade) in the process.

Starring: Jackie Coogan, Lon Chaney, James A. Marcus, Edouard Trebaol, George Siegmann, Gladys Brockwell, Lionel Belmore
Written by: Walter Anthony, Frank Lloyd, Harry Weil, based on the novel by Charles Dickens
Directed by: Frank Lloyd
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 77 minutes
Date: September 28, 2005