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John WoolF...Producer. Born: 1913, London, England.
Some years ago, with his late brother James, producer John Woolf began their own production company, Romulus films, with a hit, 'Pandora and the Flying Dutchman.' It is a token of his progress, as well as untold changes that have come about on the world scene, that whereas 'Pandora' was a British film, 'Oliver!' is profoundly international, for without adding the highly developed talents of Hollywood and Broadway to those of his native England, no enterprise so ambitious could have ever come to fruition. 'Oliver!' is far from being Woolf's first international effort. Besides the vastly successful 'Moulin Rouge' and 'The African Queen,' high on his company's credit list are 'Room at the Top' and 'The L-Shaped Room.' But never before 'Oliver!' has the British film industry even attempted an undertaking so formidable in size, scope and cost.
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Carol Reed...Director Born: 1906, London, England.
Distinctions have been showered on Carol Reed for over 30 years, among them a knighthood he received in 1952, but it is typical of Reed's innate modesty that although he is the only director (at the time) to have been so honoured, he never permitted his billing to carry that widely-coveted 'Sir.' But to filmgoers, the on-screen legend, 'Directed by Carol Reed' has carried sufficient meaning. It is associated with a long list of memorable films. Reed's career has fallen naturally into three parts; each has added to his eminence. Before the war, he was famous for 'Night Train,' 'The stars Look Down' and 'The Young Mr. Pitt.' During the war, heading the British Army's film unit, he made the historic documentaries 'The True Glory' and 'The Way Ahead.' After the conflict, he directed a series of suspense masterpieces, among them 'Odd Man Out,' 'The Fallen Idol' and 'The Third Man.' In 'The Fallen Idol' and other films he had demonstrated an unusual sensitiveness in the handling of child actors. Reed was thus, for many reasons, the one director whose past achievements seemed to point directly to 'Oliver!'
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John Green...Musical Director. Born: 1908, New York, United States.
The four Oscars John Green has won as music director for such motion pictures as 'West Side Story,' 'Easter Parade' and 'An American in Paris' don't begin to tell the story of his far-ranging talent. A graduate of Harvard (in economics) he became attracted to song writing, and created perennial marvels like 'Body and Soul,' 'I Cover The Waterfront,' 'Out of Nowhere' and 'Coquette.' In the era of big dance bands he led his own, soloing at the piano. He orchestrated the early Marx Brothers and Maurice Chevalier films, then moved on to broadcasting as music chief for CBS. After working on Broadway with his close friend Richard Rodgers and in London with Jack Buchanan, Green became head of MGM's music department, in the glamorous heyday of Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, and many others. Popular music is only one of his spheres of triumphs. Green has guest-conducted one of the United States leading symphony orchestras, has long been commentator-conductor of symphonies for Youth of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and has conducted for 20 seasons at the Hollywood Bowl. For 18 years he directed the Academy Award orchestra on 'Oscar' night.
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John Box...Production Designer. Born: 1920, London, England.
Nowhere is the lavishness which 'Oliver!' was made more evidence than it's distinctive 'look'...the visual impact of a mighty contrast, between the lusty, freshly colour tones of 19th Century London's opulent society, and the more subdue hues in the life of its 'workhouse poor.' Re-creating this world of another day was entrusted by the producers to John Box, who had done no less in designing 'Lawrence of Arabia' and 'Doctor Zhivago,' for both of which he received Academy Awards, not to mention 'A Man for all Seasons,' also a multiple-prize-winner. In each case-and now in 'Oliver!'-he worked with only one aim: to realize in emotional terms the intent of writer, actors, and film-makers. A trained architect, Box builds his film 'worlds' on the firmest of foundations, so that the 'Oliver!' structures were designed not only to be beautiful and properly atmospheric, but to accommodate in safety and with ease the mass movement of hundreds of players who peopled them. They turned out to be the largest sets ever constructed in England.
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OSWALD MORRIS...Director of Photography. Born: 1915, Middlesex, England.
'Oliver!' is cinematographer Ossie Morris' 40th film, a fact that in itself would not necessarily mean too much besides experience, if among the 40 there were not such triumphs of colour photography as in John Huston's 'Moulin Rouge' (which won an Oscar nomination) and the more recent 'The Taming of the Shrew,' starring the Burtons. He likes to work in black-and-white from time to time, and his shooting of 'The Hill' won Morris a British Academy Award. Morris has a personal link of continuity with 'Oliver Twist.' He operated the camera for the straight dramatic film 10 years before Lionel Bart set it to music.
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ONNA WHITE...Choreographer. Born: 1922, Nova Scotia, Canada.
In the realm where men predominate, Onna White, responsible for the choreography and staging the musical sequences for 'Oliver!' has carved out a place for herself so big that you just can't call it a 'niche.' Among her successes have been 'The Music Man,' 'Irma la Douce,' 'Mame' and 'Ilya Darling' on Broadway and the film hit 'Bye Bye Bride.' In 'Bride' she collaborated with music director John Green, so their work together on 'Oliver!' was by the way of being a re-union. 'Oliver!' presented Onna with a challenge of genuine magnitude. Not only did she 'open up' the stage original to a new world of movement and dance, but her corps de ballet for some sequences had to consist of children-an innovation few choreographers have ever had to face. Disciplining 70 little ones to sing, dance and march 'Food, Glorious Food' was a large order; producing , among 15 boys of Fagin's gang, an air of seemingly effortless grace as they dance off to work to the tune of 'Be Back Soon' was a true and unforgettable achievement.
For more info and full cast and crew listings please visit: IMDb
The 'Oliver!' Online souvenir book! |
