[.ca] Oliver Twist (1922) (ISBN 6305944563)

From Amazon.com:
Jackie Coogan had made his name as the spunky waif in Chaplin's The Kid when he took on the role of Charles Dickens's plucky orphan hero in Oliver Twist. It's dream casting: wide-eyed Coogan is an innocent with a heart of gold dropped into a den of thieves, notably Lon Chaney's Fagin, a heartless conniver with long whiskers, a hook nose, rotten teeth and skeletal fingers. The entire production is peopled with perfect types--a rotund bulldog of a Mr. Brumble, a barrel-chested bully of a Bill Sykes, a ragged dandy of an Artful Dodger--but it rather misses the point of Dickens. "I know of two kinds of boys: good and bad," sniffs one high-society gentleman, and sure enough, director Frank Lloyd gives us heroes and villains without the energetic, colorful portrayals of the Dodger (who has little dramatic presence) and Fagin that enrich later versions of the novel. The entire novel is packed into 74 breakneck minutes, but the lavish production is richly atmospheric and beautiful to look at, and Coogan's cute, sprightly performance keeps the story bouncing along. The print is well worn and in places quite damaged, but it's presentable, nicely tinted, and accompanied by an organ score by John Muri. This disc also includes Lon Chaney in The Light of Faith (an abridged version of Clarence Brown's The Light in the Dark). Chaney plays a thief who, inspired by the story of the Holy Grail, risks his life to rob a rich man of his ancient goblet in the hopes that it may save a sick girl. There's little room for dramatic resonance in such a digest-sized version, but Chaney shines as a reformed roughneck, and the lavish production is well preserved in this excellent restoration, which has been tinted and set to an organ score by Hank Troy. --Sean Axmaker

Great silent adaptation of Dickens' classic:
This version of "Oliver Twist" is a scant 74 minutes long, but contains much more of the book (including a portion of the Rose Maylie sequence) and retains a highly Dickensian flavor when viewed alongside other adaptations. If you are new to silent films, this could be a good one to whet your appetite. If you are already a fan, give this one a try. The film is primarily a vehicle for Jackie Coogan, which proves to be just fine, as he is delightful in the title role. His expressive face and tiny stature are dead-right for Oliver, and he has more spunk than most exponents of the role, which helps to allay the saccharine nature of the character. Fans of Lon Chaney may be disappointed with the little screen time he is given, but he makes the most of it. Subtle touches Chaney adds (such as gently laying a hand on Bill Sikes' chest) give a wealth of subtext and nuance to his performance, and adds immeasurably to our understanding of Fagin as petty thief. The rest of the cast is good, with a fine performance from Gladys Brockwell as Nancy. She is another aspect of the film which rings true to Dickens: she is less the "hooker with a heart of gold" than a complex, hardened woman who has grown up among criminals yet retains her conscience. Mention must also be made of the fine production design. Many scenes look as though they were lifted from the original Cruikshank illustrations (especially the meeting at London Bridge) and the men look particularly appropriate for the period. Some of the women retain the '20s look in makeup and hair, which is typical of Hollywood period movies through the 1970's. The title cards also are well-done, either quoting directly from Dickens or retaining his authorial flavor. All told, this is a winning adaptation of a perennial favorite.