| re: Watchin OLIVER! on TCM | |
| Posted by: steven_carter 07:30 am EST 02/03/25 | |
| In reply to: re: Watchin OLIVER! on TCM - tandelor 07:51 pm EST 02/02/25 | |
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| OLIVER was presented like a roadshow, at least initially. I still have the gorgeous souvenir booklet I took home from the showing in 1968 when I was eight years old. I also think the film improves on its stage version (i.e. making Shani Wallis's "Oomm-pah-pah" number a tense and exciting part of the plot, rather than a pleasant act-II opener with no stakes for the characters). I don't think Johnny Green's orchestrations are his best though. Though they improve on the very simple, almost "rinky-tink" original stage orchestrations, there are numbers, such as "As Long As He Needs Me", where the arrangement seems to be working against the singer and against the build of the song. All in all though, the film is a triumph. And it's always worth noting that, despite the perception that all of these late 60s musicals were not financially successful. that many of them were very financially successful. When OLIVER was winning awards and making lots of money in 1968, the 1967 musical smash "Thoroughly Modern Millie" was still in theatres (theatrical engagements were longer then, and took months to roll out) and was Universal's most financially successful film to date at that point in their history (Don't get me started on the maultiple reference books that confuse MILLIE-a smash- with "Darling LILI" which was not a hit). And FUNNY GIRL ended up making more money than ANY other 1968 release. So it wasn't just "SOUND OF MUSIC, WEST SIDE STORY, and MARY POPPINS that were hits. Even some of the super expensive productions like DOLLY and even PAINT YOUR WAGON were enormously popular and drew large audiences (check your historical Varity magazines to see). DOLLY eventually made money, despite its (at the time) incredible $20 million budget. |
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