Movie Reviews: Musical, ****Oliver

Oliver!:  I have always enjoyed Oliver.  It is available through Netflix Instant.  This movie won for the Oscar for best film as well as best direction.  Lionel Bart wrote the musice and lyrics.  When I was young I read the Charles Dickens book.  The songs I especially like are: "Boy For Sale," "Who Will Buy," and "As long as He Needs Me," "I think I Better Think it Out Again," "Where is Love" and "Oom-Pah-Pah."
This is a tragic tale which is a lesson about partner abuse.  Abuse is progressive, with the final progression one of murder and death; just as this movie portrays.  Nancy (Shani Wallis) says she will stay with him as long as he needs her.  She stays too long.  The other theme is that if you stay in the criminal environment too long, it too will eventually take you in.  Fagin is well done, singing, character, acting.  Ron Moody was nominated for an Oscar for this performance.  Jack Wild, who played the Artful Dodger, was nominated for a supporting actor Oscar.  It also received a special Oscar for best choreography.  I imagine this is based partly on the dance of the boys to "Come Back Soon" as well as the large street numbers, "Consider Yourself a Friend" and "Who Will Buy."
This is a story of great tragedy.  How else could such a story end.
I would have scored this movie higher, but in reviewing the case, I discovered that Oliver (Mark Lester) did not sing his own songs but the daughter of the musical director Kathe Green.  Based on that I scored it lower.  Good family movie, but I remember as a child having issues with the accidental hanging at the end.