The first film version of the Dickens' 1839 classic. It is 19th century England and an unkown girl tragically dies during childbirth. Her orphaned boy, Oliver, spends his childhood in the workhouse being treated harshly at the hands of the parish authorities. He eventually runs away to London where he meets Fagin, an old criminal who controls a gang of young thieves and introduces Oliver to a life of crime and corruption. The heartwarming conclusion is filled with unexpected twists.