The words of film director Carol Reed...

"It's a privilege working with young people. Sometimes of course it can be a little demanding. The trick is to try and start every scene with the youngster. That way he or she get their lines over first, and the adult actors in the scene relax knowing that the youngster may not spoil the scene for them. Another trick is to do the child's scene over as many times as you need to without pausing in between takes. I just keep the camera running and gently tell the child that they're doing fine, but just try it one more time. It is very important too that children do not get nervous, they must think of filming as fun. Therefore you must never let them see you are worried or that tension is gathering. It is also important for your relationship with the youngster is exactly right, not too friendly because they will take advantage of you, but not too formal because in that case they will be unsure of you. No, it's not easy directing children, but when it works out it's a film directors most gratifying moment."

The words of choreographer Onna White...

"The only thing worse than stage mothers is ballerina mothers. We all know about the good ladies who probably never danced more than a waltz themselves, but who insist on bringing up their daughters to be the next Pavlova. I don't think a girl has a chance of becoming a dancer if it is forced upon her. You've got to want to be something for yourself, and not because someone else out of the best intentions in the world talked you into it. I was one of the lucky ones my family didn't make a dancer out of me, in fact I thought I wanted to be a singer but I was a sickly child and some exercises the doctor prescribed for me led me by chance to the basic movements of dancing. Nor am I pressing my daughter to dance, or, as the song has it, for a life upon the wicked stage. It's a fine life but only if it's the life you want for yourself."

The words of musical director John Green...

"In the old days movie musicals could be one of two things softer or louder. But, it's another story altogether now that we have multi-track stereophonic sound, and now that we combine on separate triple stereo tracks the orchestral music, solo passages within it, choral voices, and soloists, those possibilities are numerically limitless depending on the imagination and abilities of those writing the score, orchestrating, arranging and conducting it. To cite one example, the "Who Will Buy?" number-which lasts on screen 9 minutes 58 seconds, took us a month to film, even longer for the pre-recording. We are proud of the result. The means of reproducing that sound in the cinema is so advanced and accurate today that very soon now we should hear the last of the little old lady who gets up from her seat to find the cinema manager and tell him either that she can't 'hear' the screen or conversely that it's so loud she is going deaf."

The views expressed on this page were solely those of the individuals, and have been adapted from vintage material available at the time of the movie's original cinema release....  

For more cast and crew info please visit: IMDb

Next Page | Back | Site Guide 

 "Oliver!" A monumental musical movie experience!