Oliver & Company (1988)

Oliver & Company (1988)

This delightful Disney animated musical version of Charles Dickens’ classic "Oliver Twist" features the voice talents of Joey Lawrence Billy Joel Cheech Marin Richard Mulligan Roscoe Lee Browne Dom DeLuise Robert Loggia and Bette Midler (among others) and was directed by George Scribner.

Oliver (Lawrence) is a spunky kitten that’s goes un-adopted on the streets of New York despite being offered for free. He’s ‘rescued’ by a streetwise dog named Dodger (Joel) that recruits the cute kittie to help him steal some hotdogs from a street vender named Louie. Dodger absconds with the take but is followed by a determined and somewhat clumsy Oliver who soon discovers the rest of the mutt’s crew on a ramshackle boat moored at the docks.

Dodger is the quasi-leader of a group of strays that includes a spunky Chihuahua named Tito (Marin) an elegant Afghan hound named Rita (Sheryl Lee Ralph) a dimwitted Great Dane ironically named Einstein (Mulligan) and a wannabe actor Bulldog named Francis (Browne). The gang ‘works steals’ for a rather cowardly scrap collector named Fagin (DeLuise) who has to give the loot they ‘find’ to Sykes (Loggia) to pay off a loan. Sykes uses two large threatening Dobermans named Roscoe and DeSoto to enforce his position. But Fagin loves and cares for the dogs who respond with loyalty and mutual feelings and he eagerly welcomes the newest feline addition into their humble group.

While out scraping the next day Einstein is engaged to ram a limousine so that Francis can pretend to be hurt in order to distract the driver so that Tito can steal the car’s radio; Oliver is to keep watch. But there’s a little girl named Jenny (Natalie Gregory) in the back seat and she instantly falls in love with the precious kitten. She convinces driver Winston (William Glover) to let her take Oliver home. Evidently Jenny’s wealthy Fifth Avenue family is rarely home and so Winston allows Jenny to – temporarily – adopt Oliver.

But the family owns a prize poodle named Georgette (Midler) who’s none too happy to share her house with a cat. Not realizing that Oliver has finally found the home of his dreams the gang conspire to ‘rescue’ their friend from the posh apartment and Georgette is happy to oblige. Back on the boat Fagin sees Oliver’s new gold collar and hatches a plan to ransom the kitty back to its rich new ‘owner’. Sykes approves but then intercepts and kidnaps Jenny when she brings her piggybank to the rendezvous place. Now it’s up to the gang to rescue Jenny from Sykes’ Dobermans and fortress of a warehouse.

As is typical the film features several catchy tunes including "Why Should I Worry?" sung by Joel and produced by Phil Ramone "Once Upon a Time in New York City" sung by Huey Lewis and "Perfect Isn’t Easy" written & produced by Barry Manilow and sung by Midler.

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