Producer David O. Selznick violently accosted Sir Alec Guinness at a Hollywood party over his portrayal of Fagin.
Banned on inital release in Israel and Egypt; in Israel for being anti-Semitic, and in Egypt for making Fagin too sympathetic.
This movie's release in the U.S. was delayed until 1951 because of protests from Zionist pressure groups, who judged Sir Alec Guinness' portrayal of Fagin to be anti-Semitic.
For the scene where Bill Sikes appears in a doorway just as a tossed mug of beer lands in his direction, the trick was to keep the beer mug in focus as it sails through the air.
The wordless opening sequence, in which Oliver's mother staggers over the rain-swept moors to give birth on the steps of the workhouse, was devised by actress Kay Walsh (Nancy).