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[about Oliver]
Mr. Bumble: Mother came to us destitute. Brings a child into the world, takes one look at him and promptly dies - -without leaving so much as a forwarding name and address!
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Nancy: I thieved for you when I was half his age and it's your dirty work I've been doing ever since.
Bill: Well if you have it's a living ain't it?
Fagin: Yes, a living is a living.
Nancy: Some living, Lord help me, some living!
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Bill Sikes: You're a fine one for the boy to make a friend of!
Nancy: Yes, I am, Lord help me! But tonight he's a liar, and a thief, and all that's bad! Ain't that enough for you without beating him to death?
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Nancy: Bill, you do love me, don't ya?
Bill Sikes: Of course I do; I live with ya, don't I?
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Fagin: We must have civil words, Bill. Civil words.
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Oliver Twist: Please sir, I want some more.
Mr. Bumble: [thinking he must not have heard right] What?
Oliver Twist: Please sir, I want some...
[pauses hesitatingly]
Oliver Twist: more?
Mr. Bumble: [surprised beyond belief] More?
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Boy: Fagin, this sausage is moldy!
Fagin: Shut up and drink your gin.
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Oliver Twist: [singing] Where is love?
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Nancy: [to Oliver] Charmed!
Dodger: Oh yes! We're all ladies and gentlemen around here. We're all quality.
Nancy: Now don't you take no notice of them, just because you got manners and they ain't!
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Mr. Jessop: Two other boys stole Mr. Brownlow's wallet. This child had nothing to do with it!
The Magistrate: [half-drunk] But sentence has been passed... hasn't it?
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Mr. Brownlow: [referring to Bill Sikes] Who is this man?
Nancy: No, I won't tell ya! Whatever else I do I won't turn on him. You wouldn't understand, but I've got to go back. I want to go back.
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Nancy: [singing] Who cares if straightlaces sneer at us in the street? Fine airs and fine graces don't have to sin to eat.
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Mr. Brownlow: Wait! Is the boy hurt, ill-treated? If so, I shall...
Nancy: [referring to Bill Sikes] I can't say no more, PLEASE! He'll kill me as it is if he finds out!
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Noah Claypole: Your mother was a regular, right-down bad 'un.
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Mr. Brownlow: In the eyes of the law, you are the more guilty of the two, for the law supposes that your wife acts under your direction.
Mr. Bumble: If that's what the law supposes, sir, then the law is a ass! If that be the eyes of the law, sir, then the law is a bachelor!
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Bill: Hand it over, you avaricious old skeleton.
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Fagin: [sings] I'm reviewing the situation / Can a fellow be a villain all his life? / All the trials and tribulations. / Better settle down and get myself a wife! / And a wife would cook and sew for me, / And come for me, and go for me, / And go for me, and nag at me, / The fingers, she would wag at me. / The money she would take from me. / A misery, she'll make from me... I think I'd better think it out again!
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Fagin: [sings] In this life, one thing counts / In the bank, large amounts / I'm afraid these don't grow on trees, / You've got to pick-a-pocket or two / You've got to pick-a-pocket or two, boys, / You've got to pick-a-pocket or two.
Boy: [sings] Large amounts don't grow on trees. / You've got to pick-a-pocket or two.
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Fagin: Careful Bill, please, no violence!
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Dodger: [sings] Once a villain, you're a villain to the end!
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Sowerberry: Well, having a rest Mr. Bumble?
Noah Claypole: He's sitting on Oliver.
Sowerberry: Quite right, we must all sit on Oliver.
Mrs. Sowerberry: Have you been drinking again?
Sowerberry: [wistfully] I met a friend in the cemetery...
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Fagin: [singing] A wife you can keep, anyway/ I'd rather sleep, anyway.
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Fagin: [Pointing to the blood stain] There's *blood*... on your coat, Bill!
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Bill: You can keep the books. Start a library!
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[last lines]
Fagin: [singing] Can somebody change? It's possible - maybe it's strange, but it's possible. All my dearest companions and treasures, I've left them behind/ I'll turn a leaf over/ and who can tell what I may find?
[he starts to walk towards London Bridge when Dodger appears behind a post-box]
Fagin: Yes? Young man? And do I have the honor of your acquaintance?
[Dodger shows him a wallet he has just stolen]
Fagin: Lined?
Dodger: Only the best. Lovely workmanship, ain't it?
[Fagin takes the wallet, looks inside and smiles]
Fagin: [sings] I'm reviewing/ the situation...
Dodger: Once the villain, you're a villain to THE END!
Fagin: Your light fingers.
Dodger: Your inspiration.
Fagin, Dodger: What a team!
Dodger: Am I your partner?
Fagin: More a friend. For your talents are employable/ so make your life enjoyable/ a world with pockets open wide/ awaits your whim to grope inside...
Dodger: Collections undetectable...
Fagin: We might retire respectable!
Dodger: Together till our dying day!
Fagin: The living proof that crime can pay!
Fagin, Dodger: I think we'll have to think it out again! Hey!
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Dodger: Consider yourself... at home / Consider yourself... one of the family / We've taken to you... so strong / It's clear... we're... going to get along! / Consider yourself... well in / Consider yourself... part of the furniture / There isn't a lot... to spare / Who cares? What... ever we've got we share! / If it should chance to be / We should see some harder days / Empty larder days... Why grouse? / Always a chance we'll meet somebody / To foot the bill / Then the drinks are on the house! / Consider yourself... our mate / We don't want to have... no fuss / For after some consideration we can state... Consider yourself - one of us!
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Fagin: [to Oliver] Delighted to see you looking so well my Dear! The Dodger will give you another suit for fear you will spoil that Sunday one!
Dodger: [Finding Oliver's money] Cor! Look at this!
Fagin: [to Oliver after taking the money] I'll bank it for ya.
Bill Sikes: What's that? That's mine Fagin!
Fagin: Oh no my Dear. Mine! Ours! You shall have the books.
Bill Sikes: You hand it over you old skeleton!
[Fagin reluctantly Bill the money]
Bill Sikes: . That's for our share of the trouble. You keep the books. Start a library.
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Bill Sikes: [realizing he's trapped] Nancy, I loved you didn't I? Look what you've done to me!
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Fagin: [Fagin and the boys are abandoning their hideout as the mob closes in. However, Bill Sikes is determined to escape at all costs using Oliver as a hostage] Bill! Why make things worse? Leave him!
Bill: [holding Oliver in front of him] It's me, they're after! But they won't go for me! Not with the boy close, they won't. So, you keep out of this.
Fagin: [to the boys] Out the back way, come on!
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Mrs. Sowerberry: He's gone mad, Mr. Bumble, or he wouldn't dare to speak to you like that.
Mr. Bumble: It's not madness, ma'am, it's meat.
Mrs. Sowerberry: Meat?
Mr. Bumble: Meat, ma'am, meat. You've overfed the boy, ma'am. It raised an artificial spirit in the lad unbecoming to his station in life. This would never have happened if you kept him on gruel.
Mrs. Sowerberry: Gruel?
Mr. Bumble: I'll be glad to give you the recipe.
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Fagin: If you go on the way you started, you will be the greatest man of all time. Sweet dreams, Oliver.
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Fagin: Carry cash, at this time of night? All those thieves and robbers lurking in dark alleyways? I wouldn't dare.
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Fagin: Nancy's waiting, give you a good supper.
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Nancy: When you've got someone to love, you forget your care and strife. Let the prudes look down on us, let the wide world frown on us, it's a fine, fine life!
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Nancy: Not for me the happy home, happy husband, happy wife. Though it sometimes touches me, for the likes of such as me, mine's a fine, fine life!
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Dodger: You promised we could go and see the hanging.
Fagin: Be sure it ain't your own.
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Nancy: Fagin, I'm waiting.
Fagin: Waiting, my dear? What for?
Nancy: Bill will give you what-for if you don't fork out. Now come on, hand over, start counting.
Oliver! Quotes
Extended Reading
