• Jack Wild (aged 15) had to wear special shoes in order to look taller than nine-year-old Mark Lester.

 

• Mark Lester was chosen out of 2000 boys interviewed for the part.

 

• Rex Harrison, Danny Kaye, Peter O'Toole, Laurence Olivier, Laurence Harvey, Peter Sellers and Richard Burton were all mentioned for the part of Fagin.

 

• For the part of Nancy Shirley Bassey, Elizabeth Taylor and Julie Andrews were discussed...

 

• ...and rumour said that either Peter O'Toole (again), Sean Connery or Richard Burton were to play Bill Sikes.

 

• Mark Lester's singing voice was dubbed by another boy. Or was it by Kathy Green, daughter of musical supervisor John Green (like it says on the DVD)? Or did he do his own singing (as it says on the CD-rom Cinemania)? More alternatives, anyone?

 

• The budget was $10 million

 

• The filming started June 23 1967 and ended January 12 1968.

 

Beware! Offensive word ahead!

 

• Nancy's 'Bill, you do love me, don't you?' wasn't in the original script. It was Oliver Reed who, when he was walking through a not very nice neighbourhood, had overheard a rather drunk woman ask her boyfriend the same question and he suggested they'd add it to the script. Only the original reply (and what Oliver Reed wanted to say) was 'I fucks you, don't I?'. Director Carol Reed wouldn't let him (wonder why...), and the line was changed to the more G-rated 'I live with you, don't I?'.