In Europe, this film grossed more than five times the amount that it grossed in the U.S., bringing its take to about US$40 million, though it remained a box office flop.
Most of the sets designed were inspired by the work of the famous illustrator Gustave Doré (although Doré never did actually illustrate any of Charles Dickens' novels).
Director Roman Polanski's children have parts in the film. Morgane Polanski plays the farmer's daughter and Elvis Polanski plays the boy with the hoop.
When Oliver first meets Nancy, two women and the Artful Dodger play a card game. Dodger asks Nancy to cut the deck in half, and she splits the card into two piles. When Dodger returns them into two piles, he puts the half that was originally on top, on top again. He might have been cheating, but this could also be an error in the film.
When Oliver runs away from Mr. Sowerberry's house to London, his shoes keep changing between shots. He is shown wearing shoes both with and without laces. When he sits and has his meal under the cart in the rain, his shoes do not have laces. Immediately after that, the shoes have laces.