The Disney movie Oliver & Company, which was released on this day in 1988, tells the classic Charles Dickens tale of Oliver, the artful dodger, but with a twist. Departing from the typical timelessness of Disney’s animated features, Oliver & Company takes place in modern-day Manhattan, and in this telling, Oliver is a little kitten, voiced by Joey Lawrence, who would grow into teen idol status on the sitcom Blossom. The young feline befriends a streetwise dog named Dodger (Billy Joel) and a canine cast featuring some of Hollywood’s superstars, including Dom Deluise, Robert Loggia, Cheech Marin, and Bette Midler. The voice of the young human girl, Jenny, is provided by Natalie Gregory, who Disney fans may remember as Annie in Cranium Command at Epcot.
