4. Oliver Twist
The orphan's orphan and probably the image you conjure in your head when you think the word 'orphan'. Taken from the the book Oliver Twist, sometimes called 'The Parish Boy's Progress', by Charles Dickens the story of Oliver has appeared on film 10 times in all with 1948 effort probably still being the most famous. Background Poor Oliver's mother dies in child birth and his father is absent from the get go and this being the 1830s Oliver is left to a pretty rough upbringing in a baby farm and a workhouse before getting into a spot of bother with some pick-pockets. Importance of being orphaned In terms of establishing sympathy, pretty huge. Oliver is forced into a brutal life of poverty due to his mother's death and father's abandonment and this continues to haunt him as he flies into a rage when another boy insults the memory of his mother. Whereas he might not be our top famous film orphan, in terms creating the stereotypical image for an orphan it could be argued that Oliver has no equal, with his street urchin appearance and 'please sir, I want some more'. Companions Although there are characters who are kindly to young Oliver he doesn't have any companion figure who's with him through thick and thin per-se.