Jack Wild - 'The Artful Dodger'

Jack Wild was an actor in England in the 1960s and 1970s. As a teen, he played the role of 'The Artful Dodger' in both the stage and screen versions of "Oliver!", the latter in 1968 in which he sung "Consider Yourself". He co-starred with Mark Lester, who played the title character.

In the early 1980s, I wrote to Mr. Wild, sending this photo to his residence in England. He signed and returned it within two weeks.

Mr. Wild made several other movies besides "Oliver!" and also starred in the tv series "H.R. Pufnstuf" as the character Jimmy. He also starred in the feature movie "Pufnstuf" in 1970.

In 2006, Jack Wild died at the too young age of 53. He was a victim of oral cancer, which he attributed to his use of alcohol and tobacco for many years.

Here is the lengthy musical number "Consider Yourself" from the 1968 movie "Oliver!".