- published: 11 Sep 2009
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Jack Wild (30 September 1952 – 1 March 2006) was a British actor who is best remembered for his performances in both stage and screen productions of the Lionel Bart musical Oliver! with Ron Moody, Mark Lester, Shani Wallis and Oliver Reed. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the age of 16 for the role of The Artful Dodger in Oliver! (1968), as well as nominations for a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award. He is also known for his leading role in the 1969 children's television series H.R. Pufnstuf (1969–71) and for his significant position in the 1976 HBO mini-series, The Tale of Charlie Niebanck.
Wild was born into a working class family in Royton, near Oldham, Manchester, to a labourer father and a mother who worked as a butcher. Wild moved to Hounslow, west London, with his parents in 1960. He was discovered whilst playing football by theatrical agent June Collins, the mother of one of Jack's team-mates, Phil Collins (who would go on to become a member of Genesis and a well-known solo vocal artist).
Ooooooh oooooh
Lawrence in the desert, how was he to know
Under so much pressure from the men back home?
Play with fire, you must be mad
Are you only Jack the Lad?
Play with guns, you must be bad
Or hiding something, Jack!
Telling lies in public, breaking codes at home
Underneath the blankets, for another roam
Tell this lies, you must be mad
Are you only Jack the Lad?
To feast with panthers every night
You must be careful, Jack!
Don't let them try to restrain you
This is your only religion
Don't let them try to detain you
You're not the only fool
We all fall, even Jack the Lad
We all fall, even Jack the Lad
We'll fall
Filthy in the desert
looking for a phone
Waiting on the pavement
for a call from home
Play with fire, you must be mad
Are you only Jack the Lad?
Turn your back on friends you had
They must have heard you, Jack!
Don't let them try to restrain you
This is your only religion
Don't let them try to detain you
You're not the only fool
We all fall, even Jack the Lad
We all fall, even Jack the Lad
Don't let them try to restrain you
This is your only religion
Don't let them try to detain you
You're not the only fool
We all fall, even Jack the Lad
We all fall, even Jack the Lad