A mother dies and her infant son is cared for by an unscrupulous man who sends him to a workhouse. Oliver Twist, now a young lad, excapes and runs away to London, where a band of thieves led by the crafty and incorrigible Fagin, whose specialty is taking young children and making pickpockets out of them, gets Oliver in his grip. A kindly and wealthy gentleman ends up taking Oliver home with him, but once again the band of thieves gets Oliver in their clutches. The drama revolves around Oliver Twist and whether he will end up with the scoundrels or whether he can be saved by the kindly old gentleman.