Released just a year before The Little Mermaid came out and kicked off the Disney Renaissance, Oliver & Company (loosely based on Charles Dickens’ classic novel Oliver Twist) followed a homeless kitten in New York City who joins a gang of dogs in order to survive on the streets. Along with Billy Joel voicing street-smart mongrel Dodger, the voice cast included Joey Lawrence, Cheech Marin, Richard Mulligan, Roscoe Lee Browne, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Dom DeLuise and Bette Midler, among others. While Oliver & Company was a commercial success, it received mixed critical reception at the time.
