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A mother, who cares more for backstage glitter and male acquaintances, dumps her daughter Lovejoy with poor relatives. This couple struggle to run a tiny, though elegant restaurant; supporting Lovejoy is a hardship. They don't even have a refrigerator.

The little girl is motivated, zingy and quite disarming. Adamant on obtaining her wishes, she sets up a garden in a bombed churchyard and secures seeds with wit. Her close friend is a quite, steady boy who gladly assists. Lovejoy finds sympathy in a delicate elderly lady who has a weak heart and a no-nonsense sister.

A few shocks enter the story as Lovejoy is sent to a home for unwanted children just as the old lady dies. Not knowing of her passing, Lovejoy arrives at the door of her house, requesting the maid to give the lady her rose bush as she is moving away. The grieving sister holds the plant and sees a new view of life. A change in the old lady's will imparts relief to Lovejoy's relatives who can now decorate the restaurant they visualized. Everything slots in with a warm-hearted, cheery ending. An embracing movie in the classic style.

I read the book "An Episode of Sparrows" in 1976 as part of an exam. I loved the book from go to woe even thought the whole way through the exam I referred to Tip Malone as Skip Malone (Lost a few marks there) nerves getting the better of me.

It never occurred to me that there might have been a movie made about this novel. I got up through the night a year or so ago and switched on the telly. It's prime time viewing for those who love the old B&W's. The movie which was just about to start was "Innocent Strangers". I didn't relate this title to the title of the novel. I was ecstatic when I realized what I was watching. It didn't disappoint at all.

This is a truly excellent British film from the 1950's and, although hard to locate, is well worth searching for. From the opening credits to the satisfying finale, the film is a joy and one of the very best feel-good movies you will ever see. The story of a young city girl wanting to bring some beauty into the grim post war inner-city environment is gentle, touching and charming in equal measure, but never slips into mawkishness. This is helped enormously by the consistently brilliant playing of the whole cast - there is not a dud performance amongst them. The only puzzling aspect is why the juvenile leads, especially June Archer, never had successful acting careers. This film is unreservedly recommended to all who appreciate first class movie making!

This is one of those British films of the 1950's that never made much of a stir, and you'd probably be lucky ever to see it now (I've only seen it once, on British TV, many years ago). But don't on any account miss seeing it if you ever get the chance: it's a truly enchanting little film, and it haunts me to this day.

The main character is a rather lonely little girl (something of a misfit, akin to the main character in The Member Of The Wedding), who has nothing to do and nothing remotely beautiful to look at in her slummy neighbourhood in post-war London, so she decides to make a garden for herself in a bombed-out church, using increasingly ingenious methods to get hold of the seeds and gardening tools.

Other characters - especially a couple struggling desperately to keep their business afloat (a tiny Italian restaurant with only about half a dozen tables in it) - help to make it one of the best 'feel-good movies' I've ever seen. The IMDB doesn't credit the actress who plays the main character with a single appearance in any other film, but it's a terrible shame: from what I can remember, she was a real 'natural', very like Hayley Mills in Tiger Bay (another unjustly neglected British film).

What a lovely movie. Filled with all the old values which made British Movies so special. I'm glad to say that Talking Pictures TV has included this gem in their schedules.

In 1958, at the age of eleven, I found myself scurrying to the Regal in Sidcup High Street three times in the same week to watch the same picture. No film had affected me in such a way before, and none has since.

The first day I saw it, I imagine that my mother had grown tired of me under her feet during a long school holiday, and probably gave me enough money for a ticket and choc-ice. When I reached the cinema, and saw the title 'Innocent Sinners', I thought the film must be something to do with religion, and began musing on what else I could do with the shilling and sixpence in my pocket. Indeed, if it had not been for a sudden downpour, I would almost certainly have sought other entertainment and never have seen the film which has been whirring away on the projector in my head ever since. How I wangled my two other completely secret visits that week, I have no idea, but I financed them from a private hoard of pennies I had been accumulating. The plain fact was that I empathised so much with Lovejoy Mason and felt so much part of her world that I could not wait to get back to it. I was holding my breath with her in the chapel when she was about to pilfer the candle money; I was down on my knees with her in the street scooping up the horse droppings....

Now, at the age of 54, I have just read Rumer Godden's wonderful 'An Episode of Sparrows' properly for the first time - a very belated attempt to discover why the film it inspired meant so much to me.

I can only think that the answer lies quite simply in the inspirational character of the irrepressible Lovejoy (played brilliantly by June Archer) and, in particular, the 'freedom' she won for herself. This young girl, against all odds, and through stubborn persistence and street-wise ingenuity, had created what was quite literally her own patch of freedom, her own escape from an often-wretched grown-up world. However, it was not only adults from whom she had to conceal her tiny retreat. It was a patch of potential beauty too, and therefore had to be kept secret from local gangs of marauding boys. In fact, for weeks no one knew or, in the case of her useless mother, cared, about her first little garden's existence. If true freedom is when no one else knows what you are doing, then for a while she certainly achieved this -and, defiantly, right under the noses of all.

And when that initial horticultural effort was discovered and so mindlessly destroyed, Lovejoy's indomitable spirit shone through as she set to work on a bigger, better sanctuary: one, it turned out, that was going to affect the lives of many people. If all this sounds just a bit too serious, it should be added that the film (and novel) was also at times very funny indeed.

Tony Rand, London, May 2001

Just viewed this flick on TCM and was hooked right from the git-go. It's a must see if you ever get the chance. It's a story about the trials a tribulations of a young lady in post war England. She totally totally captivates the viewer. Every review is a positive. You will love it. But whatever happened to the star June Archer?

London still bears the scars of a war that ended more than a decade before in this drama directed by Philip Leacock from a novel by Hammond Innes, and its slow healing process reflects the hope displayed by the oddly named Cockney tyke Lovejoy, who, against the odds, grows a modest garden in the shadow of a bombed-out church. The symbolism is perhaps laid on a little too thick, but the young leads - none of whom went on to have screen careers - provide engaging company.

I've been reading the other reviews of this film and I must admit they made me feel a bit ashamed and embarrassed. Particularly the one that praised the Adler music.

I was familiar with this story from Rummer Godden's book, "An Episode of Sparrows." Truly a wonderful novel illustrating the essence of being human no matter our circumstances. I've loved this book for years and have read it multiple times.

So I was very excited to see the film for the first time. I was certain this would be a classic for me to love as much as I loved the novel. But that was not to be.

I guess we're all different, with different tastes. But I shut if off within five minutes. For me the soundtrack music with it's bouncy tinkling and irritating whistling was like fingernails on a blackboard. It literally made me cringe. I'm going to give this another shot and every time the music starts I'll mute the sound.

This is a fantastic movie that I was lucky to get off of Turner Classic Movies. I will never delete it. The IMDb synopsis does not even begin to do it justice. This the story of intertwined lives in postwar London, of faith, redeemed lives, of resilience, and of decency centered around a cocksure, yet sensitive young teenager. It's a coming-of-age story with an amazing lead actress, June Archer, who is convincing in her innocence and her confidence. She was amazing. If you ever get a chance to see this movie on TCM or find a way to buy it, do so.

I was very young when I saw 'Innocent Sinners'. The story and harmonica music by Larry Adler captured an 11 year old. I sat mesmerised in the front row of the ABC cinema in Eltham High Street, south London. Up to then, I'd had to view (Saturday morning matinées were de rigeur) films from America that had nothing in common with my life or the life of any children I knew. This was my first film view which had raw music to underscore a story. Was this combination of music and film an early example of the art? The story was a British story with children who were post-war survivors of the Blitz. I grow a wild flower in my garden in honour of this film about gardening in the rubble. The flower is Rose Bay Willow Herb or 'Fireweed'. The seeds thrive when burnt. The survivors of the Blitx knew the flower only too well on the bomb sites of post-war London.

I had not seen this movie in over 50 years! It made such an impact on me that I never forgot it. It was shown on TCM on 4-18-13 and I started to cry as soon as the titles began. The actors were excellent - with memorable performances by Flora Robson and an ultimately sympathetic one by the usually mean spirited Catherine Lacey. The children were exceptional with Christopher Hey as Tip Malone my favorite. I enjoyed the Philip Green score too. I've been waiting for years for this title to be released in the U.S. on DVD. Hopefully it will happen! There was an hour long production of "An Episode of Sparrows" on American television in 1956 - an episode of Climax theater. Patty McCormack played Lovejoy Mason and Brandon DeWilde was Tip Malone. How I would love to see that!

A time gone by, when as children you made your own world and fun to escape. Your parents never knew what you were up to but knew you wouldn't somehow get into trouble. I loved this film. Wish I knew what the child actors did after, and looked like when they grew up. Would love to buy this film to keep.

Innocent Sinner (1958) Talking Pictures TV A marvellous gem of a film. The sort of film that TPTV finds from time to time. Young girl Lovejoy Mason (what a marvellous name Lovejoy is) played by unknown actress at the time and subsequently since June Archer. Lovejoy lives with the Vincent's, owners of a struggling small high street restaurant. Lovejoy's mother is a bit of a floosie who isnt on the scene and when she is, she focusses' on her own needs. Lovejoy dreams, dreams of a garden, something beautiful on her own in the shell shocked London of post war Britain.

Throw in a gang of boys whose turf is the local bomb site. Their leader Kip is sweet on Lovejoy and helps her rebuild her garden, after the gang had trashed it. Its a marvellous film and it comes highly recommended. If your a fan of kitchen sink dramas crossed with the innocence of a children's film this is film for you. 9/10.

Incidentally I watched this film on the Talking Pictures Red button catch up feature, following the completion of John Mill's The Rocking Horse Winner, another classic. Both films do share the loss of innocence in a less than flattering adult world.