Innocent Sinners

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!

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).

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 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.

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!