Innocent Sinners

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.

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

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).

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!

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!