Sparrows (1926)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

William Beaudine

Writers:

Winifred Dunn (story)
George Marion Jr. (titles)

Release Date:

1927 (Austria)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Molly, the eldest child at a baby farm hidden deep in a swamp, must rescue the others when their cruel master decides that one of them will be disposed of.

Plot Keywords:

Swamp | Rescue | South | Child | Police

Cast

Mary Pickford	...	Molly
Roy Stewart	...	Dennis Wayne
Mary Louise Miller	...	Doris Wayne (the baby)
Gustav von Seyffertitz	...	Mr. Grimes (as Gustave von Seyffertitz)
Charlotte Mineau	...	Mrs. Grimes
Spec O'Donnell	...	Ambrose Grimes (as 'Spec' O'Donnell)
Lloyd Whitlock	...	Joe Bailey, alias Stone
Billy Butts	...	One of the children
Monty O'Grady	...	Splutters
Jack Lavine	...	One of the children
Billy 'Red' Jones	...	One of the children (as Billy Jones)
Muriel McCormac	...	One of the children (as Muriel MacCormac)
Florence Rogan	...	One of the children
Mary McLain	...	One of the children (as Mary Frances McLean)
Sylvia Bernard	...	One of the children

Also Known As:

Human Sparrows (UK)
Scraps (USA) (original script title)

Runtime:

84 min | Canada:110 min (Ontario)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:S | Spain:T | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Samuel Goldwyn/Warner Hollywood Studios - 1041 N. Formosa Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Pickford Corporation

Trivia:

Although William Beaudine received critical acclaim both inside and outside the film industry for his direction of this film, star Mary Pickford felt that he was too cavalier about the safety of the actors, especially in a scene where she had to carry a baby across some water filled with alligators (Pickford wanted to use a doll, but Beaudine insisted on using a real baby), and even though the alligators' jaws were bound shut, Pickford swore that he would never work for her or her company as long as she lived. She was as good as her word, as Beaudine never worked for her or United Artists again.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Mary Pickford: A Life on Film (1997)

Soundtrack:

Shall We Gather at the River?

Classic Pickford

Sparrows (1926)

*** (out of 4)

An evil man, his wife and son are stealing orphans and taking them into the deep swampland where the children are treated as slaves. The latest kid they've kidnapped turns out to be the child of a rich man. Fearing the police, the family plans to kill the kids but the oldest orphan (Mary Pickford) plans a daring escape through the swamp. The villains of this film have to rank as some of the most hated in movie history. Pickford does a wonderful job in her role and director William Beaudine also adds several nice touches. The escape through the swamp is full of suspense as the children must face quicksand as well as alligators. The final act hurts the film but everything leading up to it is very well done. It's interesting to note that Pickford had Beaudine blacklisted in Hollywood because he forced her and the children to risk their lives by acting with real alligators. This here probably explains why a respected director ended up making "B" and "Z" films like Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla.