The Fallen Sparrow (1943)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Richard Wallace

Writers:

Dorothy B. Hughes (novel)
Warren Duff (screenplay)

Genre:

Film-Noir | Thriller

Plot:

A former Spanish Civil War prisoner, John McKittrick arrives in New York to find the truth behind the death of his friend Louie Lepetino...

Plot Keywords:

Nazi | Spanish Civil War | Prisoner Of War | Party | Impersonation

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

John Garfield	...	John 'Kit' McKittrick
Maureen O'Hara	...	Toni Donne
Walter Slezak	...	Dr. Christian Skaas
Patricia Morison	...	Barby Taviton
Martha O'Driscoll	...	Whitney 'The Imp' Parker
Bruce Edwards	...	Ab Parker
John Banner	...	Anton
John Miljan	...	Inspector 'Toby' Tobin
Hugh Beaumont	...	Otto Skaas

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #9726) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Sweden:(Banned) (1944)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Many cast members in studio records/casting call lists did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie. These were (with their character names): Russell Wade (Ab Hamilton), Russ Powell (Priest), 'James Farley' (Bartender), Charles Lung (Carlo), Martin Faust (Chef at Carlo's Cafe), Lillian West (Receptionist), Miles Mander (Dr. Gudmundson) and Edith Evanson (Nurse). A modern source lists Russell Wade as a "Flower Seller", but there were no flower sellers in the film.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Exhumed (2003) (V)

Just another detective story

Unfortunately, this movie dissolves in a simple detective story with nazi spies as the villains. Most of the acting seems stiff and unnatural. Few of the characters can be as morally good or as evil as they are portrayed. The Spanish Civil War angle is interesting, and the relation of Hitler's Germany to Franco's Spain provides some historical base for the plot. There are disjointed scenes, such as those with a murdered friend's mother pleading for justice and the gypsy dance segment, which are only weakly related to the ideas of dangerous spies in a world about to enter World War Two. There also seems to be a chronic problem with 1943 movies about events of 1940 or earlier in that what transpired in the intervening years tends to mangle both time and history. In the final analysis, this movie asks the question "who done it?" Alas, who cares?

If you enjoy Maureen O'Hara you may find this movie more palatable, especially because her later screen personality can be detected here to some degree. The movie is worth a look just to view her performance.