The Fallen Sparrow (1943)

In 1940, a former prisoner is determined to find the killer of the New York Police Lt. who helped him escape from a Nazi torture camp in Spain.

Director:

Richard Wallace

Writers:

Warren Duff (screen play), Dorothy B. Hughes (novel)

Stars:

John Garfield, Maureen O'Hara, Walter Slezak

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited 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

Storyline

A former Spanish Civil War prisoner, John McKittrick arrives in New York to find the truth behind the death of his friend Louie Lepetino. He finds himself being chased by Nazi agents who want an item he has brought back from Spain and cannot give up. When another of his friends is murdered, McKittrick realizes that he cannot trust anyone around him - not anyone.

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Plot Keywords:

post traumatic stress disorder | police investigation | police detective | female sexual predator | femme fatale | 

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Genres:

Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German Italian

Release Date:

23 November 1943 (Mexico)

Also Known As:

Beijo da Traição

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on February 14, 1944 with Maureen O'Hara and Walter Slezak reprising their film roles.

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Goofs

The event sign for the dinner in the Tavern Room honoring Dr. Skaas misspells the word "Norwegian" as "Norweigan."

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Quotes

John 'Kit' McKittrick: [First Lines]
[Thinking, not speaking out loud]
John 'Kit' McKittrick: All right. Go on. Let's have it. Can you go through with it? Have you got the guts for it? Or have they knocked it out of you? Have they made you yellow?

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits: "...in a world at war many sparrows must fall ...

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Connections

Featured in The John Garfield Story (2003)

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Soundtracks

Nightclub Song
Sung by Martha O'Driscoll (dubbed by Martha Mears)

User Reviews

Garfield in a propaganda film

"The Fallen Sparrow" is a 1943 film starring John Garfield, Maureen O'Hara, Walter Slezak, and Patricia Morison. Directed by Richard Wallace, from the novel by Dorothy Hughes, the story concerns John McKitrick, a Spanish Civil War vet who escaped from a prison camp, where he was tortured. He's suffering from severe post-traumatic stress, but he has returned to New York to find out who killed his best friend. He has something he brought back with him from Spain, and Nazi agents are on his trail for it. McKittrick doesn't know whom he can trust, and that includes the beautiful Toni Donne (O'Hara), the mysterious wheelchair-bound refugee doctor (Walter Slezak), or even an old friend (Martha Driscoll).

Though Garfield is excellent as a former prisoner of war, and his performance is well worth seeing, the plot of "The Fallen Sparrow" is confusing; the film moves slowly and has very little action. The best thing about it is the cast - the stunning O'Hara, the glamorous Patricia Morison, and the sinister Slezak rounding it out.

Reminiscent of "The Maltese Falcon," but Warners didn't score big with this one. Nevertheless, anything John Garfield did during his short career is worth seeing.