The next morning, Kit is awoken by a shot; he finds Ab dead in the next room with a bullet through the head. Today our story is called “The Fallen Sparrow.” Before the break, Zoe had nursed a wounded sparrow back to health. 55. Maureen O'Hara, playing an elusive beauty who knows more then she's telling, matches her cool elegance with Garfield's electric intensity in this highly regarded psychological thriller. After arranging to stay in the apartment of another friend, Ab Parker, he begins to make the acquaintance of the various guests at the party in which Louie made his fatal plunge. Psychological spy thriller. are excellent. Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2016. I'm a big fan of Maureen O'Hara so this DVD was on my wish list for a very long time (too long). It is based on the novel of the same name by Dorothy B. Hughes. However, it turns out that Toni was the only witness to Louie's fall, raising Kit's suspicions. [1][2] It is based on the novel of the same name by Dorothy B. Hughes. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 21, 2016. The Fallen Sparrow is not an especially well-known or well remembered movie but it is of major interest to those who love black and white crime films from the 1940s. Upon returning to America, McKittrick hears that a friend has committed suicide, and he begins to smell a rat. What makes it really worthwhile (and keeps the whole thing afloat) is the well directed (by Richard Wallace) 'film noir' atmosphere that pervades the entire project. An example of assurance, In God we place explicit trust Topic(s) of this poem: poetry. But he is undeniably charismatic and Maureen O'Hara has a woman who is no better than she should be - he falls for her - looks gorgeous. Kit publicly gives Toni a medallion (from the battle standard) he has had mounted in a necklace, a declaration for all to see that he knows where the flag is. Pickup not available. Ex-Spanish Civil War POW Kit McKitrick (John Garfield) is investigating the death of his childhood pal. The door opens, and Skaas enters, free of his wheelchair and dragging one leg. [4], Film critic Dennis Schwartz gave the film a mostly positive review, writing, "Though the plot is dubious, the suspense mounts as Garfield goes after the heavies and finds himself enmeshed in a fight for survival with the ruthless Nazis. Also present were singer Whitney Parker, who is Ab's cousin, and her piano-playing accompanist Anton. Hitler vowed to get all those responsible and to hang the brigade's battle standard on his wall; Kit knows where the flag is hidden. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Walmart # 565741976. Meanwhile, Kit repeatedly hears, or imagines he hears, the man with the limp, showing that he may not be fully recovered from his ordeal. Garfield is grand as the intense war vet, who has been psychologically scarred by the war. He begins to suspect that the fascists who tortured him have followed him to New York but have they? Please try again. ENTER CITY, STATE OR ZIP CODE GO. Life, death, a sure hope of a resurrection. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 18, 2012. "[5], Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Fallen_Sparrow&oldid=1009701313, Films based on works by Dorothy B. Hughes, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 1 March 2021, at 22:11. Ex-Spanish Civil War POW Kit McKitrick (John Garfield) is investigating the death of his childhood pal. However, he managed to withhold the vital information sought by his captors, particularly their leader, a never-seen Nazi with a limp. The Fallen Sparrow (1943) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Born in Kansas City, she studied at Columbia University, and won an award from the Yale Series of Younger Poets for her first book, the poetry collection Dark Certainty (1931). Fallen Sparrow isn’t just about changing a life. Its plot concerns an American who returns home to find out who murdered his friend. Upon returning to America, McKittrick hears that a friend has committed suicide, and he begins to smell a rat. Handsome B&W cinematography courtesy of Nicholas Musuraca. 48 reviews of Fallen Sparrow Tattoo "I came here on vacation with some friends and I was completely thrown off by this place...The perception of tattoo shops are not always the greatest, but I was so surprised by the cleanliness, modern style shop and the artists...how amazing, friendly, funny and innovative they all are. In an era before visual flashbacks of the mind, Garfield's voice-over and facial expressions nail a psychiatric basket-case destroyed by torture at the hands of the German secret police during the Spainsh Civil War. VHS copies were rare and highly-priced, bootleg copies were hard to come by, and it was rarely shown on TV or in theaters. Talky, rather vague but exciting WWII espionage thriller with noir overtones. In the end, Kit insists she choose between him and the enemy; she agrees to help him get into Dr. Skaas's office during another party. The Fallen Sparrow is not an especially well-known or well remembered movie but it is of major interest to those who love black and white crime films from the 1940s. It's an awful shame that he died so young because he most certainly had many, many more great performances ahead of him. However, Kit knows that Ab was terrified of guns as a result of a childhood incident. A Spanish war prisoner (John Garfield) escapes and arrives in New York to find himself embroiled up to his neck in Nazi spies. The Fallen Sparrow (1943) TMDb Score. A surprisingly dull spy noir that not even the strong screen presence of John Garfield can do much to save. Let’s see, an Irishman (John “Kit” McKittrick) from New York volunteers to fight against the Nazis in Spain and lands in a prison camp. Loud & clear optical sound. Fallen Sparrow supports organizations that strengthen Cambodian children and families. The plot may be a little vague and pay off may not be that all that great but this is a fun, dark film to watch, if only for the performers. Poet's Notes about The Poem. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. As for the fallen sparrow Now lying in the dust? Original WWE Cartoon Jetsons / Flintstones Wrestlemania Smackdown DVD 2 Pack Robo-W... To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. This is one of the lesser entries in the Spanish Civil War films. Not Yet Rated 1 hr 34 min Aug 19th, 1943 Thriller. Add this poem to MyPoemList. Toni begs him to give up what she considers to be just a "dirty rag", but Kit is determined to foil the "little man" in Berlin. Skaas reveals that Kit has been drugged, that Otto killed Lepetino (who was investigating the Skaas for the federal government) and that he himself murdered Ab. This is a film noir which has not worn terribly well - it is set in the early years of the war and Garfield is a Spanish civil war veteran suffering from post traumatic stress who returns to New York convinced a friend has been murdered and sets about investigating the crime. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. U.S.-based Nazi (Walter Slezak) hounds tormented Spanish Civil War veteran (John Garfield). Well, maybe not his VERY best (as in The Postman Always Rings Twice) but, pretty darn good. However, Skaas has outwitted him, having prearranged for Toni to drug his own drink. 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. This one deepens the dark quite a bit. Since then, we have gone onto win numerous awards and international recognition. In a role originally offered to Jimmy Cagney, Garfield hit a magnificent major chord of acting. 366 likes. As he had before when drinking with the doctor, Kit switches his goblet with Skaas's, an "old Borgia custom". If the plot wasn't so vague, this could have been a lot better psychological thriller. After writing several unsuccessful manuscripts, she published The So Blue Marble in 1940. Or is it just his paranoia, the residue of his previous mental condition? As Kit careens from swank Manhattan soirees to covert Nazi spy nests, he discovers if he does have the guts to confront men who lie, torture and murder in the service of Germany's crazed Führer. 99. He manages to gain the upper hand. Before though, he has to drink a toast with Skaas. Later, when Kit returns to the apartment, he is attacked in the darkness. $11.99 $ 11. This is one of John Garfield's most unheralded films, in my opinion, mostly because it has been nearly impossible to see or obtain for many years. Synopsis Imprisoned during the Spanish Civil War, John “Kit” McKittrick is released when a New York City policeman pulls some strings. The story was a little far-fetched I thought. When Louie, a New York police lieutenant, dies under suspicious circumstances, Kit ends his convalescence in Arizona and returns to the city to investigate. There are murders, and a McGuffin (some priceless goblets) but the protagonist is a man who was imprisoned and tortured for two years by Spanish Fascists. A hidden classic, Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2008. The Fallen Sparrow By Robert K. McIntosh A father tells how he shares his love for the scriptures with his children. There is not much I can usefully add to the comments made by other reviewers except to warn that the constant musical background only exacerbates the tedium. Recently, it was made available through the Warner Vault series, and this is a really good thing for Garfield fans. However, before the drug can take full effect, Kit manages to shoot and kill the doctor, and summon the police. When he turns on the light, he discovers his assailant is Anton. Online reviewers have written 7 reviews, giving The Fallen Sparrow (1943) an average rating of 57%. The Fallen Sparrow (Richard Wallace, 1943) 7/10. "The Fallen Sparrow" has its medallion--as "The Maltese Falcon" had its falcon--as well as the iffiness of its heroine, Maureen O'Hara's Toni Donne (as "Falcon" featured the iffy Brigid [Mary Astor]). Nazi spies pursue an American, John "Kit" McKittrick, a Spanish Civil War veteran in possession of a priceless keepsake, who returns home to find out who murdered his friend. The Fallen Sparrow is more sophisticated than The So Blue Marble, though it is also an international spy story set in NYC. Now, he is of the opinion that "there's special providence in the fall of a sparrow," and therefore a guiding hand behind his own fall, whenever it comes, now or in the future. Fandango FANALERT® Sign up for a FANALERT® to find out when tickets are available in your area. But the brutality he endured at the hands of his fascist captors has left more then physical scars. Although Maureen is fabulous, it's Garfield that steals the show. The film earned a profit of $0.7 million,[3] on rentals of $1.5 million. "The Fallen Sparrow" is one of her early efforts and as such is only partially successful. It received an Oscar nomination for Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture. In it, Garfield plays an American who had fought with the Spanish against the Nazis, was captured and then tortured and brain-washed while being held. The film led the way to some fine Hollywood films noir and seen in that context is worth acquiring. While Kit is searching the office, he hears once again the man with a limp. O'Hara wasn't always sexy, but here she certainly is. He comes across several glamorous women, seemingly uninterested cops and a collection of European refugees, one of whom is studying torture as an academic subject. Again, Inspector Tobin insists it must have been suicide. The Fallen Sparrow was released in 1943 and has generally received mixed reviews. Firmly rooted within the mainstream of film noir - the hero is suffering from psychological trauma as a result of having been tortured and is on the verge of paranoia - The Fallen Sparrow uses high contrast images to tell its story of a man seeking an explanation for his friend's mysterious death. The plot - a tangle of personal revenge, hidden priceless art and wartime skulduggery - is straight out of Eric Ambler, the peerless British master of international intrigue. Qty: Free delivery on $35+ orders. The Fallen Sparrow John Garfield Maureen O'Hara Walter Slezak (1943) A U.S.-based Nazi (Walter Slezak) hounds a tormented Spanish Civil War veteran (John Garfield) about a captured Nazi battle flag. The supporting players (including a pre 'Kiss Me Kate' Patricia Morrison ...who knew?) Garfield plays a former prisoner of the Spanish Civil War who, after being hospitalized for a nervous breakdown, returns to New York to solve the murder of his best friend. The black and white print isn't the sharpest quality (even on DVD) but perfectly acceptable. THE FALLEN SPARROW. She is removed from the plane, and Kit takes her seat to fetch the flag. Before they arrive, Toni explains that she was forced to betray him because of her young daughter, held hostage. Unable to add item to List. It turns out that Kit's brigade killed a general who was very close to Adolf Hitler. The Fallen Sparrow Synopsis. Co-starring Walter Slezak, Patricia Morison, Martha O'Driscoll and Hugh Beaumont. The Fallen Sparrow is a 1943 American spy film starring John Garfield, Maureen O'Hara, Patricia Morison, and Walter Slezak. Its plot concerns an American who returns home to find out who murdered his friend. When Kit goes to the police to find out what they know, Inspector Tobin tells him it was an accident, but Kit knows better. Very under rated. It's a late show favorite, Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2017, This one of my favorite movies. The wartime gung ho patriotic stuff doesn't really work any longer, and the plot is convoluted and not very convincing - sinister Nazis led by Walter Slezak hamming like crazy -are looking for a Spanish relic Garfield apparently has somewhere. The Fallen Sparrow is a political intrigue thriller that's light on the thrills and heavy on good acting from John Garfield, a natural who seems to inhabit his characters rather than perform them. Dorothy Hughes' best selling suspense novel translated into one of the best early film noir movies made. 99 $11.99 $ 11. Dorothy B. Hughes (1904–1993) was a mystery author and literary critic. Unrated. Rating Card. Maureen O'Hara looks beautiful but she has nothing to do (though there's a pay off at the end). The Fallen Sparrow Foundation, Atlanta, Georgia. Very good condition AGFA GEVAERT original with just an occasional splice. This one of my favorite movies. Kit is shaken when Dr. Skaas discusses the superiority of modern methods of torture over those of the past; it jibes too closely with what he endured. The Fallen Sparrow, DVD, Full Frame, Black & White, Manufactured on Demand, Mono Sound, Suspense-Film Noir, 883316165294 364 likes. Was $26.99 $ 26. It's always good to see John Garfield, the beautiful Maureen O'Hara and, of course, Walter Slezak revel in the nasty goings-on, involving some slick under cover Nazis. It is based on the novel of the same name by Dorothy B. Hughes. Although it suffers from a muddled script, The Fallen Sparrow emerges as a more than decent little spy thriller mixed with film noir.That Sparrow ultimately triumphs over its often-vague screenplay is a testament to the towering central performance of John Garfield. Among them are noted Norwegian historian and wheelchair-using refugee Dr. Christian Skaas, his nephew Otto, Kit's old flame Barby Taviton, who hosted the ill-fated party, and Toni Donne. A glossy RKO 1943 film with all the noir, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 7, 2015, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 2, 2011. 1943 94 min TVPG Drama, Mystery/Crime Feature Film Imprisoned during the Spanish Civil War, John "Kit" McKittrick (John Garfield) is released when a New York City policeman pulls some strings. The Fallen Sparrow Foundation, Atlanta, Georgia. John Garfield, Maureen O'Hara, Walter Slezak, Patricia Morison, Previous page of related Sponsored Products, Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2019. 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