Sparrows (United Artists) (1926)

Mary Pickford in “Sparrows” WHO’S WHO MARY PICKFORD—The incomparable, in the most dra¬ matic child role of her career. A great story of adversity, spiced with laughter and tears. ROY STEWART—An old favorite of the films, in a sympathetic role that marks him as a finished actor/ GUSTAV VON SEYFFERTITZ—The sort of a villain that makes em hiss. A marvelous characterization as Grimes, the baby-farm keeper. CHARLOTTE MINEAU—Makes of Mrs. Grimes a vivid character no one will forget. “SPEC” O’DONNELL — Remember “Abie” of “Little Annie Rooney”? This is the same “Spec,” but in an entirely different character. MARY LOUISE MILLER—The sweetest baby in pictures, and an artist to her twenty-months-old finger tips. MONTY O’GRADY—A boy find who will be heard from in films. BABY MURIEL McCORMAC—You know this sweet tot of the screen. BILLY BUTTS—One of the cleverest youngsters in pictures. THE STAFF . WILLIAM BEAUDINE—Who directed “Little Annie Rooney” and Penrod. Has scored another big success in “Sparrows.” E. deB. NEWMAN—General manager of the Pickford Company who was in charge of the production. HARRY OLIVER—Whose technical work in this picture stamps him as the best in the business. TOM McNAMARA—Who assisted in the direction and wrote the titles. CHARLES ROSHER—His photography is marvelous. WINIFRED DUNN—Famous scenario editor, who wrote the story. C. GARDNER SULLIVAN—Who wrote the adaptation. Adventure ! Suspense! Thrills ! Laughter!—and MARY PICKFORD! Here, in what is called Miss Pickford’s greatest picture, is a winning combination for theatres everywhere. With her keen sense of showmanship Mary Pickford has made a worthy suc¬ cessor to Little Annie Rooney”, and a picture whose merits should score surpassing response at the box office. “Sparrows” combines marvelous situations, a capable cast, beautiful photography, and a star who makes them laugh one minute and cry the next. Here is a story with one punch following another, one climax treading on the heels of the one before, and an unexpected turn of events with every reel. It’s a picture for everyone, old and young, and a picture for every show house, big and little. Nine little children are on a baby farm, mistreated by their keepers and mothered and protected by a girl of twelve they know as “Mama Mollie.” Then things begin to happen. They happen with startling results. There is never a dull moment from start to finish. You have suspense and thrills. There is color and adventure. There is an atmosphere, besides, that is a novelty on the screen. There is high production value. And underneath all, an appeal that lingers in your memory—that makes “Spar¬ rows” a picture one can’t forget and will want to see again and again. The title, Sparrows , is derived from those passages in the gospel of Luke to the effect that even the lowly, inconsequential sparrow is in the eye of God; and not less so are the gamins under the wing of “Mama Mollie” in the picture. Mingled with the more dramatic sequences and the sharply con¬ trasted comic reliefs of the youngsters, is a deeper note gained by careful direction and by the tense suspense that runs the entire length of this highly dramatic story. Sparrows”—full of the drollery that children love— is nevertheless a “grown up’s” entertainment. Because the compassion it expresses for unfortunate children is of that profound type which adults feel more understandingly than children themselves. Here is a picture for children and grown¬ ups both, treated with that wide range of genius for which Mary Pickford is famous, and really the most exquisite product of the star’s career. Mary Pickford, the world’s most famous woman, in the most sincere and interest compelling picture of her career in the in¬ dustry, emphasizes her return to the juvenile roles which are hailed with delight everywhere. In “Sparrows” she is Mary Pick¬ ford at her best. This combination spells profits at the box office, and satisfied patrons for your theatre. “Sparrows” is a great picture for the exhibitor!