Tripti Joshi (Editor)

Sparrows Cant Sing

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
6.8
/
10
1
Votes
Alchetron
6.8
1 Ratings
100
90
80
70
61
50
40
30
20
10
Rate This

Rate This

Director
  
Joan Littlewood

Screenplay
  
Stephen Lewis

Duration
  

Language
  
English

6.6/10
IMDb

Genre
  
Comedy, Drama

Music director
  
Stanley Black

Country
  
United Kingdom

Sparrows Cant Sing movie poster

Release date
  
26 March 1963 (1963-03-26)

Writer
  
Stephen Lewis (play), Stephen Lewis (screenplay), Joan Littlewood

Cast
  
James Booth
(Charlie Gooding),
Barbara Windsor
(Maggie Gooding),
Roy Kinnear
(Fred Gooding),
Avis Bunnage
(Bridgie Gooding),
Brian Murphy
(Jack),
George Sewell
(Bert)

Similar movies
  
Murray Melvin appears in Sparrows Cant Sing and A Taste of Honey, Meantime (1984), Billy Liar (1963), Artemis 81 (1981), The White Bus (1967)

Barbara windsor sparrows can t sing on mother kelly s doorstep 1963


Sparrows Can't Sing is a 1963 British film. Based on a 1960 play, Sparrers Can't Sing, it was directed by Joan Littlewood and was from a story by Stephen Lewis. The producer was Donald Taylor and the original music by James Stevens, incidental music was composed by Stanley Black. The play, also by Stephen Lewis, was first performed at Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop in the Theatre Royal Stratford East.

Contents

Sparrows Cant Sing movie scenes

Barbara windsor sparrows can t sing 1963 45rpm


Play

Sparrows Cant Sing movie scenes

The play was first performed at Theatre Royal Stratford East in 1960, using cast from the Theatre Workshop, who later appeared in the film. While the script is by Stephen Lewis, the play was developed using improvisational theatre techniques during performance. In common with much of Joan Littlewood's direction, it was an ensemble piece.

Sparrows Can't Sing httpsimagesnasslimagesamazoncomimagesI5

The production made a successful transfer to the West End at Wyndham's Theatre in 1961.

Film

The film was made on location, in Limehouse, Isle of Dogs, Stepney and around the theatre in Stratford. Sets were occasionally visited by nearby Vallance Road residents The Krays, who also made a cameo appearance towards the end of the film.

Sparrows Can't Sing is a comedy attempting to provide a representation of Cockney life in the East End of London in the early 1960s. A collection of typical characters such as people at the local pub, local tarts, Jewish tradesmen, spivs and others are portrayed, (and possibly larger than life).

The dialogue is a mixture of Cockney rhyming slang, London Yiddish, and thieves' cant. The New York Times, in its review said "this isn't a picture for anyone with a logical mind or an ear for language. The gabble of cockney spoken here is as incomprehensible as the reasoning of those who speak it." It was also the first English language film to be released in the United States with subtitles.

Plot

Cockney sailor Charlie comes home from a long voyage to find his house razed and his wife Maggie missing. Actually, she's now living with bus driver Bert and has a new baby--whose parentage is in doubt. Charlie's friends won't tell him where Maggie is because he's well known to have a foul temper. But he finally finds her and, after a fierce row with Bert, they are reconciled.

Cast

  • James Booth as Charlie Gooding
  • Barbara Windsor as Maggie Gooding
  • Roy Kinnear as Fred Gooding
  • Avis Bunnage as Bridgie Gooding
  • Barbara Ferris as Nellie Gooding
  • Brian Murphy as Jack
  • George Sewell as Bert
  • Griffith Davies as Chunky
  • Murray Melvin as Georgie
  • Arthur Mullard as Ted
  • Peggy Ann Clifford as Ted's Wife
  • Wally Patch as Watchman
  • Bob Grant as Perce
  • Stephen Lewis as Caretaker
  • Victor Spinetti as Arnold
  • Jenny Sontag as Momma
  • May Scagnelli as Gran
  • Fanny Carby as Lil
  • Yootha Joyce as Barmaid
  • Janet Howse as Janet
  • Queenie Watts as Queenie
  • Harry H. Corbett as Greengrocer
  • Marjie Lawrence as Girl
  • Glynn Edwards as Charlie's Friend
  • Gerry Raffles as Lorry Driver
  • Award

    Barbara Windsor was nominated for the award for Best Actress in a Leading Role by the British Academy Film Awards in 1963, for her performance as Maggie.

    Home mmedia

    A region B Blu-ray was released on October 12, 2015.

    References

    Sparrows Can't Sing Wikipedia
    Sparrows Cant Sing IMDb Sparrows Cant Sing themoviedb.org