Sparrows Can't Sing (1963)

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After 2 years at sea, Charlie comes home to find his house demolished, wife Maggie gone, living with married Bert and their toddler. Charlie leaves a trail of mayhem as he tries to sort things out.

Director:

Joan Littlewood

Writers:

Stephen Lewis, Joan Littlewood, Stephen Lewis

Stars:

Award:

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award.
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Charlie returns to the East End after two years at sea to find his house demolished and wife Maggie gone. Everyone else knows she is now shacked up with married bus driver Bert and a toddler, and they all watch with more than a little interest at the trail of mayhem Charlie leaves as he goes about sorting things out.

Barbara Windsor (I) in Sparrows Can't Sing (1963)

James Booth (I) and Barbara Windsor (I) in Sparrows Can't Sing (1963)

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6 photos | 1 video

Complete, Cast awaiting verification

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	James Booth	...	Charlie
	Barbara Windsor	...	Maggie
	Roy Kinnear	...	Fred
	Avis Bunnage	...	Bridgie
	Brian Murphy	...	Jack
	George Sewell	...	Bert
	Barbara Ferris	...	Nellie
	Griffith Davies	...	Chunky
	Murray Melvin	...	Georgie
	Arthur Mullard	...	Ted
	Peggy Ann Clifford	...	Ted's Wife
	Wally Patch	...	Watchman
	Bob Grant	...	Perce
	Stephen Lewis	...	Caretaker
	Victor Spinetti	...	Arnold
	Jenny Sontag	...	Momma
	May Scagnelli	...	Gran
	Fanny Carby	...	Lil
	Yootha Joyce	...	Yootha
	Janet Howse	...	Janet
	Queenie Watts	...	Queenie
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
	Bernard Barnsley	...	Pub Patron (uncredited)
	Sarah Booth	...	Christabel - Maggie's Baby (uncredited)
	Jim Brady	...	Pub Patron (uncredited)
	Bill Brandon	...	Pub Patron (uncredited)
	Maurice Bush	...	Flamingo Club Barman (uncredited)
	Ron Carr	...	Charlie's Friend (uncredited)
	Pat Connolly	...	Flamingo Club Patron (uncredited)
	Harry H. Corbett	...	Greengrocer (uncredited)
	Gerry Crampton	...	Pub Patron (uncredited)
	Eddie Eddon	...	Pub Patron (uncredited)
	Eve Eden	...	Stripper (uncredited)
	Glynn Edwards	...	Charlie's Friend from Ship (uncredited)
	Peter James Ellis	...	Street Urchin (uncredited)
	George Eugeniou	...	Man at Party (uncredited)
	Alan Gibbs	...	Man in Lift (uncredited)
	Fred Griffiths	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
	Paddy Joyce	...	Pub Barman (uncredited)
	John Junkin	...	Bridge Operator (uncredited)
	Marjie Lawrence	...	Girl (uncredited)
	Joan Littlewood	...	Customer at Greengrocer's Market Stall (uncredited)
	Michael Mackey	...	Boy on the Wall (uncredited)
	Edie Martin	...	Old Lady on Bench (uncredited)
	Manny Michael	...	Pub Patron (uncredited)
	Peter Perkins	...	Pub Patron (uncredited)
	Terence Plummer	...	Pub Patron (uncredited)
	Gerry Raffles	...	Driver of Car Transporter (uncredited)
	Bill Reed	...	Pub Patron (uncredited)
	Terry Richards	...	Janet's Boyfriend (uncredited)
	Pat Ryan	...	Passerby (uncredited)
	Bob Simmons	...	Pub Patron (uncredited)
	Del Watson	...	Pub Patron (uncredited)
	Slim Watts	...	Pub Barman (uncredited)
	Rita Webb	...	Neighbour in Tower Block (uncredited)

Directed by

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Joan Littlewood

Written by

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Stephen Lewis	...	(screenplay) and
Joan Littlewood	...	(screenplay)

Stephen Lewis	...	(based upon the stage play by)

Produced by

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Donald Taylor

...

producer

Music by

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James Stevens

Cinematography by

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Desmond Dickinson	...	(photographed by)
Mutz Greenbaum	...	(photographed by) (as Max Greene)

Editing by

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Oswald Hafenrichter

Art Direction by

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Bernard Sarron

Makeup Department

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Bill Lodge	...	makeup artist
Polly Young	...	hairdresser

Production Management

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Clifford Parkes

...

production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Peter Medak

...

assistant director

Sound Department

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Len Abbott	...	sound recordist
Stephen Cross	...	dubbing editor
Kevin Sutton	...	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department

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Peter Allwork	...	camera operator
Nigel Cousins	...	clapper loader (uncredited)
Bill Geddes	...	grip (uncredited)

Music Department

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Stanley Black

...

composer: background score / musical director / composer: incidental source music (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Barbara Rowland	...	continuity
Estelle Stewart	...	continuity

Additional Crew

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Daniel Farson

...

assistant to the director

Production Companies

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Carthage Films

Distributors

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Warner-Pathé Distributors (1963) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (as Warner Pathe Distributors Ltd) (releaed through)
Janus Films (1963) (United States) (theatrical)
Warner Home Video (1990) (United Kingdom) (VHS)

Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary	Charlie returns to the East End after two years at sea to find his house demolished and wife Maggie gone. Everyone else knows she is now shacked up with married bus driver Bert and a toddler, and they all watch with more than a little interest at the trail of mayhem Charlie leaves as he goes about sorting things out. Written by Jeremy Perkins {J-26} Plot Summary
Plot Keywords	husband-wife-relationship london-england east-end-london stripper pub See All (15) »
Taglines	Sailor, sailor, home from the sea - where little stranger can there one be ? See more »
Genres	Comedy Drama
Parents Guide	View content advisory »
Certification	Australia:A Finland:S Norway:7 (Netflix self-rating) United Kingdom:A United Kingdom:PG (video rating)

Additional Details

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Also Known As	Sparrers Can't Sing (United Kingdom) Hunajapupu älä karkaa (Finland) Sparvar kan inte sjunga (Sweden) A verebek nem énekelnek (Hungary) Vrapci ne znaju pevati (Yugoslavia, Serbian title) See more »
Runtime	94 min
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Color	Black and White
Aspect Ratio	1.66 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix	Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Filming Locations	Limehouse, London, England, UK See more »

Did You Know?

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Trivia	When Charlie (James Booth) sees Maggie's (Barbara Windsor) baby in the pram he says "Look at that expression, that is definitely my baby". He's telling the truth as it is his own daughter Sarah (Sarah Booth). See more »
Goofs	Barbara, pushing a baby in a pram is bare headed, she leaves the baby with friends and dashes off to see a boyfriend and now has a headscarf over her head. Correction - The headscarf isn't a goof. See when she leaves the flat, she takes the scarf with her and when she leaves the pram with her niece, she takes the headscarf with her - then she puts it on. See more »
Movie Connections	Featured in Flesh and Blood: The story of the Krays (1991). See more »
Soundtracks	Sparrows Can't Sing See more »
Crazy Credits	Closing credits epilogue: . . . . and so on See more »
Quotes	Nellie: 'Scuse me. I'm looking for some people by the name of Briggs. I just want to know their address. [caretaker points to a flat about half-way up the tower block] Caretaker: You see that flat up their with the Venetian blinds up? Well they're down. That's the one. If the blinds are up and the lights are out, they're out. When the blinds are down and the lights are on, they're in. Course if the blinds are down and the lights are out, they might be out. Chunky: Might just be a blind. See more »

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