A superstar of her era, Mary Pickford was a great actress and a great comic. She won an Oscar for her talkie debut in Coquette, but Pickford is better remembered for a string of silent films in the teens and 20s that showed off her amazing abilities and personality. And Sparrows is one of the best. Pickford plays a young girl trapped on a "baby farm" in the middle of a swamp somewhere in the Deep South. The role allows her to be funny, poignant, and plucky---all the things audiences wanted to see in a Pickford picture. Pickford is also a great physical comic in the tradition of Chaplin, Lloyd, and Keaton. Sparrows is funny but also builds dramatic tension as Mary leads the band of orphans thru the swamp to escape the evil owner. The wonderful piano score by William Perry is also an asset. Good film; great star.
Review of Sparrows
