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With Sparrows, Mary Pickford once again gave her audience what they wanted by playing "the hoyden, the protector, the fighter." Mary stars as the oldest of a dozen children held hostage at what was then called a "baby farm" where children of unwed mothers or deserted wives were deposited and then sold illegally to adoptive parents or as slave labor. By creating an empathetic melodrama that pulled on the heart strings, Pickford helped put a spotlight on this evil and increased public awareness and outrage. Directed by William Beaudine, with a stunning set created by Harry Oliver and filmed by three world class cinematographers, Charles Rosher, Karl Struss and Hal Mohr, Sparrows is a beautifully stylized epic, completed just as the industry neared the end of the silent era. Mary's acting is not only superior, but this is her least glamorous role ever; she had to be a very confident actress to play such a character.

The Library of Congress reconstructed Sparrows from the highest quality film elements, a 35MM nitrate print and a 35MM safety dupe negative. The Mary Pickford Foundation scanned the preservation elements in 4K and worked closely Roundabout Entertainment, Inc. to complete all digital work. The Foundation then commissioned an original orchestral score by Cameron and Taylor Graves which was produced and recorded at the Savannah Studios in Los Angeles.

Media

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Sales Points

• 'Sparrows' was Pickford's next-to-last silent role.
• 2003: AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains: 'Molly' – Nominated Hero
• 'Sparrows', which was originally titled Scraps, starred and was produced by Mary Pickford, who was the most powerful woman in Hollywood at the time.
• 2006: AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers – Nominated

Press Quotes

Miss Pickford's performance is as flawless as ever.

     —The New York Times

The choice of 'Sparrows' was a singular one for Mary Pickford to make, but no one can deny that she has done the picture surpassingly well.

     —Picture Play, 1927

Her most fully realized & timeless work of art... superb performances, gothic production design & cinematography all serve a suspenseful, emotionally compelling story anchored by a central performance by Pickford herself imbued with pathos, humor & charm.

     —Jeffrey Vance, Film Historian

There is abundant damage, including a lot of nicks, scratches, emulsion bubbles, warping and stretching and the typical bugaboos one sees in older silent films, but there is also really appealing general detail on display throughout, especially in some of the close-ups in the non-tinted material.

     —Blu-ray.com

The digital transfer is solid, reconstructed from 35mm prints by the Library of Congress and was restored by the Mary Pickford Foundation.

     —Bob Bloom, Reel Bob

The digital transfer is solid, reconstructed from 35mm prints by the Library of Congress and was restored by the Mary Pickford Foundation.

     —Bob Bloom, The Film Yap

In closing, Sparrows is a surprisingly elegant little thriller, and the last half-hour sizzles with excitement.

     —Exclusive Magazine

Completed just as the industry neared the end of the silent era, Mary’s acting is not only superior, but this is her least glamorous role ever.

     —Bob Morello, Video Views

With still startling visual effects sequences and striking set pieces, an archetypical supervillain played with gusto by Gustav von Seyffertitz and the wholesomeness of Mary Pickford’s otherwise physically demanding performance, Sparrows is a bona fide silent movie masterpiece that has never looked more beautiful and points to Pickford as one of the silent era’s toughest heroines to grace the silver screen.

     —Andrew Kotwicki, Spoiler Free Movie Sleuth