''Innocent Sinners'' is a 1958 British black and white film directed by

Philip Leacock Philip David Charles Leacock (8 October 1917 – 14 July 1990) was an English television and film director and producer. His brother was documentary filmmaker Richard Leacock. Career Born in London, England, Leacock spent his childhood in the C ...

and starring

Flora Robson Dame Flora McKenzie Robson (28 March 19027 July 1984) was an English actress and star of the theatrical stage and cinema, particularly renowned for her performances in plays demanding dramatic and emotional intensity. Her range extended from q ...

. It was based on the 1955 novel '' An Episode of Sparrows'' by

Rumer Godden Margaret Rumer Godden (10 December 1907 – 8 November 1998) was an English author of more than 60 fiction and non-fiction books. Nine of her works have been made into films, most notably ''Black Narcissus'' in 1947 and '' The River'' in ...

Plot

Olivia Chesney is too sick to leave home, somewhere in

Battersea Battersea is a large district in south London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and extends along the south bank of the River Thames. It includes the Battersea Park. History Batter ...

in London, but waves out of her window to various neighbours. These include Lovejoy (June Archer) who is a neglected young girl in post-war London who finds solace in the secret garden which she creates on a bomb site. Her motivations are mixed: she buys grass seed using borrowed money, and steals a net from a baby's pram to use to protect the seed growing. She steals money from the candle box in the church in order to buy a garden fork. Lovejoy is being raised by the Vincents. Mr Vincent is a waiter in a posh restaurant and is very kind to Lovejoy. Her mother seems to have a dubious lifestyle when she visits Lovejoy, and she has "male callers" such as Col Baldcock who Lovejoy is asked to address as "uncle Francis". Mr Vincent asks her to leave. A gang of young boys destroy Lovejoy's garden. One boy (Tip) returns her garden fork to her and suggests a better site: a bombed out church. They become friends. He makes her pay "

penance Penance is any act or a set of actions done out of Repentance (theology), repentance for Christian views on sin, sins committed, as well as an alternate name for the Catholic Church, Catholic, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox s ...

" for stealing money from the church. Mr Vincent buys two special plates to serve dessert on, but his wife chastises him, as they have bills to pay. Meanwhile a couple are planning to restore the bombed church. A woman gives Lovejoy a shilling in the church and is impressed when she puts it straight into the candle box (as part of her penance). The couple go to Vincent's restaurant to eat. They give Lovejoy a ride in their car and give her a miniature rose to plant in her garden. Olivia tries to help. An old man gives Lovejoy some seedlings as it is too late to plant seeds. Her friend steals earth from the local park (much to the annoyance of the adults). On a rainy night Tip brings Sparkey to the park to steal earth. Lovejoy gets arrested with the boys. The police are aware that Lovejoy's mother is not around (she has actually gone to Canada and got married but doesn't want Lovejoy to follow). The Vincents get into serious financial trouble and have to give Lovejoy away to the home, but Lovejoy runs off.

Cast

*June Archer as Lovejoy Mason *Christopher Hey as Tip Malone *Brian Hammond as Sparkey *

as Olivia Chesney *

David Kossoff David Kossoff (24 November 1919 – 23 March 2005) was a British actor. In 1954 he won the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles for his appearance as Geza Szobek in '' The Young Lovers''. He played Alf Larkin in TV sit ...

as George Vincent *

Barbara Mullen Barbara Mullen (9 June 19149 March 1979) was an American born actress well known in the UK for playing the part of Janet McPherson, the housekeeper in ''Dr. Finlay's Casebook''. Although the role of Janet brought her fame in later years, she alre ...

as Mrs. Vincent *

Catherine Lacey Catherine Lacey (6 May 1904 – 23 September 1979) was an English actress of stage and screen. Stage Lacey made her stage debut, performing with Mrs Patrick Campbell, in ''The Thirteenth Chair'' at the West Pier Brighton on 13 April 1925. Her ...

as Angela Chesney * Susan Beaumont as Liz *

Lyndon Brook Lyndon Brook (10 April 1926 – 9 January 2004) was a British actor, on film and television. Family and early life Lyndon Brook was born on 10 April 1926 in Los Angeles, California, to British parents. He came from an established acting fami ...

as Charles * Edward Chapman as Manley * John Rae as Mr. Isbister *

Vanda Godsell Vanda Godsell (17 November 1922 – 2 April 1990) was an English actress. Hal Erickson writes in Allmovie, "Vanda Godsell specialised in playing disheveled housewives, busybody landladies and blowsy domestics." She appeared as Mrs Weaver in ...

as Bertha Mason - Lovejoy's Mother *

Hilda Fenemore Hilda Lilian Fenemore (22 April 1914 – 13 April 2004) was an English actress with a prolific career in film and television from the 1940s to the 1990s. Fenemore played mainly supporting roles which were characterised in her obituary in ''The ...

as Cassie *Pauline Delaney as Mrs. Malone *

Andrew Cruickshank Andrew John Maxton Cruickshank (25 December 1907 in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire29 April 1988 in London) was a Scottish actor, most famous for his portrayal of Dr Cameron in the long-running UK BBC television series ''Dr. Finlay's Casebook'', which ...

as Dr. Lynch-Cliffe *

Cyril Chamberlain Cyril Chamberlain (8 March 1909 – 5 December 1974) was an English film and television actor. He appeared in a number of the early ''Carry On'', ''Doctor'' and ''St. Trinian's'' films. Chamberlain was born on 8 March 1909 in London and died ...

as Colonel Francis Baldock (uncredited) *

Basil Dignam Basil Dignam (24 October 1905 – 31 January 1979) was an English character actor. Basil Dignam was born in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire. Before the acting, he tried many jobs, from a company clerk to a journalist. He acted on film and ...

as Mr. Dyson - Olivia's Solicitor (uncredited) *

William Squire William Squire (29 April 1917 – 3 May 1989) was a Welsh actor of stage, film and television. Squire was born in Neath, Glamorgan, the son of William Squire and his wife Martha (née Bridgeman). Career As a stage actor, Squire performed at S ...

as Father Lambert (uncredited) *

Marianne Stone Marianne Stone (23 August 1922 – 21 December 2009) was an English character actress. She performed in films from the early 1940s to the late 1980s, typically playing working class parts such as barmaids, secretaries and landladies. Stone appe ...

as Sparkey's Mother (uncredited) *

Toke Townley John Antony Townley (6 November 1912 – 27 September 1984), known professionally as Toke Townley, was an English actor. Biography Townley was born on 6 November 1912 at Great Dunmow, Essex; his father was a vicar. His first name, "John", was c ...

as Bates (uncredited)

References

External links

*
''Innocent Sinners''
at

BFI The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...

1958 films 1958 drama films British drama films British coming-of-age films British black-and-white films Films based on British novels Films about children Films directed by Philip Leacock 1950s English-language films 1950s British films {{1950s-UK-film-stub