The Fallen Sparrow (1943)

Directed by Richard Wallace. Starring John Garfield, Maureen O’Hara, Walter Slezak, Patricia Morison, Bruce Edwards, John Miljan, Martha O’Driscoll, John Banner, Hugh Beaumont.

Indistinct and mostly ineffectual mystery-thriller follows ex-P.O.W. Garfield’s investigation into the murder of the man who helped facilitate his release, targeting the identity of the limping Nazi who oversaw his years of torture. Garfield is an unexceptional hero, whether brooding, romantic, or a man of action; O’Hara is misused as a suspicious love interest; and the various heavies (including the wheelchair-bound refugee played by Slezak) are on the stereotypical side. Director Richard Wallace’s suspense-building techniques aren’t faulty, per se, but they’re in service to a story too concerned with shielding its various mild secrets to inspire readymade audience investment. From a novel by Dorothy B. Hughes (of “In a Lonely Place” fame). Editing duties were handled by Robert Wise, his last such assignment before starting his film directing career.

48/100