Stills for the movie Sparrows Can't Sing

I can help you with a couple of your stills – I was born and grew up in the east end, and my grandmother May Scagnelli played the role of Gran in this movie. She is the woman behind the vegetable stall next to Harry H. Corbett in your still #14.



........................Splendid

She owned a café in Angel Lane, Stratford and fed a lot of these actors when they were with Joan Littlewood at the Theatre Royal in Stratford. I am sure that still #48 is Wentworth Street in Aldgate (nr Petticoat Lane).



.................nest time I go for a salt beef sandwich, that you probably call pastrami now I'll take a look.

Still #19 looks like the Salway Arms in Salway Road, Stratford.



..............that at least is a good clue. My brother and I drove around the area for a couple of hours, asked dozens of people and found nothing at all. We'll go back next time I'm in London and look again.

I can probably find out where the swing bridge is – I know that some of the movie was filmed in the Iron Bridge Tavern in Limehouse, and there is a part in it where Queenie Watts is singing in the pub.

............someone last week identified the bridge, his letter should soon be up on the blog.

You might be interested to know that I went to the premier of the film at the Mile End Odeon – I was just a little girl, but I remember that Princess Alexandra came to opening.

..........such memories, I often went to the same cinema when I was reviewing films for my magazine Miniature Warfare, but some 30 years ago.

By the way, I think that your still of Kossofs may be the one in Petticoat Lane. There is still a Kossofs in Petticat Lane, but not the one in the picture. I walked past there in February of 2005.

............thanks for this as well.

I live in the USA, but can check on the other locations if you are interested.

...............yes please, the more the merrier