TWITTER OF SPARROWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21136, 19 March 1932, Page 3 (Supplement)

TWITTER OF SPARROWS.

.WHEN BIRDS FAIL MAN.

STORY OF THE " TALKIES." FILM PRODUCER'S TRIALS. Recalling the early days of the "talkies," someone has told a curious story, which has been retold by the Hungary correspondent of the Children's Newspaper. The great field of Tempelhof, on the outskirts of Berlin, had long been the home of one of Germany's largest film factories. It also harboured a great aerodrome and was, until recently, the playground from which Berlin urchins loved to fly their kites. All these various activities produced sounds which greatly disturbed the film producers. Gradually the lesson was learned how to guard against all these undesirable noises, but one noise would intrude at the most inopportune! moments —the twitter of sparrows. Nets and shot-guns decimated their numbers and frightened away the survivors until Tempelhof knew them no more. And then an unexpected turn of events changed everything. The manager accepted for production a play in which the twitter of sparrows was to be a special feature. He thought nothing would be easier than to get the sparrows to come back to Templehof by scattering grain in the yard and on the flat roof; and this was done. For twice 24 hours actors, actresses, manager, and operator wailed with bated breath; but not one sparrow, nor indeed any other bird, would so much as approach the place. Actors fumed, actresses wept, the manager tore his hair, while the operator smoker! his pipe and twiddled his thumbs. For a while it Beemed as though the whole production would have to be abandoned for want of a few sparrows. Then someone had a saving thought: a cageful of sparrows was bought at a bird-fancier's, transported by car to Tempelhof, and ;;et loose near the scattered grain. But, incredible as it seems, some sixth sense seemed to tell the birds how many of their brethren had been killed on that spot, for not one of them would either eat or chirp. In the end the manager had to apply to a clever imitator. This man was seriously offended at first at being asked to reproduce so common a sound as the twitter of sparrows when his speciality was the roaring of lions; but an exceptionally large fee appeased him, and at last the production could go on. ' Thus did the sparrows teach a harassed film producer that people must sometimes pay a great price for what they spurned before.