Little Fugitive
Encyclopedia
Little Fugitive is a 1953
film written and directed by Raymond Abrashkin
(as "Ray Ashley"), Morris Engel
and Ruth Orkin
, that tells the story of a child alone at Coney Island
.
It stars Richie Andrusco in the title role, and Richard Brewster as his brother Lennie.
Little Fugitive influenced the French New Wave
and is considered by modern day critics to be a landmark film because of its naturalistic style and groundbreaking use of nonprofessional actors in lead roles. It was nominated for an Academy Award
for Best Writing, Motion Picture Story.
In 1997, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry
by the Library of Congress
as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
It was the first and best known of Engel's three feature films. It was followed by Lovers and Lollipops
in 1956 and Weddings and Babies
, which was filmed in 1957 and released in 1960. All three films were similar stylistically, and were filmed with hand-held 35 mm. cameras. The cameras used in the first two movies did not record sound, and dialogue was dubbed subsequent to filming. Weddings and Babies was the first fiction feature filmed with a portable camera that allowed synchronized sound.
Joey Norton, seven years old, lives with his older brother Lennie in a lower middle class neighborhood of Brooklyn. Joey is too small to be taken seriously by Lennie and Lennie's friends.
One day, while their mother is away visiting her sick mother, Lennie and his friends play a joke on Joey. They stage an incident so that Joey thinks he has shot and killed his brother.
Joey, who is told the police will catch and imprison him, runs to the nearest elevated train station and flees to Coney Island
. He seems to forget his predicament and spends the day wandering around the arcades, pony rides, beach—a little boy's paradise. He gets money for snacks by cashing in deposit bottles, and spends the night sleeping under the boardwalk. Meanwhile, Lennie is frantically trying to find him, as their mother is due home soon.
Joey loves horses, and he begins hanging around a pony ride. The proprietor of the ride becomes suspicious that Joey is a runaway, and tricks Joey into giving him his address. He calls home and alerts Lennie, who comes to Coney Island and finds his brother.
Their mother comes home just after the two brothers arrive home. She is unaware of what happened, and says they will have a treat that weekend: a trip to Coney Island!
(who later played Mr. Hooper on Sesame Street
) made a cameo appearance as a Coney Island photographer.
and Brooklyn
, United States. Using a concealed strap-on camera, Engel managed to have thousands of beach-going New Yorkers as extras without their knowing it.
.
François Truffaut
was inspired by Little Fugitives spontaneous production style when he created The 400 Blows
(1959), saying long afterwards: “Our New Wave would never have come into being if it hadn’t been for the young American Morris Engel, who showed us the way to independent production with [this] fine movie.”
Modern critics have also praised the film. Critic Dennis Schwartz wrote, "A remarkable indy classic, made on a shoestring budget by a group of still photographers. It's an affecting lyrical comedy-drama that fully captures the flavor of urban childhood innocence of the 1950s. It's written/directed by the team of Morris Engel and Ray Ashley and Ruth Orkin...The dialogue was sparse, the story was unambitious, the film lacked drama, the children were very ordinary and their problem was only a minor one, nevertheless this beautifully realized film caught the world through the innocent eyes of a curious and scared child and left an impression that was hard to shake. It was uplifting to watch because the effort was so genuine."
When the film was screened in New York in 2005, film critic Joshua Land wrote, "Little Fugitive shines as a beautifully shot document of a bygone Brooklyn—any drama here resides in the grainy black-and-white cinematography, with its careful attention to the changes in light brought on by the inexorably advancing sun...Filled with 'Aw, fellas!' period ambience and the mythic imagery of cowboys and horses, comics and baseball, it's a key proto-vérité slice of urban America."
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
reported that 86% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on eight reviews.
.
Nominations
Other honors
1953 in film
The year 1953 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*September 16 — The Robe debuts as the first anamorphic, widescreen CinemaScope film.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:A...
film written and directed by Raymond Abrashkin
Raymond Abrashkin
Raymond Abrashkin was an American writer best known for writing, co-producing, and co-directing the acclaimed movie, The Little Fugitive, and for co-creating and co-authoring the highly successful Danny Dunn series of science fiction books for children with Jay Williams.-Family:Raymond's parents...
(as "Ray Ashley"), Morris Engel
Morris Engel
Morris Engel was an influential American photographer, cinematographer and filmmaker best known for directing the 1953 film The Little Fugitive in collaboration with his wife, photographer Ruth Orkin, and their friend, writer Raymond Abrashkin.Engel completed two more features during the 1950s,...
and Ruth Orkin
Ruth Orkin
Ruth Orkin was an American photographer, filmmaker and a late member of the Photo League. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Orkin married photographer and filmmaker Morris Engel....
, that tells the story of a child alone at Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
.
It stars Richie Andrusco in the title role, and Richard Brewster as his brother Lennie.
Little Fugitive influenced the French New Wave
French New Wave
The New Wave was a blanket term coined by critics for a group of French filmmakers of the late 1950s and 1960s, influenced by Italian Neorealism and classical Hollywood cinema. Although never a formally organized movement, the New Wave filmmakers were linked by their self-conscious rejection of...
and is considered by modern day critics to be a landmark film because of its naturalistic style and groundbreaking use of nonprofessional actors in lead roles. It was nominated for an Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Best Writing, Motion Picture Story.
In 1997, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...
by the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
It was the first and best known of Engel's three feature films. It was followed by Lovers and Lollipops
Lovers and Lollipops
Lovers and Lollipops is a 1956 film directed and written by Morris Engel and his wife Ruth Orkin. The film was photographed on location in and around New York City, and tells the story of the romance of a widowed fashion model and an engineer, and how their relationship is affected by her...
in 1956 and Weddings and Babies
Weddings and Babies
Weddings and Babies is a 1960 film directed, produced, and written by independent filmmaker Morris Engel. Starring Viveca Lindfors and John Myhers....
, which was filmed in 1957 and released in 1960. All three films were similar stylistically, and were filmed with hand-held 35 mm. cameras. The cameras used in the first two movies did not record sound, and dialogue was dubbed subsequent to filming. Weddings and Babies was the first fiction feature filmed with a portable camera that allowed synchronized sound.
Plot summary
One day, while their mother is away visiting her sick mother, Lennie and his friends play a joke on Joey. They stage an incident so that Joey thinks he has shot and killed his brother.
Joey, who is told the police will catch and imprison him, runs to the nearest elevated train station and flees to Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
. He seems to forget his predicament and spends the day wandering around the arcades, pony rides, beach—a little boy's paradise. He gets money for snacks by cashing in deposit bottles, and spends the night sleeping under the boardwalk. Meanwhile, Lennie is frantically trying to find him, as their mother is due home soon.
Joey loves horses, and he begins hanging around a pony ride. The proprietor of the ride becomes suspicious that Joey is a runaway, and tricks Joey into giving him his address. He calls home and alerts Lennie, who comes to Coney Island and finds his brother.
Their mother comes home just after the two brothers arrive home. She is unaware of what happened, and says they will have a treat that weekend: a trip to Coney Island!
Cast
- Richie Andrusco as Joey Norton
- Richard Brewster as Lennie Norton
- Winifred Cushing as Mother
- Jay Williams as Jay the Pony Ride Man
- Will Lee as Photographer
- Charlie Moss as Harry
- Tommy DeCanio as Charley
Cast notes
The lead character of Joey was played by Richie Andrusco, a nonprofessional actor who never appeared in any other film. The other actors in the film were also largely nonprofessionals. Actor Will LeeWill Lee
Will Lee was an American actor best known for playing the store proprietor Mr. Hooper on Sesame Street, from the show's debut in 1969 until his death in 1982.-Early career:...
(who later played Mr. Hooper on Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
) made a cameo appearance as a Coney Island photographer.
Production notes
The film was filmed on location at Coney IslandConey Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
and Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, United States. Using a concealed strap-on camera, Engel managed to have thousands of beach-going New Yorkers as extras without their knowing it.
Critical reception
The film was greeted by critical acclaim at the time, and was a major influence on the French New WaveFrench New Wave
The New Wave was a blanket term coined by critics for a group of French filmmakers of the late 1950s and 1960s, influenced by Italian Neorealism and classical Hollywood cinema. Although never a formally organized movement, the New Wave filmmakers were linked by their self-conscious rejection of...
.
François Truffaut
François Truffaut
François Roland Truffaut was an influential film critic and filmmaker and one of the founders of the French New Wave. In a film career lasting over a quarter of a century, he remains an icon of the French film industry. He was also a screenwriter, producer, and actor working on over twenty-five...
was inspired by Little Fugitives spontaneous production style when he created The 400 Blows
The 400 Blows
The 400 Blows is a 1959 French film directed by François Truffaut. One of the defining films of the French New Wave, it displays many of the characteristic traits of the movement. The story revolves around Antoine Doinel, an ordinary adolescent in Paris, who is thought by his parents and teachers...
(1959), saying long afterwards: “Our New Wave would never have come into being if it hadn’t been for the young American Morris Engel, who showed us the way to independent production with [this] fine movie.”
Modern critics have also praised the film. Critic Dennis Schwartz wrote, "A remarkable indy classic, made on a shoestring budget by a group of still photographers. It's an affecting lyrical comedy-drama that fully captures the flavor of urban childhood innocence of the 1950s. It's written/directed by the team of Morris Engel and Ray Ashley and Ruth Orkin...The dialogue was sparse, the story was unambitious, the film lacked drama, the children were very ordinary and their problem was only a minor one, nevertheless this beautifully realized film caught the world through the innocent eyes of a curious and scared child and left an impression that was hard to shake. It was uplifting to watch because the effort was so genuine."
When the film was screened in New York in 2005, film critic Joshua Land wrote, "Little Fugitive shines as a beautifully shot document of a bygone Brooklyn—any drama here resides in the grainy black-and-white cinematography, with its careful attention to the changes in light brought on by the inexorably advancing sun...Filled with 'Aw, fellas!' period ambience and the mythic imagery of cowboys and horses, comics and baseball, it's a key proto-vérité slice of urban America."
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 86% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on eight reviews.
Remake
Joanna Lipper completed a remake of the movie in 2005 and used the same name. The film had its world premiere in the New American Cinema Competition at the 2006 Seattle International Film FestivalSeattle International Film Festival
The Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...
.
Awards
Wins- Venice Film FestivalVenice Film FestivalThe Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
: Silver Lion, Ray Ashley, Morris Engel, Ruth Orkin; 1953. - Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists: Silver Ribbon, Best Foreign Film, Ray Ashley, Morris Engel, Ruth Orkin; 1954.
Nominations
- Venice Film Festival: Golden Lion, Ray Ashley, Morris Engel, Ruth Orkin; 1953.
- Writers Guild of America, EastWriters Guild of America, EastWriters Guild of America, East is a labor union representing writers of television and film and employees of television and radio news. The 2006 membership of the guild was 3,770....
, USA: WGA Award, Best Written Screenplay American Drama, Ray Ashley; 1954. - Academy AwardsAcademy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
, USA: Oscar, Best Writing, Motion Picture Story, Ray Ashley, Morris Engel, Ruth Orkin; 1954.
Other honors
- 1997- National Film Registry.
External links
- Little Fugitive trailer at You Tube