Product Details

• Actors: Richie Andrusco, Richard Brewster (II), Winifred Cushing, Tommy DeCanio, Will Lee (IV)
• Directors: Ray Ashley, Morris Engel
• Format: Black & White, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Kino Video
• VHS Release Date: June 27, 2000
• Run Time: 80 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304498934
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #300,758 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

French director François Truffaut once said, "Our New Wave would never have come into being if it hadn't been for the young Morris Engel, with his fine Little Fugitive." High praise indeed, and as Truffaut observed, this early milestone of American independent filmmaking had a powerful influence on such later French classics as The Red Balloon and Truffaut's own Les Mistons and The 400 Blows.

Codirected by Ray Ashley, Morris Engel, and Ruth Orkin, and photographed by Engel in New York during the summer of 1952, the film tells the simple story of a 7-year-old Brooklyn boy named Joey (charmingly played by nonactor Richie Andrusco), who flees to Coney Island after a mischievous prank leads Joey to believe he's accidentally killed his older brother Lennie. With six dollars in his pocket, Joey indulges himself with amusement rides and junk food, and as the weekend progresses, Lennie begins an equally adventurous search for his missing kid brother.

Winner of the Silver Lion award at the 1953 Venice Film Festival and Oscar nominee for Best Story, Little Fugitive was inducted into the prestigious National Film Registry in 1997. Making innovative use of a hand-held camera (which impressed Engel's friend Stanley Kubrick, who used the same equipment for his debut feature Fear and Desire), the film favors image over dialogue, and unfolds with timeless and universal appeal. A pleasure from start to finish, Little Fugitive is a little masterpiece that you'll never forget. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS WAS MY FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MOVIE, September 17, 2003

By 

D. Pomerantz (Baltimore, Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Little Fugitive [VHS] (VHS Tape)

In 1953 I started school at PS 188 on Neptune Avenue in Coney Island. Each year, The Little Fugitive would be shown in the auditorium ...and every year I loved it as much as I had the year before ... I never forgot the movie and whenever anyone would ask my favorite film, even as an adult I would always mention it ... Several years ago when visiting NYC with my own children, after spending a day in Coney Island, eating at Nathans and going on the Cyclone, we wandered into a Manhatten video store and I was astounded to see it on a shelf. We immediately rented it and it was as wonderful in 1998 as it had been in the 1950s. My children loved it and continue to mention scenes from it today in 2003! A wonderfully charming film that goes right to the heart of childhood.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect...Absolutely Perfect., April 23, 2004

By 

Danielle Bennignus - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Little Fugitive [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Though this film is certainly not for all tastes, I have to say that it's definitely one of my all time favorites. I strongly recall watching it on PBS late at night as a child, and was overjoyed to rediscover it as an adult. It doesn't hurt at all, either, that I'm a HUGE fan of Coney Island history, and that this film is chock-full of 1953 footage of the park, back in the good ol' days.

The plot is incredibly simple - a young boy is tricked by his older brother and latter's unkind friends, into believing that he's committed murder. The boy runs off to Coney Island to take it on the lam, and, while there, learns a whole lot about the world. From finding out about the glory of 5-cent deposits, to (finally) riding a real pony, we see what's important in his little life, and see how he ekes out a survival for himself during his day and night away from home.

There is hardly any dialogue once he's in the park, and it's refreshing, really - almost a sensory experience through the eyes of a little boy. We are treated to a more innocent time - with very little effort, one can smell the odors of the boardwalk, taste the sweetness of a watermelon slice, and feel the sand beneath the feet. I haven't seen another film quite like this - it's truly magical.

For the Coney Island enthusiasts out there, the footage from the park is fantastic. It stands as a wonderful record of the past - the parachute jump, batting cages, food stands, a marvelous carousel, souvenir booths...it's all here, and it's incredible. If you haven't seen this film, you're missing out, and then some.

Overall, I can admit that this film isn't for all folks - it's slow-moving, quiet, and can drag along a bit - if you don't surrender to it, and take it at it's own pace. Once you've done so, however, you'll see how great a film it really is.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Gem" Of A Movie!, February 8, 2002

By 

AhJay - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Little Fugitive [VHS] (VHS Tape)

When you first start watching this movie, you think the director has a budget of $10. But what you discover is a pioneer of the indendent film. This little gem is a whisical tale of 7 year old Joey Norton, who's dooped by friends into thinking he's shot and killed his older brother, Richie. Upon believing this, Joey exiles himself to Coney Island, with Richie in hot pursuit. The film does a wonderful job of catching the innocence of the 50's. If you can get them away from the computer, video games and Sponge Bob, I truly believe that even kids today would enjoy this little piece of "Americana"