Little Fugitive
1953 · Movie · 80 min · ★ 6.9 · 92% critics
After a cruel prank convinces a young boy he has harmed his older brother, he panics and runs away. He spends the day wandering Coney Island, scraping together small change for rides and snacks, while his brother races to find him before their mother returns home.
Also known as The Little Fugitive
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Watch free on Hoopla and Kanopy — also streaming on Kino Film Collection.
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Details
- Years
- 1953
- Release date
- 1953-10-01
- Language
- English
- Runtime
- 80 min
- Critic score
- 92/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.9/10 (67 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a tender, low-key family drama that feels like a day-in-the-life adventure, with a nostalgic amusement-park setting; Not for you if you need high stakes or fast pacing like Old Yeller.
Pros: charming slice-of-life feel; natural child performances; vivid Coney Island snapshot | Cons: thin story premise; repetitive wandering scenes; pacing can drag
Themes
- woman director
Awards & recognition
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
- Academy Award — Best Story · 1954 · nominated
Cast & crew
Richie Andrusco
as Joey Norton
- RB
Richard Brewster
as Lennie Norton
- WC
Winifred Cushing
as Mother
- JW
Jay Williams
as Jay the Pony-Ride Man
Will Lee
as Photographer
Charlie Moss
as Harry
- TD
Tommy DeCanio
as Charlie
Ruth Orkin
as Woman on beach (uncredited)
Directed by Ruth Orkin, Ray Ashley, Morris Engel