Le Petit Fugitif

Generally credited as one of the pioneers of independent cinema (as far as making your own film your own way and still getting seen in theaters), Morris Engel used his background as a New York City photographer to bring a fresh, down-to-earth feeling to filmmaking. Engel and his wife, photojournalist Ruth Orkin, wrote, directed, produced and edited their own low-budget films, shot by Engel using a hand-held 35mm camera of his own design.

The first of their three films, LITTLE FUGITIVE, is a beautiful, innocent film about a seven-year-old boy who is tricked by his older brother and runs away to Coney Island with six dollars. As the boy interacts with his new world on the boardwalk, Engel really transports the viewer there. The film feels like a documentary: sparse dialogue, realistic acting, hand-held cinematography and real locations. The FUGITIVE actors and atmosphere never come off fake: as the boy is hitting baseball in a batting cage, one hit ball flies towards the camera and you find yourself jumping out of the way!

The actor doesn't stop with this film "mistake", he's having fun and keeps going. All the childhood loves are there: bottles in the sand, hot dogs and cotton candy, ponies and parachute rides. With their films, Engel and Orkin created folklore, paving the way for directors like Truffaut, Godard, Cassavetes and Leigh.

FUGITIVE was successful for a non-studio film in the '50s, playing to over 5,000 theaters.

Watching The Little Fugitive was an eye-opener for me. I had never heard of Morris Engel, the New York-born director who documented the landing of the Allies in Normandy. Not only is the movie a pleasure to watch but it is reminiscent of the the post-WWII realist school of film. Vittorio de Sica directed movies that have the a similar "look and feel" to them, although his make a social statement. These are well-known to casual movie buffs like me; for example, The Bicycle Thief and Umberto D. Of course, this one is set in Brooklyn and Coney Island and the actors are American, not Italian.

Other than that, all I can say is that this is a classic. It does not pretend to be anything more than a story of two brothers that takes place in the space of a single day. Not only is there a beautiful story, there is also a magical setting that has been captured on film for all time.

Almost everyone will feel the film as it pulls at their heartstrings. It is set in a time long past; yet people like me who grew up in the fifties can relate to it. The eyes of the camera moving around Coney Island captures people in a time and place that make this film very special.

It is a tribute to TCM that it brings such films to the screen when the latest pop-culture buzz dictates what TV viewers see. It is gratifying to know that this film has been added to the national film registry in the USA, which is dedicated to the preservation of great movies.

In the summer of 1952 an accomplished still photographer from Brooklyn named Morris Engel got together with his photographer - wife Ruth Orkin and friend Ray Ashley to collaborate on the making of a small independent movie.

Made on a shoestring budget using an innovative , lightweight 35mm camera , Engel and company proceeded to spend a few months filming the story of a 7 year-old boy who escapes to Coney Island for a day and a night after being led to believe that he killed his own brother. The resultant film , LITTLE FUGITIVE , was turned down by every major distributor . Photographed in black and white and with a running time of a mere 80 minutes , the bigger releasing corporations looked down on this picture as if it were an alien product , an unappetizing little "stinker" that boasted very little dialog ( and what there was of it was post-synchronized in a studio) ; that employed a single harmonica for a background music score ; and last but not least had a mundane setting of Brooklyn row houses and declining Coney Island for a setting.

The production's uncertain future was rescued when Joseph Burstyn , an American distributor of prestige foreign films , decided to give the movie a chance. That decision led to LITTLE FUGITIVE winning the Silver Lion for best direction at the Venice Film Festival.

This utterly charming , simple tale of a little boy's adventures at Coney Island belies the arduous work behind the camera that resulted in a bona fide American classic. Ashley , Engel and Orkin's original screenplay centers on a small group of young boys , particularly 12 year old Lennie and his younger brother Joey. The fulcrum on which the story's lever turns involves Lennie and Joey's mother having to leave home unexpectedly to look after their ailing grandmother. Lennie's plans to take a trip to Coney Island with his friends is thwarted because of this. In response to his protests ,Lennie's mother tells him that he has to stay home and take care of Joey , that he's "the man of the family" now (the father is absent) and that Coney Island will just have to wait . A disgruntled Lennie takes up his baby sitting duties begrudgingly , and is none too appreciative when little Joey tries to appease his anger with the gift of an old , battered baseball as a birthday present.

In a later conversation with his friends , fueled by the fantasies of comic book reading , Lennie is given suggestions on how to get rid of his little brother so the gang can go to Coney Island. A plan is conceived , a real rifle is obtained , and a mock murder takes place , with a panic-stricken Joey,having been shown how to shoot a rifle by one of the boys , thinks he has murdered his brother. In tears, Joey runs home, hides in a closet , but soon climbs out an apartment window and onto the streets of Brooklyn , convinced , in the word's of one of Lennie's friends , that he'll "fry " in the electric chair. Seeing a neighborhood cop around the corner doesn't help ,so Joey hops on a subway car : Last Stop , Coney Island.

Back at the apartment , a nervous Lennie arrives to find his brother missing , having no idea Joey is headed alone to the amusement paradise.

The aforementioned scenes , which comprise about the first third of the film , are the heaviest dialog - wise. All the young actors are remarkably natural , and they render the obviously scripted words convincingly. If LITTLE FUGITIVE has any fault at all , it is in these introductory scenes ; the dialog ,as written , is somewhat flat . However , the sequences move swiftly , and the movie really takes off once Joey arrives at Coney Island.

Here is the heart of this movie , an extraordinary , extended episodic adventure of one child's day at Coney Island. And here is where Richie Andrusco , who plays Joey , really shines. This remarkable little boy , who seems to be one half angelic choirboy , the other half full of the devil , is truly a real find. Discovered by the film team riding the Coney Island Steeplechase Carousel , director Engel was impressed with the boy's "animal strength". Employing a nonprofessional is a risky venture and LITTLE FUGITIVE nearly succumbed to disaster when early in the filming Richie decided he didn't want to play Joey anymore. In an inspiring moment of chutzpah , Mr. Engel asked Richie what he would like to do , and then gave the kid money to go on any rides or games he wanted to play , plied him with endless amounts of food and drink ( soda pop , hot dogs , cotton candy and watermelon , enormous amounts of which must have been consumed during the June through September shoot ! ) In essence , as Engel has stated many times in the past , Richie Andrusco pretty much directed the narrative course of this picture himself , Engel following in tow , his tripod - less camera hung around his neck , capturing the character Joey's every move.

Joey's adventures and travails are resolved rather predictably at the end , and the scripted dialog once again takes over ,still somewhat stilted and flat . But it hardly matters , because Morris Engel has taken the viewer on a journey into the heart of one irresistible little boy , and in the process has recaptured for the tired old adult in us the chance to experience the curiosity , joy and terror of childhood once again.

This movie is something else. It dares to be different. Too many movies are absurdly, laughably goal-oriented, trudging along their preset paths toward nowhere, never smelling the roses, failing to dwell on this world's sheer radiance and magic. This is the movie that dwells (although it too has a bit too much plot). In a semi-documentary fashion we get a precious slice of 1953 - which to me are the good old days, unmarred by many words, with a wonderfully simple musical track. Too many movies depict children as smartalecks or tap-dancers. This one has the wisdom to say: being yourself is your biggest accomplishment. There is something of Mr. Rodgers in it. Time slows down in this movie, yet it is far less boring than speedier concoctions.

Because my 11 year old is pretty open-minded, I've taken her on adventure of watching b/w movies, just as my mom did for me. She actually enjoyed some of the old-time "horror" movies and loves the "Twilight Zone".

I also introduced her to what would be considered "art house" movies. She didn't really like "The Bicycle Thief" but I did, and this movie was recommended by Blockbuster. So I put it in my queue- and it was not a mistake. OK, so some of the acting is stilted and unprofessional and sometimes the movie feels longer than 75-80 minutes (depending on which version you view).

But, whether you're a big or little brother or sister, you can definitely relate. Even my child, who's my only child, can relate because she has younger cousins. I agree with many of the posters that the children act like children and act like how they would act in that situation. If you're blessed to get the DVD with the commentary, it evens add to your viewing pleasure.

What most gratified me was when my daughter, who has gone to almost every kiddy-themed entertainment center, said about several of the rides that they looked fun! This movie about Coney Island helped me visualize what my mother always talked about Riverdale, a Chicago area amusement park from the 40's and brought back memories of Funtown, Old Chicago, and Santa's Village, the local amusement parks of my day from the 70's.