I saw Little Fugitive at a screening at a revival house; after the show I asked a few people if they had ever heard of it before this screening, but no one did.Another suitable title for the film could be "A Kid in Coney Island", since that's basically what it's about. A boy spends an entire day and night exploring the amusement park, all by himself.
It begins with him running away from neighborhood bullies; he leaves with some grocery money that his mom left on the counter. There's more to the story, but I don't want to give it all away.
It's fun to watch him wander aimlessly through the streets of Brooklyn, eventually boarding a subway that takes him to Coney Island. I have never been to New York, but this film really gave me a glimpse of what it might like to be there during this time.
This is not like Home Alone: Lost in New York - no slapstick or lowbrow humor. The kid, whose name is Joey (played by Richie Andrusco), is about 5 or 6 years old (actually younger than Macauley Culkin was in those 1990s films).
Joey plays every game, goes on all the rides, buys watermelon, cotton candy, etc. There are some very humorous moments throughout the film, especially when his brother comes looking for him. There are many candid shots of people and scenes that you feel like it's almost a documentary.
The film is even said to have inspired the filmmakers of the French New Wave, and such films like The 400 Blows, which I thought of throughout this movie; you can see the influence.
None of the child actors in the film ever became famous, though the movie's posters promoted the young star to be the next big thing. I don't know what happened to them.
You can find the DVD on a Kino Edition DVD. It might even be played on Turner Classics from time to time.
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