Sometime in the 1950s I saw a black and white movie on television
about the day in the life of a little boy. He was probably about 8
years old. I recall he wandered around what appeared to be a beach or
park collecting glass soda bottles to cash in so he could buy tickets
for one of the amusement rides. There was almost no dialog, mostly
background music, I think it was a piano. The movie was sad, and in
many ways it reminded me of my own life at the time. I am writing a
memoir and the movie would help me remember a lot about my childhood.

Hi Goofy166!

I am confident that the movie you remember is the 1953 film ?The Little Fugitive.?

?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. (..) It won
the Silver Lion Award at the 1953 Venice Film Festival. Francois
Truffault credits Engel's Little Fugitive, a minimalist b/w filmed
story told in a simple naturalistic manner, as being a major influence
for the French New Wave film.?
http://www.sover.net/~ozus/littlefugitive.htm


Below you will find online references where you may verify that this
is the correct movie.


Little Fugitive (1953) 

?Joey, a young boy, runs away to Coney Island after he is tricked into
believing he has killed his older brother. Joey collects glass bottles
and turns them into money, which he used to ride the rides.?

?Young boy fears he shot his older brother who is only faking. Young
boy runs away to Coney Island, a crowded beach resort, gets money by
returning soda pop bottles for their deposits.?

IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046004/plotsummary


Review of the movie:

?The film's greatest strength is the unforgettable performance Richie
Andrusco gives as he charmingly plays the 7-year-old runaway Joey
Norton, who innocently wanders alone in crowded Coney Island for a day
and a half.?

(..)

?The focus of the movie is on watching the frightened youngster land
in such a children's fantasy spot and roam around with wide-open eyes,
as the the ever-observant camera focuses on his adventures.?

(..) 

?When he spots the pony ride, his favorite, he has run out of money.
But soon learns from another youngster that you can collect empty soda
bottles on the beach and return them for a deposit. With that money he
becomes a regular on the pony ride, as the kind-hearted worker takes a
liking to him and teaches the cowboy loving child how to ride.?

?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.?

Little Fugitive Review
http://www.sover.net/~ozus/littlefugitive.htm


Little Fugitive (1953)     

Directed by
Ray Ashley
Morris Engel

Also Known As:
The Coney Island Kid, (1953) 
Runtime: 80 min 
Country: USA 
Language: English 
Color: Black and White
 
Credited cast:  
Richie Andrusco ....  Joey Norton 
Richard Brewster ....  Lennie Norton 
Winifred Cushing ....  Mother 
Jay Williams ....  Pony Ride Man


?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.?

IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046004/
 

Trailers for Little Fugitive
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046004/trailers


You may purchase the movie at Amazon for $19.95
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6304498934/ref=ase_imdb-adbox/102-9741271-1059327


Search criteria:
I used the advanced search feature at the IMDB. Under plots, I entered
the keywords ?collect soda bottles.?

I then conducted a Google search for "Little Fugitive" "soda bottles"

I?m pleased I was able to find the movie for you. If anything is
unclear with my answer, please ask for clarification.


Best regards,
Bobbie7

Wow that was one fantastic piece of research. I tried to find it on
the net and failed but you where much more clever. Thanks for showing
me how a pro works.

Dear goofy166,

Thank you for your kind words and generous tip!

Sincerely, 
Bobbie7