THU, DEC 6, 2012 BAM Rose Cinemas
DIRECTED BY RAY ASHLEY, Little MORRIS ENGEL, AND RUTH ORKIN
Fugitive Study Guide Written by Nicole Kempskie
BAM PETER JAY SHARP BUILDING 30 LAFAYETTE AVE. BROOKLYN, NY 11217 Table Of Contents Dear Educator
Welcome to the study guide for the feature filmLittle Fugitive that you INTRODUCTION and your students will be attending as “Our New Wave would never Page 2 Who, What, When, Where? part of BAM’s Film Literacy Screening have come into being if it Page 3 Behind the Scenes Series. BAM is thrilled to be able to hadn’t been for the young Page 4 Coney Island Sights and Sounds provide your students with an opportu- nity to see this highly influential, award- Morris Engel…with his fine Page 5 Cinematic Playground winning, and Brooklyn-based film from Little Fugitive.” Page 6 Classroom Connections the early 1950s. —Francois Truffault, French New Wave filmmaker Filmed, directed, written, and edited by a team of three—Ray Ashley, Morris Engel, and Ruth Orkin—Little Fugitive follows a 7-year-old Brooklyn boy as he explores the sights and sounds of Coney Island. With a wonderful cast of mostly non-professionals—most notably, Richie Andrusco as the main character Joey— this film captures the wonder of Coney Island and the innocence of youth with authenticity, simplicity, and beauty. Con- sidered by critics to be an “All-American classic,” Little Fugitive won the Silver Lion Award at the 1953 Venice Film Festival, and was nominated for an Oscar Award for best motion picture story.
Introduction2 Your Visit to BAM How to Use this Guide
The BAM program includes this study Arts experiences, such as the one you guide, a pre-performance workshop in have chosen to attend at BAM, always your classroom led by a BAM teaching work best when themes, ideas, and ele- artist, and the screening on December ments from the film can be aligned with 6, 2012 immediately followed by a post- your pre-existing classroom curriculum. show discussion with the filmmaker’s daughter, Mary Engel. This guide has been created to provide useful information to help you prepare The total program runs approximately your students for their screening experi- two hours. Please do not leave before ence at BAM. the question-and-answer session. The overall goals of this guide are to:
connect to your curriculum with standards-based information and activities
reinforce and encourage critical thinking and analytical skills
provide you and your students with the tools and background information necessary to have an engaging, educational, and inspiring experience at BAM Introduction3 WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE?
WHO: The Characters WHAT: The Story
JOEY (Richie Andrusco) Joey and Lennie’s mother needs to go Lennie starts to search the neighborhood A curious 7-year-old boy who explores away for the weekend to care for their for Joey—after all, their mother will be the sights and sounds of Coney Island. sick grandmother. Even though Lennie coming back home at six o’clock the next was planning to go to Coney Island to day, so he’d better find Joey, quick! LENNIE (Rickie Brewster) celebrate his birthday, he is now stuck Joey’s older brother who plays a at home all weekend babysitting Joey. After he runs out of money, Joey starts mean trick on Joey. After reading some comic books with gory collecting empty bottles on the beach storylines, Lennie and his friends decide to exchange for money. He cashes in HARRY (Charlie Moss) to play a mean trick on Joey—they are enough bottles to finally go on a pony One of Lennie’s friends who is in on going to let Joey believe that he has shot ride and is befriended by Jay, a kind and the prank. and murdered his brother. They give Joey gentle man who runs the pony rides. a rifle and help him aim and shoot, and After a bunch of pony rides, Joey retires CHARLIE (Tommy Di Canio) even though the shot is nowhere near to the cool sand under the boardwalk, Another one of Lennie’s friends who Lennie, he falls to the ground. Smeared where after a long and exhausting day, tricks Joey. with ketchup that Joey thinks is blood, he falls asleep. Joey is terrified. Lennie’s friends Charlie THE MOTHER (Winnifred Cushing) and Harry convince Joey that the police The next day, Jay tricks Joey into giving Joey and Lennie’s mother. will be coming for him any minute, him his address so that he can find his so he’d better run! phone number and call Joey’s home. Jay JAY, THE PONY RIDE MAN reaches Lennie and explains that Joey is (Jay Williams) Joey hides out in a closet at home, but in Coney Island with him. Lennie heads A kind man who gives pony rides when he hears the phone ring he decides off to pick up Joey. After a lot of search- at Coney Island. it’s time to make his escape. Taking the ing, a few hotdogs, some ice cream money his mother left the boys for dinner, cones, and a parachute drop, Lennie PHOTOGRAPHER (Will Lee) Joey heads out the door. As he begins his finds Joey and they head back home. An enthusiastic man who takes escape two policemen appear. Fearing They make it back to their apartment mo- novelty photographs at Coney Island. that they have come for him, Joey climbs ments before their mother steps through the subway steps and gets on the first the door. And guess what? She has a train he sees. Little does he know just great idea for the following Sunday—why where this train is headed. don’t the three of them take a nice trip to Coney Island! The subway train makes its final stop, the doors open, and Joey follows the crowd. As the crowd opens up he realizes where he is—the Steeplechase Amusement Park on Coney Island. Joey momentarily forgets he’s a “little fugitive” and begins to enjoy all the rides, games, attractions, and food that Coney Island and Steeple- chase Park have to offer.
Back at home, Lennie is in a panic. Joey is no where to be found and he was supposed to be taking care of him. While Joey is enjoying himself at Coney Island,
Background4 WHEN: The Time Period
Little Fugitive takes place in the early 1950s.
WHERE: The Setting
Little Fugitive is set in the lower middle- class Brooklyn neighborhood that Joey and Lennie live in, the Steeplechase Amusement Park, and the beach and boardwalk at Coney Island.
PRE-VISIT QUESTIONS
This film was made in the 1950s.
How is it going to look different than our current films? (It will be in black and white.)
What other clues may help us identify this as a film of the 1950s? (Different clothing, hairstyles, cars, soda bottles, technology.)
POST-VISIT QUESTIONS
How does Coney Island look different today? The same?
Do you think what happened in this film could happen today? Why or why not?
Background5 BEHIND THE SCENES Photo Credit: Gala Narezo Morris Engel
Morris Engel, the creator behind Little Fugitive, grew up in Brooklyn and began his career taking candid street pho- tos for the New York Photo League, a cooperative of amateur and professional photographers who were committed to using photography to address the social and creative causes they believed in. In addition, he was a staff photographer on the newspaper “PM” and served as a combat photographer during the inva- sion of Normandy. In 1939, desperate for work, Engel took a job working for the prominent film director, Paul Strand, on his filmNative Land. Engel found the transition from using his own hand-held camera to using a motion picture camera on a large, heavy tripod to be a difficult one. After this experience, Engel vowed that if he were ever going to make a film of his own, he would find a way to do it without a tripod.
The help he needed to create such a camera came when Charlie Woodruff —a mechanical engineer—custom-made a small, hand-held motion picture camera for Engel with a single shoulder strap that could compete with the standard Holly- wood tripod-based cameras. This camera would allow Engel to film with as little as a two-person team, and aesthetically, it would allow him to be as flexible and unobtrusive as he was with a still photo camera. Equipped with the ideal camera, Engel approached his writer friends Ruth Orkin and Ray Ashley and said, “Let’s make a movie!” They hesitantly agreed.
6 Film Casting The Sound The Reception
Because they were working with the Because of their small budget, the When the film was finally finished, tiniest of budgets, they decided to use sound presented two issues for the team. it was initially rejected by all the produc- mainly non-professional actors in the film. First, films were usually scored by large ers and distributors they showed it to. They found Richie Andrusco, the young orchestras. For these filmmakers this Producers had never seen anything like boy who played Joey, riding the carousel was prohibitively expensive. Using the it and they didn’t think that it would be at Coney Island. He had never acted, but harmonica that Lennie receives as a of any interest to audiences outside of he turned out to be a natural—“a brave birthday gift as inspiration, they decided New York. That all changed, however, boy with animal strength” who brought to use only harmonica music to under- when in 1953 it was shown to enthusias- his innate curiosity, humor, charm, and score the scenes. They showed the tic audiences at the Venice Film Festival, personality to every frame of the film. completed film to musician Eddy Manson where it won the festival’s top award— who immediately agreed to create the the Silver Lion Award. It was then nomi- score and even some of the sound effects. nated for an Academy Award, and later, in 1997, was inducted into the National Filming & Editing Because they weren’t shooting with Film Registry by the Library of Congress synchronized sound (recording the sound and the National Film Preservation The film began shooting on July 5, in at the same time they are filming), they Board. It continues to charm audiences Coney Island, and concluded filming on needed to shoot all the visuals and then around the world. Labor Day weekend. Despite the fact go into a recording studio with the ac- that 16 mm film was cheaper and the tors and record all the dialogue, music, standard type of film used by beginners, and sound effects after the filming was Engel decided to shoot the picture on complete. (This process is referred to as 35mm film. The image quality of 16mm post-syncing, and was commonly used film was inferior to that of 35mm film, by Italian filmmakers during this time and, determined to someday see his film period.) In order to make the post-syncing distributed and released worldwide, Engel process quick and efficient, they kept the felt the extra cost was a necessity. dialogue minimal. Because the whole film was shot by Engel using the small, hand-held camera, he essentially followed Richie Andrusco (“Joey”) around Coney Island, using the simple storyline as a map, but letting the events in the film and the sights captured unfold organically, as if they were simply being observed by the filmmaker, as op- posed to being manipulated by a director.
During the filming the editor they hired quit, and Engel asked his soon-to-be wife and fellow team member, Ruth Orkin to give it a try. Ruth reluctantly agreed, but soon fell in love with the editing process and ultimately became the film’s sole editor.
Film7 CONEY ISLAND SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
History
In 1829 the Coney Island House Hotel George C. Tilyou, a Coney Island local, opened for business, providing upper- visited the 1893 Columbian Exposition in class New Yorkers from across the city Chicago and saw a sight that made him with a place to enjoy the sandy beaches green with envy. It was a Ferris Wheel, and escape the hustle and bustle of city and Tilyou wanted one. With the help of life. But that didn’t last very long. By the the Pennsylvania Steel Company, Tilyou mid-eighteen hundreds, a hotel opened had a Ferris Wheel constructed on a plot by Michael “Thunderbolt” Norton on the of land not far from Culver’s Tower. The western edge of the island was catering Ferris Wheel was so popular and finan- to the rowdy Tammany Hall politicians. cially successfully, that the expense to When steamer service to Norton’s Point build it was paid for within a few weeks. was instituted for a 50-cent fee, the middle class also began to make their Encouraged by the Ferris Wheel’s way to this vacation destination. success, Tilyou decided to open a park in 1895 that would be filled with rides As the Tammany Hall politicians with and amusements. He named it “Steeple- their cronies and the middle-class moved chase Park,” and within a short amount in, the upper-class moved east to Brigh- of time, the Ferris Wheel was joined ton Beach and Manhattan Beach, where by a crowd favorite—The Steeplechase a series of extravagant hotels were built Horses— a ride in which passengers rode to accommodate them. When Andrew upon wooden horses and raced along a Culver erected a 300-foot Steel Tower at curving metal track as if they were in a Coney Island with an Observatory, the real horse race. Next, Frederic Thompson crowds began to pour in, and by 1878, and Elmer “Skip” Dundy brought their an estimated 60,000 people a day “Trip to the Moon” ride to Steeplechase, visited Coney Island. but decided soon after to branch off and create their own park in Coney Island— This influx of visitors prompted the Luna Park. local proprietors to create attractions to keep visitors coming back. In 1884, In 1907, the wonderland that Tilyou had LaMarcus Adna Thompson designed and created was ravaged by fire. Charging built an amusement ride that he hoped admission to the burning ruins, Tilyou would excite and thrill Coney Island visi- immediately began construction on the tors. That ride was the first roller coaster, second Steeplechase Park. The second which, for a nickel, sent passengers down Steeplechase continued to operate until a 600-foot-long track at a whopping 1964, and it is the amusement park we speed of 6 mph. This would be the first follow Joey through in Little Fugitive. step towards creating an amusement park like no other.
Background8 The Rides Enrichment Activity
The following rides appear in the Coney Island Scavenger Hunt movie Little Fugitive, and a few still remain today as national landmarks. Put students into small groups and give them the following list of Coney Island Feltman’s Carousel people, places, and attractions, as well The Barrel of Love as the list of rides above to identify. Ask The Earthquake Stairway students to research each item using the internet or their school library. The Dodger Bumper Cars group that comes up with the most The Parachute Jump information about each list item wins the Scavenger Hunt. Zip (Rollercoaster) The Wonder Wheel Hint for making this a successful activity: There are 28 items. If possible, put the Mooney’s Kiddie Playground students in 4 different groups and have Amusement Department Store each group research 7 different items. (Funhouse) Remove the 3 crossed out items from the list.
Common Core Reading Level 6-8.1, 3, 4; Blueprint: Making Connections
The Coney Island House Hotel Michael “Thunderbolt” Norton The Steeplechase Symbol George C. Tilyou Steeplechase Park The Human Roulette Wheel The Human Pool Table The Pavilion of Fun Blowhole Theater Frederic Thompson & Elmer “Skip” Dundy Shoot the Chutes The Cyclone William H. Reynolds Samuel W. Gumpertz The Dragon’s Gorge John Y. McKane Dreamland Park Luna Park The Riegelmann Boardwalk
Bonus: Who originally discovered Coney Island? Why did he give it the name Coney Island?
(Answer: Henry Hudson; Coney Island was named after the “coneys,” the wild rabbits that inhabited Coney Island when Hudson discovered it.) Background9 CINEMATIC PLAYGROUND
BEFORE: To notice… *Fun fact: Even though the ride Para- ANALYZE chute Jump ride no longer operates, the structure still remains today in Coney Besides the fact that Joey likes Share these with students before Island and is a national landmark. horses, why do you think he keeps your visit to BAM and have them going back for pony rides? keep their eyes open for them when AFTER: To Review… viewing the film. What is the pacing of the film like? How does it compare to a film you Following your visit, use the follow- have recently seen at the cinema? When Joey first goes for a ride on ing questions to review and analyze Why do you think the filmmaker the carousel, the calliope music is the film, and assess student compre- paced Little Fugitive the way he did? “Home on the Range.” The direc- hension. All student answers should tors chose to have that music there include evidence from the film to How does the music help set because they wanted it to be a support their answers. the tone and mood for the different reminder to Joey that he is a fugitive scenes in the film? who has run away from home. Notice how Joey reacts when he REVIEW How does the filmmaker build hears that music. suspense toward the end of the film Summarize the story. when Lennie still hasn’t found Joey? When Joey is in the batting cage, What happened in the film? he accidentally hits Morris Engel, How is the ending of the the director/cameraman who is Who is the protagonist? movie ironic? filming on the side, with a baseball. Describe Joey. Notice how the camera shakes when Engel gets hit. Why does Joey get on the subway? Core Curriculum Reading Level: 6-8.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; Blueprint: Moving Image Literacy Joey loves horses. Notice how How does Joey practice throw- he and Lennie’s bedroom walls are ing in order to win the “Knock em’ decorated. Down” game?
Notice the sounds when the cot- What are the different types of ton candy is being spun. They were foods that Joey eats in Coney Island? made by Eddy Manson, the musician How much did they cost? for the film, with his harmonica. Why does Joey collect bottles? Notice the woman with the crying Why does he get money in exchange baby on the beach who asks Joey to for the bottles he collects? get her some more water. It’s Ruth Orkin— one of the film’s creators. How does Jay get Joey’s informa- tion in order to call his house? Watch the storm scene closely. When filming this scene, the What idea does Lennie come up filmmaker couldn’t carry an with when he can’t find Joey at umbrella, and the camera got Coney Island? soaked by the rain.
Because of the special hand-held camera that Engel used, he was able to go on the Parachute Jump and film while he was being dropped. Try and notice when he is shooting from below the ride and when he is shooting from on the ride. Curriculum10 Connections CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS
Act And Fiction My Neighborhood Viewing Fun
Tell students to imagine that the class Share the video clips provided on the Before your visit, show the class Ric will be creating a “time capsule” that PBS American Experience Coney Island Burns’s documentary Coney Island about will not be opened until 2062. It is their website that show the beach, the rides, the history of Coney Island. After see- job to create a written narrative, letter, and the people enjoying Coney Island at ing Little Fugitive, have students write a video, audio recording, photo spread, or the turn-of-the-century. Compare/Contrast essay that examines work of art that reflects the realities of how each type of film (documentary and their neighborhood in 2012. Blueprint: Making Connections, Community and narrative) uses different techniques to Cultural Resources provide information and tell a story about Blueprint: Making Moving Images, Making Connec- Coney Island. tions, Community and Cultural Resources
Core Curriculum Reading Level: 6-8.1, 3, 5, 7; Blueprint: Moving Image Literacy, Making Connections Critical Analysis
First, put students into small collaborative Coney Island Today groups. Provide them with a movie review from a current newspaper (not Resources Review the history of Coney Island in Little Fugitive) and have them read, this guide, and take students on a trip discuss, and identify the components of WEB there. Working in groups, have students the article (i.e. film summary, analysis, Coney Island find some of the locations and attractions likes and dislikes, conclusion). http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/coney/ shown in the filmLittle Fugitive and take index.html photographs of them. In addition, have Next, have students individually write http://www.coneyislandhistory.org/ students act as “candid photographers” a review of the film that includes the by taking photographs (or videos, if pos- following components: Little Fugitive Reviews sible), of the attractions, the natural scen- A short summary of the film in http://movies.nytimes.com ery, and the people, the way Morris Engel their own words. http://movies.amctv.com did. If possible, have students interview What they felt the message of the http://www.efilmcritic.com one of the people they have photographed film was. or filmed. After the trip, create a class- What they liked about the film, and BOOKS room exhibit that includes the images and why. (Cite and describe at least one “Amusing the Million: Coney Island at the interviews. The exhibit can be divided specific scene or moment in the film Turn of the Century,” by John Kasson, Hill into two parts: “Coney Island Yesterday” as evidence.) & Wang, New York, 1978. and “Coney Island Today.” What they disliked about the film, and why. (Cite and describe at least BIBLIOGRAPHY Blueprint: Making Moving Images, Making one specific scene or moment in the Stanton, Jeffrey. “2nd Steeplechase Park.” Connections, Community and Cultural Resources film as evidence.) Coney Island History. 2007. 12 Septem- A closing paragraph. ber 2012. Life In 1953
Core Curriculum Reading Level: 6-8.1, 3, 4; Blueprint: Making Connections Curriculum Connections11 Major support for BAM Education programming Leadership support for educational film screenings Your tax dollars make BAM programs possible provided by: and Brooklyn Reads is provided by Goldman Sachs through funding from: Gives at the recommendation of David and Susan Marcinek.
Education programs at BAM are supported by: Barker Welfare Foundation; Tiger Baron Foundation; The Bay and Paul Foundations; BAM would like to thank the Brooklyn Delegations Constans Culver Foundation; Charles Hayden Leadership support for BAM Education Programs of the New York State Assembly, Joseph R. Lentol, Foundation; Emily Davie and Joseph S. Kornfeld is provided by the Irene Diamond Fund and the Delegation Leader; and New York Senate, Senator Foundation; Tony Randall Theatrical Fund; The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. Velmanette Montgomery, Delegation Leader. Jerome Robbins Foundation, Inc.; May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation; Rush Philanthropic Arts Expansion of BAM’s Community and Education Foundation; Target; Michael Tuch Foundation; and Programs made possible by the support of the SHS Turrell Fund. Foundation. Education programs at BAM are endowed by: Leadership support for school-time performances, Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund pre-show preparation workshops and educational for Community, Educational, & Public Affairs film screenings is provided by The Simon and Eva Programs; Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin; William Colin Foundation and Lemberg Foundation. Randolph Hearst Endowment for Education and Humanities Programs; Irene Diamond Fund; and The Robert and Joan Catell Fund for Education Programs.
About BAM Department of Education with BAMfamily concerts, the BAMfamily Book (and Lies), a series hosted by philosopher Simon & Humanities Brunch, and the annual BAMkids Film Festival. Critchley that explores the ambiguity of reality with In addition, BAM Education collaborates with prominent artists and thinkers, as a co-presentation BAM Education is dedicated to bringing the the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation with the Onassis Cultural Center NY. most vibrant, exciting artists and their creations to provide an arts and humanities curriculum to to student audiences. The department presents students who perform on stage in BAM’s DanceA- Humanities at BAM also include year-round literary performances and screenings of theater, dance, frica program. programs: Unbound, a new fall series presented music, opera, and film in a variety of programs. in partnership with Greenlight Bookstore that In addition to the work on stage, programs take Humanities at BAM celebrates contemporary books and authors from place both in school and at BAM that give context BAM presents a variety of programs to promote across the literary spectrum, and the ongoing Eat, for the performances, and include workshops with creative thinking and ongoing learning. The Drink & Be Literary series in partnership with the artists and BAM staff members, study guides, and Artist Talk series, in conjunction with mainstage National Book Awards, in the spring. classes in art forms that young people may never programming, enriches audiences’ experience have had access to before. These programs include during the Next Wave Festival and the Winter/ The department also hosts master classes, Shakespeare Teaches, AfricanDanceBeat, Afri- Spring Season. The Iconic Artist Talk series, including the Backstage Seminar, a series of canMusicBeat, Dancing into the Future, Young launched as part of BAM’s 150th anniversary workshops on the process of theater-making Critics, Young Film Critics, Brooklyn Reads, Arts celebrations, features iconic artists and companies with BAM’s production staff and guest artists. & Justice, and our Screening programs, as well as examining the evolution of their work at BAM over topically diverse professional development work- the years through on-screen projections of original shops for teachers and administrators. footage and images from the BAM Hamm Archives. BAM Education also serves family audiences In September 2012, BAM launched On Truth Little Department of Education and Humanities Staff: Study Guide Writer:
Stephanie Hughley: VP Education & Humanities Nicole Kempskie is a playwright, lyricist and at NYU, was a contributing writer and professional Suzanne Youngerman, Ph.D.: Director of Educa- theatre and media educator. She currently man- development leader for the DOE’s Moving Image tion & Family Programs ages the School & Family Programs at the Paley Blueprint and served as a juror for the children’s John P. Tighe, DMA: Assistant Director Center for Media, is a teaching artist for BAM, a division of the International Emmy Awards. Violaine Huisman: Humanities Director lead facilitator for the Broadway Teacher’s Lab, John S. Foster, Ph.D.: Education Manager and is an Adjunct professor in CCNY’s Education Gwendolyn Kelso: Program Manager Theatre program. She has worked as a consultant Images courtesy of Photofest. Jennifer Leeson: Administrative Coordinator and teaching artist for NYC DOE, Arts Connection, Nathan Gelgud: Box Office Manager/Program TADA, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Step-Up Drama, Copyright © 2012 by Brooklyn Academy of Music Fugitive Associate the McCarter Theatre, North Shore Music Theatre, All rights reserved. No part of this book may be Lesley Hunter: Administrative Assistant VP of Music Theatre International, Tams-Witmark, Dis- reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any Education and Humanities ney, TheatreworksUSA, Broadway Classroom, and means, electronic or mechanical, including photog- Rebecca Dragonetti: Administrative Assistant is the co-founder of Brooklyn Children’s Theatre. raphy, recording, or by any information storage and Molly Silberberg: Humanities Assistant Her most recent full-length musical, Helen on retrieval system, without permission in writing from Rebekah Gordon: Education Assistant 86th St., premiered Off-Broadway in the spring of the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Hannah Max: Humanities Intern 2010. She holds an MA in Theatre and Sociology Creditsfrom the Gallatin School