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Synopsis
A troubled Black boy struggles with isolation and an unhappy home life. The film follows an effort to help him form relationships and find emotional security, using documentary methods and staged passages to bring the child's experience into view.
Cast
DirectorsSidney Meyers
Behind the scenes
James Agee wrote the commentary, narrated by Gary Merrill, while photographer Helen Levitt contributed to both writing and cinematography. Their collaboration links documentary film to literary observation and street photography.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- Gary Merrill — PBS · Public domain
