A down-and-out crook on the lam befriends a young street urchin, in an Italian port city. At first amused that the boy is a sneak thief, he tries to deflects the kid from a life of crime. Tipped off by a woman anxious to collect the reward for him (who is wanted for murder), the police pursue the two lost souls.
There is something familiar about this film - it reminded me a little of "Hunted" (also from 1952). Paul Muni is a homeless man who happens upon a young boy "Giacomo" (Vittorio Mununta), who has resorted to petty theft after he accidentally lost the money to buy the milk for him and his impoverished mother (Luisa Rossi) - and a bit of a tragic confrontation ensues between the pair and the elderly shopkeeper. In panic, they end up hiding in the same place, and after repeated attempts to get shot of the young lad, the two start to bond whilst trying to avoid the pursuing Carabinieri. It's an odd film to watch - it's really about the relationship between the two, but Joseph Losey doesn't really give us very much to work with. The script is really dry and though young Mununta is quite engaging, none of the adult performances really take off. Unlike "Hunted" - the film lacks focus and meanders along to a pretty predictable denouement just a bit too haphazardly as to be compelling. It is only 90 minutes but seems quite a bit longer and I doubt anyone would call it their best work.