12-ish-year old Lennie is tired of looking after his 7-year old brother Joey, who loves to play cowboy. When Lennie gets some money for his birthday, he plans on going to Coney Island with his friends. But their mother needs to leave town to visit a sick relative, leaving Lennie to look after Joey and cancelling his plans of birthday.
One of the friends has a rifle which they play around with in an empty lot, and they trick Joey into thinking he shot Lennie, with the evidence of ketchup blood, but don't think beyond the joke they are playing. One friend tells Joey he should go on the lam and gives him Lennie's harmonica, further convincing him that Lennie is indeed dead.
The film then divides the brothers, at first showing Joey being liberated to do as he pleases--he feeds his love for horses by riding the merry go round, takes a photo dressed as a cowboy and earns money to ride real ponies. Meanwhile Lennie is worrying at home and wondering where he went.
There are feelings of anxiousness now and then, with Lennie's anxiety as expected increasing as their mother's return nears. He seems to fear more her upset that he was irresponsible more than any fear that Joey is in danger. Those were the days, when young kids were out and about without adult supervision!
The score is harmonica music, variations on Home on the Range, playing up both Joey's love of horses and Lennie's birthday harmonica. The more recent remake took a harder look at the broken family aspect of the story, but this version, starring mostly untrained actors, among them the engaging Richie Andrusco as Joey, is just as original and endearing after several decades.
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