Film

A Shoeshine Boy

1961 · 1h 27m · Drama

Following the death of his parents, Yeong-cheol shines shoes in the streets, struggling to care for his sick younger sister Yeong-hui and make ends meet. Despite the persuasive efforts of low-life criminal boss Wang-cho, pickpocket Jjang-gu, and prostitute Mi-hwa, Yeong-cheol vows to lead an honest life by looking after Yeong-hui with cigarette salesgirl Myeong-sun and helping newly arrived shoeshine boy Dong-seok settle in. However, a tragic accident forces Yeong-cheol to make an important decision that may change his life. ※ Sharing the same Korean title with Vittorio De Sica’s classic Shoeshine (1946), this film was noted at the time of release for its strong neorealistic approach. All of the picture elements have been lost and only 4 original sound negative reels (around 40 minutes) survive today. The plot summary and scene descriptions have been added in the form of title cards as well as a selection of production stills to aid the viewing experience.

Park Gwang-su

Yeongcheol

Park Geum-hui

Younghee

Kim Yeong-ok

Myung Soon

Nam Chun-yeok

Mr. Lee

Chu Seok-yang

Padrone

Lee Jongha

Park Jeong-eun

Jo Mi-ryeong

Kim Hee-kap

Jeong Ae-ran

Myung Soon-mo

Lee Kyeong-hui

Soonyoung Mo

Han Mi-na

Anna

Lee Gil-eok

Jeon Se-gwon

Gilman

Yoon Wang-gook

Choi Sam

Sergeant

• Hyeon Sang-yeolDirector
• Suk LeeScreenplay
• Jeong Hwa-seProducer
• Lee YeolProducer
• Tae Kil-seongDirector of Photography
• Hui-yeong ParkEditor

Release date

August 1, 1961

Status

Released

Original language

Korean

Runtime

1h 27m

Genres

Drama