On the Right Track (1981)

Lester is a homeless shoeshine boy living in a railway station. He's got this funny knack for picking the winning horses' names out of the paper while shining shoes. When word gets around, ... See full summary »

Director:

Lee Philips

Writers:

Avery Buddy, Richard Moses,

Stars:

Gary Coleman, Maureen Stapleton, Norman Fell

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gary Coleman	...	Lester
Maureen Stapleton	...	Mary the Bag Lady
Norman Fell	...	The Mayor
Michael Lembeck	...	Frank Biscardi
Lisa Eilbacher	...	Jill Klein
Bill Russell	...	Robert
Herb Edelman	...	Sam
C. Thomas Cunliffe	...	Shoe Shine Concessioner
Belinda Bremner	...	Lady with Suitcase
Nathan Davis	...	Mario
Mike Bacarella	...	Sean
Jack Wasserman	...	Vito
Fern Persons	...	Flower Lady
Arthur Smith	...	Gerald
Mike Genovese	...	Louis

Storyline

Lester is a homeless shoeshine boy living in a railway station. He's got this funny knack for picking the winning horses' names out of the paper while shining shoes. When word gets around, though, everyone wants a piece of the action.

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Plot Keywords:

railway station | boy | railway | juvenile detention | race track | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 March 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Guy Could Get Killed Out There

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

TLP, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Zephyr Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Diff'rent Strokes' (2006)

User Reviews

A fun fantasy comedy with a star who was burning bright

I was born in the mid seventies and was fortunate enough to experience Gary Coleman mania first hand. Kids echoed his catch phrases and mannerisms, and I even had a shirt with his grin plastered in the middle. Although he is mostly remembered for Different Strokes and for some of his run-ins with the law I have and always will associate him with the movie On the Right Track. Here he played a young parent-less scamp in New York who lives in a locker at the train station. I will confess that a lot of the details of this film have eluded me over the years but as it was played so many times as a matinée movie on TV (remember how special those were?) a lot of the images are etched in my brain. The fact that a kid your age could survive in the big city alone and could get along seemingly just fine without adults made this the ultimate fantasy movie in my opinion. I would not hesitate to watch this film again or share it with someone young. A very good moral message rings true, there is no profanity or excessive violence, Gary Coleman was memorable and Norman Fell (Three's Company fame) pops up in an all to rare film appearance. All and all a nice time capsule of the period and an enjoyable family film..what I can remember anyway...