by Clarke Fountain
synopsis
Johnny Monroe may be small in stature, but size is no measure of a person's capacity to enjoy life. In this touching buddy-picture, Monroe, a little person, befriends a young mute man after the lad saves him from a beating by some toughs. Johnny is actively involved in the criminal world but is very much of an outsider, confined to petty violations of the law. Johnny treats Ben, who lost his voice in a boyhood accident, to a view of life in a very different world than he has known, giving him his first encounter with a prostitute, the experience of a first (small) theft, and an elegant dinner at a very fancy restaurant.
