Searched and searched, but can't find the title

[sidneythelawyer]

I've been searching the net, but as I don't know any part of the title or the actors names, I can't seem to find any information on a movie I saw a few years ago on TCM.

The movie goes a bit like this:

The main character is a man that is unemployed, raising a young boy in an apartment above an unused chinese restaurant. He used to write for a tv show, but couldn't stand being confined in that type of lifestyle. Because he is unemployed, a female social worker is now trying to take away the boy.

 

The boy doesn't have a name, it simply changes from year to year because the Main Character believes in letting the kid be as independent as he can. The man is rather eccentric in his behavior, the most memorable thing being that he loves to walk around the empty streets in the early morning and yell at the sleeping people's homes.

 

By the end of the movie, he finds himself employed again in order to keep the kid, as he finds he has no other choice (though the lady social worker has helped him as much as she can). The ending scene has him walking to work in the empty streets again, and he almost begins to yell at everyone sleeping, but he lowers his head an continues on his way.

 

The film is black and white, but I can't remember the year or any actor/actress/director names. Any help with the title, etc. would be greatly appreciated!

[musicalnovelty]

I saw part of something on TCM recently that sounds like that. I believe it was "A Thousand Clowns" (1965) starring Jason Robards, Barbara Harris, and Barry Gordon as the boy.

 

I'm sure some of our regular TCM movie experts who are more familiar with it can tell you more, and help you to figure out if this is the movie you're asking about.

 

I hope this helps.

[sidneythelawyer]

I think that may be exactly the movie I'm looking for! Thank you very much,. now I just have to get to a store or somewhere and find a copy...