A Pebble by the Wayside (1938): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1938, A Pebble by the Wayside is a drama film directed by Tomotaka Tasaka, running about 131 minutes. “Adaptation of Yamamoto Yuzo's novel.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Tomotaka Tasaka's A Pebble by the Wayside (Robo no Ishi), made in 1938 and taken from a Yuzo Yamamoto novel, takes place around 1902, was about a young boy brought up entirely by his mother since his drunken father is never home. An intelligent teacher wants to send him to middle school, but instead the father apprentices him to a clothing store to which he is in debt. The mother dies and the boy is forced to quit work when his father insults the store owner. Later the boy goes to Tokyo, but only to continue his hardships. First he is forced to do a maid's job at a boarding house and later is used by an old woman to steal at funerals. Finally he is rescued by the teacher, whom he meets in Tokyo.

Who’s in it. A Pebble by the Wayside stars Akihiko Katayama as Goichi Aikawa, Reizaburô Yamamoto, Hisako Takihana as Goichi's mother - Oren and Shirô Izome as Yuriko, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.0/10, A Pebble by the Wayside has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch A Pebble by the Wayside page.

If you liked it. Fans of A Pebble by the Wayside tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.