Napoleon and Samantha 1972

Eleven-year-old Napoleon [Johnny Whitaker] lives with his grandfather. One day they meet Dimetri the Clown, [Vito Scotti], who cannot take the lion Major back to Europe. The lion, who has bad teeth and drinks only milk, ends up staying with them in a chicken cage while they figure out what to do.

When Napoleon’s grandfather dies, the boy asks Danny Arlington Williams III [Michael Douglas], a young grad student who now lives as a goat herder in the mountains, to help bury him. Facing an uncertain future, Napoleon flees with Major, a pet rooster, and his eight-year-old friend Samantha [Jodie Foster], hoping to find Danny so he won’t be sent to an orphanage.

Their journey is full of peril. Napoleon nearly falls off a cliff, but Major pulls him up with a rope. They must cross a river, a task Major dislikes since most cats fear water. A cougar attacks Napoleon’s rooster, but Major drives the predator away by chasing it up a tree. Later, a black bear roars and bears down on them; Major, tired but determined, rises to defend the children. The two beasts clash, the bear is driven off, and the trio presses on.

They finally locate Danny’s cabin. He takes them in but tries to persuade Napoleon that orphanages aren’t the end of the road. He leaves to find Samantha’s family, handing the kids over to a man named Mark Pierson [Rex Holman], hoping to keep them safe. Danny is soon arrested for kidnapping. While at the police station, he spots a photo of Mark, a dangerous psychopath, and he escapes to rescue the kids. He steals a motorcycle, sparks a police chase, and returns to the cabin where the wanted man is finally apprehended.

With things returning to a semblance of normal, Napoleon contemplates running away again with Major to live with the Indians. Danny catches up and explains that the Indians don’t live wild lives the way they once did. He suggests Napoleon give foster care a try, with a promise that Major can stay in the mountains with him. Napoleon agrees, and the trio heads back to Danny’s cabin, ready to begin a new chapter in their unusual family.