April 10, 1992 – The Live-Action Musical Film Newsies is Released to Theaters
“Pulitzer and Hearst, they think we’re nothing! Are we nothing? No!”
On April 10, 1992, the live-action musical film Newsies was released to theaters. Based on a true story of the Newsboys’ Strike of 1899, the film tells the story of Jack Kelly and his band of newsboys (“newsies”) who take on Joseph Pulitzer (owner of the newspaper The World) when Pulitzer decides to up the price that the newsies pay to buy their papers to sell on the street. The film was a box office flop, but has since gained a strong cult following, and has been turned into a successful Broadway musical. Newsies was the directorial debut of Kenny Ortega, with screenplay by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White, and music written by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman, with underscore by J.A.C. Redford. It stars Christian Bale as Jack Kelly, David Moscow as David Jacobs, Bill Pullman as Bryan Denton, Robert Duvall as Joseph Pulitzer, and Ann-Margaret as Medda.
Set in New York City in 1899, the story begins with the newsies waking up to begin their day at the Newsboy’s Lodging House. They sing about “carrying the banner,” discussing the best ways of selling papers and lamenting the bad headlines they have to pedal, as they suffer if they can’t sell every paper. Leader Jack “Cowboy” Kelly rallies the boys’ spirits, especially after outsmarting the notorious Delancey Brothers, who torment the newsies and hide behind their uncle, who provides the newsies their papers. Observing this are new newsboys David and his little brother, Les. Les immediately admires Jack, but David is much more reserved. Jack and David strike up a reluctant partnership, with Jack wanting to capitalize on Les’s cuteness, and David needing to learn the ropes. As David, Les, and Jack head out to hawk the headline, Jack gives David the first important lesson: “Headlines don’t sell papes, newsies sell papes.”
Jack introduces David and Les to Medda, a friend of his, who protects them from Warden Snyder
As the newsies head out to their task, Joseph Pulitzer sits in his office, angered over the horrible headline in his publication. He and his team are trying to come up with a way to put more money in his pocket. Meanwhile Jack, David, and Les are sidetracked at a boxing match, where they soon have to flee when Jack’s appearance catches the attention of Warden Snyder, who calls Jack “Sullivan” and threatens to take him back to “the Refuge.” The three take shelter in Irving Hall, where Jack tells the two why Synder was chasing him – Jack escaped from the refuge, which is a jail for kids. They are soon discovered in Irving Hall by the owner, singer Medda Larkson, a friend of Jack’s who lets them stay until Snyder is done looking for them. Jack then reveals why he’s called “cowboy” – he longs to move to Santa Fe, where his parents are supposedly looking for a ranch. That evening, David and Les head home, with Jack accompanying them. He meets David’s family and joins them for dinner, and immediately falls for David’s sister, Sarah. David reveals to Jack that he had to start working to support his family, as his father was injured and lost his job as a result, as he had no union to protect him. David and Jack soon become best friends, finally understanding each other.
The next morning, the newsies are dismayed to find that Pulitzer’s grand solution to get more money is to charge the newsies more for their papers. Inspired by his talk with David about his father, Jack believes that the best course of action for the newsies is to go on strike, beginning the formation of a newsboys union. David tries to talk him out of this, but is soon roped in as the advisor to Jack’s plans, with Jack attempting to gather all the newsboys in New York. With Jack as the voice of the people, and David as the brains of it all, the strike is effectively on. Jack’s first action is to bring the demands of the newsboys to Pulitzer himself – unfortunately, this does not go well. They soon catch the attention of reporter Bryan Denton, who takes Jack, Les, and David to lunch to discuss their plans, advising them that they need to make their story worth being in the papers.
Jack, David, and Boots head to Brooklyn to meet with famous newsie Spot Conlon, who has reservations about the strike
The other newsies are sent out as ambassadors to gather the other newsies in the city, and Jack, Boots, and David head to Brooklyn to convince influential newsie Spot Conlon to join. Spot is not convinced that Jack’s newsies are going to follow through on their threat of strike, even though David claims that Spot is the key to creating a real newsboy union. When they prove that they won’t run at the first sign of danger, Spot may be convinced to join. The boys prove that they are in it for the long haul when they trash the distribution center, but at a price, as their friend, the crippled Crutchy, is taken by the Delancey Brothers and beaten, then taken to the Refuge. Jack and David head to the Refuge late at night to break Crutchy out, but Crutchy refuses to go, as his already injured leg is worse from the beating. When the newsies attempt to trash the distribution center again, members of the Irish Mob are there to greet them. Fortunately, Spot Conlon stays true to his word, with Spot and the Brooklyn newsies assisting Jack and his boys. The newsies have another victory in their strike, and Denton takes a picture after their triumph. Jack then decides that to get the attention of the other papers, the newsboys will have a rally with every newsboy across the city.
With his picture in the paper, Snyder identifies Jack, and heads to the Newsboys’ Lodging House to find the runaway, but the newsboys cover for Jack and keep him safe. Snyder then heads to Pulitzer directly, using his information on Jack to get the police to charge in at the raid and grab Jack. After Snyder’s appearance at the Lodging House, Jack runs to David’s apartment and sleeps in the stairway outside Sarah’s room. The two share breakfast on the roof, with Sarah visibly upset when Jack talks about how he’s ready for the strike to end and he can leave for Santa Fe. The rally is held at Irving Hall, which is soon crashed by Snyder and the police, who arrest several newsies, including Jack. At the trial, the truth about Jack comes out: his real name is Francis Sullivan, with his father a convicted criminal currently in prison, and his mother passed away. Jack is sent back to the Refuge until the age of 21, and the newsies gather to hear from Denton that none of the newspapers reported on the rally, nor will they cover any strike news. Denton then says he’s been reassigned, and is leaving New York. With so many blows, the newsies fall into depression, and David takes over leadership, trusting no one but the newsies from now on.
Pulitzer threatens Jack that, should he not work for him, David and his family will suffer
David plans a rescue of Jack from the Refuge, but sees that he is taken to Pulitzer’s, who offers Jack a chance for a new life, so long as he starts selling papers again. When Jack refuses, Pulitzer threatens David and his family, which has Jack agreeing in order to save his friend. The newsies are dismayed and angered when they see that Jack has crossed over the picket line, with David especially hurt by the betrayal. Jack redeems himself when he protects Sarah, Les, and David from the Delancey Brothers. Having broken his agreement with Pulitzer, Jack now firmly rejoins the newsies union. The group then heads to Denton’s, where he reveals that all of the children working in New York are listening to the newsies, and they plan to print their own paper, revealing the truth to all of New York, secretly using one of Pulitzer’s old presses to print their paper.
The newsies wait nervously for the child workers of the city to arrive to strike, and when they do, they arrive by the hundreds, shouting for the world (and the World) to hear. Jack is then called in to see Pulitzer, who demands that Jack give the name of the person who printed the Newsies Banner. When Jack reveals that Pulitzer owns the press on which it was printed, Pulitzer is speechless. He is powerless against all of the children of New York, and Jack heads back to the crowd, announcing their victory. The kids from the Refuge are free, and Snyder is imprisoned for fraud, as he would steal the funding meant for the children and put it in his own pocket. Crutchy reveals that Governor Theodore Roosevelt stormed in and demanded that things at the Refuge be set right. Denton then tells Jack that Roosevelt has offered Jack a ride to the train station to head to Santa Fe. Jack heads to the train station, leaving a heartbroken David, Les, and Sarah. Things quickly return to normal, with the kids resuming their duties as newsies, when Jack suddenly returns, admitting that he now knows where he belongs.
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