Newsies
Theatrical release poster by John Alvin
Directed by	Kenny Ortega
Produced by	Michael Finnell
Written by	Bob Tzudiker Noni White
Starring	Christian Bale David Moscow Luke Edwards Max Casella Gabriel Damon Marty Belafsky Bill Pullman Ann-Margret Ele Keats
Music by	Alan Menken J.A.C. Redford
Cinematography	Andrew Laszlo
Editing by	William H. Reynolds
Distributed by	Walt Disney Pictures
Release date(s)	April 10, 1992
Running time	121 minutes (approx.)
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$15 million USD (estimated)
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Newsies is a 1992 Disney live action film musical starring Christian Bale, David Moscow, and Bill Pullman. Robert Duvall and Ann-Margret also appeared in supporting roles. The movie gained a cult following after its initial failure at the box office. The film marked the directorial debut of choreographer Kenny Ortega (Dirty Dancing, High School Musical) and featured the music of composer Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin). Blade Runner illustration by John Alvin John Alvin (Born in Mass. ... Kenny Ortega (b. ... Michael Finnell is a film producer active from the 1970s to the present. ... Christian Charles Philip Bale (also known professionally as Christian Morgan Bale; born 30 January 1974) is a Screen Actors Guild Award-nominated, Saturn Award-winning Welsh actor[2][3] whose film credits include Empire of the Sun, American Psycho, Equilibrium, The Machinist, Batman Begins and the upcoming The Dark Knight. ... David Raphael Moscow (born 14 November 1974) is an American actor. ... Lucas Daniel Edwards (b. ... Max Casella as Benny Fazio Max Casella (born June 6, 1967) is an American actor. ... Gabriel Damon as Spot Conlon in the film Newsies Gabriel Damon (born April 23, 1976 in Reno, Nevada) is an American actor. ... William Pullman (born December 17, 1953) is an American film and television actor. ... Ann-Margret Ann-Margret (born April 28, 1941) is a Swedish-born actress and singer. ... Alan Menken (born July 22, 1949) is an American Broadway and Academy Award winning film score composer. ... William H. Reynolds (1910 - 1997) was an American Academy Award-winning film editor. ... Old logo from 1985-2006 Walt Disney Pictures refers to several different entities associated with The Walt Disney Company: Walt Disney Pictures, the film banner, was established as a designation in 1983, prior to which Disney films since the death of Walt Disney were released under the name of the... is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... USD redirects here. ... The year 1992 in film involved many significant films. ... Old logo from 1985-2006 Walt Disney Pictures refers to several different entities associated with The Walt Disney Company: Walt Disney Pictures, the film banner, was established as a designation in 1983, prior to which Disney films since the death of Walt Disney were released under the name of the... In film and video, live action refers to works that are acted out by flesh-and-blood actors, as opposed to animation. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... The musical film is a film genre in which several songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative. ... Christian Charles Philip Bale (also known professionally as Christian Morgan Bale; born 30 January 1974) is a Screen Actors Guild Award-nominated, Saturn Award-winning Welsh actor[2][3] whose film credits include Empire of the Sun, American Psycho, Equilibrium, The Machinist, Batman Begins and the upcoming The Dark Knight. ... David Raphael Moscow (born 14 November 1974) is an American actor. ... William Pullman (born December 17, 1953) is an American film and television actor. ... Robert Selden Duvall (born January 5, 1931) is an Academy Award-, two-time Emmy Award-, and four-time Golden Globe Award-winning American film actor and director. ... Ann-Margret Ann-Margret (born April 28, 1941) is a Swedish-born actress and singer. ... This article does not discuss cultist groups, personality cults, or cult in its original sense of religious practice. See cult (disambiguation) for more meanings of the term cult. A cult following is a group of fans devoted to a specific area of pop culture. ... Choreography (also known as dance composition) is the art of making structures in which movement occurs, the term composition may also refer to the navigation or connection of these movement structures. ... Kenny Ortega (b. ... Dirty Dancing is a 1987 romance film credited as being one of the most watched films of all time, particularly among women. ... For other uses, see High School Musical (disambiguation). ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... Alan Menken (born July 22, 1949) is an American Broadway and Academy Award winning film score composer. ... This article is about the musical. ... The Little Mermaid is a 1989 Academy Award-winning animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation with pencil test began on September 23, 1988 and first released on November 17, 1989 by Walt Disney Pictures. ... Beauty and the Beast is an American animated film, the 30th animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation . ... This article is about the Disney film. ...

Although the film was not originally intended to be a musical, it contains twelve songs and multiple dance sequences (for which the young cast trained for approximately 10 weeks). Musical highlights include "Carrying the Banner," "Santa Fe," "Seize The Day," and "King of New York."

Newsies was not a commercial success when first released; in fact, it ranked among the highest-costing and lowest-grossing Disney live-action films in the studio's history (due to it being released on the day as FernGully: The Last Rainforest). Movie critic/historian Leonard Maltin even christened it "Howard the Paperboy" (in reference to another infamous box-office flop, Howard the Duck). Disney may refer to: The Walt Disney Company and its divisions, including Walt Disney Pictures. ... In film and video, live action refers to works that are acted out by human actors, as opposed to animation. ... Film may refer to: photographic film a motion picture in academics, the study of motion pictures as an art form a thin skin or membrane, or any covering or coating, whether transparent or opaque a thin layer of liquid, either on a solid or liquid surface or free-standing Film... Leonard Maltin (born December 18, 1950 in New York City) is a widely known and respected American film critic. ... Howard the Duck (also known as Howard: A New Breed of Hero in Europe), is a 1986 live-action film produced by Lucasfilm and Universal Pictures, directed by Willard Huyck from a script by Huyck and his wife Gloria Katz. ...

However, the picture gained fans when it was released on VHS and was played on the Disney Channel. After much petitioning, Newsies was released on DVD in 2002. It has since gained a modest yet enthusiastic cult following.^{[citation needed]} Bottom view of VHS cassette with magnetic tape exposed Top view of VHS cassette with front casing removed The Video Home System, better known by its abbreviation VHS, is a recording and playing standard. ... For the Disney Channel in other countries, see Disney Channel around the world. ... This article does not discuss cultist groups, personality cults, or cult in its original sense of religious practice. See cult (disambiguation) for more meanings of the term cult. A cult following is a group of fans devoted to a specific area of pop culture. ...

Plot

Newsies is based on the true story of the Newsboys Strike of 1899 in New York City. Thousands of homeless children are living in Newsboys Lodging Houses, including Manhattan newsboy Jack "Cowboy" Kelly (Christian Bale), who is a regular newsboy selling newspapers for Joseph Pulitzer (Robert Duvall) and his paper, the New York World. Jack "Cowboy" Kelly has a dream of escaping NYC to go to Santa Fe, NM. David Jacobs (David Moscow) leaves school temporarily and joins the newsies along with his little brother Les (Luke Edwards) to help his family while his father is out of work because of a broken arm. Soon, Jack and David become good friends, David introduces Jack to his family, and Jack falls in love with Sarah, David's sister. Shortly afterward, the price of newspapers for purchase by the newsboys is raised 10 cents per 100 papers, decided by joint decision of Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. The Newsboys Strike of 1899 was a youth-led campaign to force change in the way that Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst compensated their child labor force. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Christian Charles Philip Bale (also known professionally as Christian Morgan Bale; born 30 January 1974) is a Screen Actors Guild Award-nominated, Saturn Award-winning Welsh actor[2][3] whose film credits include Empire of the Sun, American Psycho, Equilibrium, The Machinist, Batman Begins and the upcoming The Dark Knight. ... Joseph Pulitzer Joseph Pulitzer (April 18, 1847 – October 29, 1911) was a Hungarian-American publisher best known for posthumously establishing the Pulitzer Prizes and (along with William Randolph Hearst) for originating yellow journalism. ... Robert Selden Duvall (born January 5, 1931) is an Academy Award-, two-time Emmy Award-, and four-time Golden Globe Award-winning American film actor and director. ... The New York World was a newspaper published in New York from 1860 until 1931. ... David Raphael Moscow (born 14 November 1974) is an American actor. ... Lucas Daniel Edwards (b. ... For other people named William Randolph Hearst, see William Randolph Hearst (disambiguation) William Randolph Hearst I (April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American newspaper magnate. ...

Feeling they will be unable to bear the added cost, Jack Kelly organizes a strike with the aid of David Jacobs. As the protagonist, Jack Kelly struggles with his past as he forms an important friendship with David and his family. Between his dream of one day going to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and currently wanting to help his friends, he faces lots of difficult decisions involving money and lodging. Along the way, the boys are aided by newspaper reporter Bryan Denton (Bill Pullman) and vaudeville performer Medda Larkson (Ann-Margret), as well as being hindered by Snyder, warden of "The Refuge" juvenile detention facility (Kevin Tighe). Jack and the newsies gain the cooperation of every newsie from New York and Brooklyn to team up and strike against the big-shot newspapermen. William Pullman (born December 17, 1953) is an American film and television actor. ... This article is about the musical variety theatre. ... Ann-Margret Ann-Margret (born April 28, 1941) is a Swedish-born actress and singer. ... Kevin Tighe (born August 13, 1944 in Los Angeles) is an American actor best remembered for his role as Roy DeSoto on the TV series Emergency! from 1972 to 1979. ...

Cast

• Christian Bale as Jack Kelly/Francis Sullivan
• David Moscow as David Jacobs
• Bill Pullman as Bryan Denton
• Robert Duvall as Joseph Pulitzer
• Alan Menken as William Randolph Hearst
• Ann-Margret as Medda Larkson
• Luke Edwards as Les Jacobs
• Max Casella as Racetrack Higgins
• Marty Belafsky as Crutchy
• Gabriel Damon as Spot Conlon
• Aaron Lohr as Mush Meyers
• Dominic Lucero as Bumlets
• David Sidoni as Pie Eater
• Mark David as Specs
• Ivan Dudynsky as Dutchy
• Arvie Lowe Jr. as Boots
• Kevin Stea as Swifty
• Michael A. Goorjian as Skittery
• Trey Parker as Kid Blink
• Joseph Conrad as Jake
• Robert Feeney as Snoddy
• Dominic Maldonado as Itey
• Dee Caspary as Snitch
• Matthew Fields as Snipeshooter
• Shon Greenblatt as Oscar Delancey
• Ele Keats as Sarah Jacobs
• Michael Lerner as Weasel

Christian Charles Philip Bale (also known professionally as Christian Morgan Bale; born 30 January 1974) is a Screen Actors Guild Award-nominated, Saturn Award-winning Welsh actor[2][3] whose film credits include Empire of the Sun, American Psycho, Equilibrium, The Machinist, Batman Begins and the upcoming The Dark Knight. ... David Raphael Moscow (born 14 November 1974) is an American actor. ... William Pullman (born December 17, 1953) is an American film and television actor. ... Robert Selden Duvall (born January 5, 1931) is an Academy Award-, two-time Emmy Award-, and four-time Golden Globe Award-winning American film actor and director. ... Alan Menken (born July 22, 1949) is an American Broadway and Academy Award winning film score composer. ... Ann-Margret Ann-Margret (born April 28, 1941) is a Swedish-born actress and singer. ... Lucas Daniel Edwards (b. ... Max Casella as Benny Fazio Max Casella (born June 6, 1967) is an American actor. ... Gabriel Damon as Spot Conlon in the film Newsies Gabriel Damon (born April 23, 1976 in Reno, Nevada) is an American actor. ... Aaron Lohr (born April 2, 1976) is an American actor and singer. ... Dominic Lucero (1967-1994) was an American actor, dancer and singer. ... David Sidoni (born March 8, 1970 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor, and TV personality best known for his roles in TV shows such as Roundhouse and later Mad Libs. ... Arvie Lowe Jr. ... Kevin Alexander Stea (born 17 October 1970, in Hollywood, California, USA) is a dancer, choreographer, actor and model. ... Michael Antranig Goorjian (born February 4, 1971) is an American actor and filmmaker. ... Shon Greenblatt (born in Rockland County, New York, USA) is an American actor who starred in movies. ... Michael Lerner (born June 22, 1941) is an Academy-Award nominated American character actor. ...

Soundtrack

The album cover from the soundtrack.

The soundtrack to Newsies was released in 1992 by Disney. A remastered reissue was released in 2001. The music was composed by Alan Menken and the lyrics were written by Jack Feldman. An album cover is a cover used to package commercial audio recordings such as the printed cardboard covers that were typically used to package 12 gramophone records from the 1960s through to the 1980s when the 12 record was the major format for distribution of popular music. ... In film formats, the soundtrack is the physical area of the film which records the synchronized sound. ... Remaster (and its derivations, frequently found in the phrases digitally remastered or digital remastering) is a word and concept ushered into the mass consciousness via the digital age, although it had existed before then. ... A reissue or re-release is the new or repeated issue of an item. ... Alan Menken (born July 22, 1949) is an American Broadway and Academy Award winning film score composer. ...

Track listing

1. Prologue – 0:48
2. Carrying the Banner – 6:15
3. Santa Fe – 4:18
4. My Lovey-Dovey Baby – 1:30
5. Fightin' Irish: Strike Action – 1:50
6. The World Will Know – 3:20
7. Escape from Snyder – 2:08
8. Seize the Day – 2:01
9. King of New York – 2:25
10. High Times, Hard Times – 2:54
11. Seize the Day (Chorale) – 1:12
12. Santa Fe (Reprise) – 1:50
13. Rooftop – 3:13
14. Once and for All – 2:24
15. The World Will Know (Reprise) – 1:50
16. Carrying the Banner (Finale) – 6:22

Reaction

Newsies received harsh reviews from most critics and audiences and made $2,819,485 at the U.S. box office, and became a box office bomb. On Rotten Tomatoes, its average score was 29%. Cleopatra is the biggest box-office bomb of all time. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

The movie briefly garnered some controversy for featuring a heavily male-dominated cast. Many feminists protested the film during screenings because of the lack of strong female characters, especially since it was released a year after Thelma & Louise. After it was explained that the movie was set in a time when women did not have many rights and was based on actual events, the feminists eventually backed off. However, the controversy hurt the film's popularity. The movie has gained popularity in recent years. Thelma & Louise is a 1991 film, written by Callie Khouri and directed by Ridley Scott. ...

Stage Adaptation

Music Theater International is currently working on a stage adaptation of Newsies. In an e-mail response to a question, an MTI employee stated that "at this time, the performance rights to NEWSIES are still not available and a release date has not been set, although we are hopeful that a stage adaptation might finally be available sometime in 2008-2009".

Historical Basis

The film is loosely based on the actual New York City Newsboys Strike of 1899, which began on July 20 and ended on August 2. The conflict was resolved when the newspapers agreed to buy back all unsold newspapers. New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... The Newsboys Strike of 1899 was a youth-led campaign to force change in the way that Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst compensated their child labor force. ...

See also

• Newsboys Strike of 1899
• Kenny Ortega
• Union Organizer

The Newsboys Strike of 1899 was a youth-led campaign to force change in the way that Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst compensated their child labor force. ... Kenny Ortega (b. ... A union organizer (sometimes spelled organiser) is one type of employee or elected official of a trade union. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Newsies

• Newsies at the Internet Movie Database
• Newsies at Rotten Tomatoes
• NML: Newsies Mailing List
• NJ: Newsies Junkie
• Movie stills