''Newsboys' Home'' is a 1938

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

that starred

Jackie Cooper John Cooper Jr. (September 15, 1922 – May 3, 2011) was an American actor, television director, producer, and executive, known universally as Jackie Cooper. He was a child actor who made the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first ...

and ''

The Little Tough Guys ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...

''.

Plot

When his father, a small town sheriff, is slain by a big city gangster, "Rifle" Edwards becomes a homeless vagabond, drifting from town to town. Arriving broke and hungry in a large metropolis, he seeks food and shelter at the Newsboys' Home, where the kids force him to fight an amateur bout with the champ, Danny Shay, before he can eat. When Rifle knocks Danny out, the country boy is accepted into the gang of newsies. He goes to work selling the ''Globe'', which is published by Howard Price Dutton, the founder and benefactor of the home. When Dutton dies, his daughter Gwen becomes the new publisher. ''Globe'' reporter Perry Warner is in love with Gwen, but they quarrel over her ideas about turning the ''Globe'' into a highbrow paper. Perry warns Gwen that she will ruin the paper, but she is stubborn and refuses to listen. Meanwhile, Tom Davenport, a crooked politician, buys the opposition paper, the ''Star'', in order to swing the election for his candidates, and tries to bribe Perry to work for him. After Perry refuses, Davenport starts a ruthless circulation war, and ''Globe'' sales begin to fall off dramatically. Gwen still refuses to heed Perry's advice and abandon her disastrous editorial policies, and in frustration, Perry quits and leaves on a trip. When the ''Globe'' can no longer support the Newsboys' Home, Danny and some of the boys go to work for Bartsch on the ''Star'', leaving only Rifle and Sailor behind at the ''Globe''. Perry returns to find the ''Globe'' in dire straits and Gwen tearfully refutes her policies. Assuming editorship of the paper, Perry sets out to whip the ''Star'' at its own game. Growing bolder, Davenport hires mobster Francis Barber to escalate the circulation war, and ''Globe'' trucks are wrecked, newsstands smashed and burned. The war comes to a climax when a street fight erupts during which boys from the two rival papers meet in open combat, and police squads are required to quell the riot. Angered because one of his pals has been shot by one of Barber's men, Danny goes to Barber to quit his job while Rifle follows the gangsters to Barber, whom he recognizes as his father's killer. Barber and his men are preparing to take Rifle "for a ride" when Danny and the newsboys stage a sensational rescue in which they take Barber prisoner and turn him over to the police. With the newspaper war brought to a close, the ''Globe'' regains its popularity and Gwen and Perry are married.

Cast

The Little Tough Guys

* Harris Berger as Sailor *

Hally Chester Hal E. Chester (born Harold Ribotsky; March 6, 1921 – March 25, 2012), was an American film producer, writer, director, and former juvenile actor. Early life and career Born in Brooklyn, New York City, he was the youngest of seven child ...

as Murphy * Charles Duncan as Monk *

David Gorcey David Gorcey (February 6, 1921 – October 23, 1984) was an American actor and the younger brother of actor Leo Gorcey. Gorcey is best known for portraying "Chuck Anderson" in Monogram Pictures' film series The Bowery Boys, and "Pee Wee" in i ...

as Yap * William Benedict as Trouble

Additional cast

as "Rifle" Edwards * Edmund Lowe as Perry Warner * Wendy Barrie as Gwen Dutton * Edward Norris as Francis 'Frankie' Barber *

Samuel S. Hinds Samuel Southey Hinds (April 4, 1875 – October 13, 1948) was an American actor and former lawyer. He was often cast as kindly authority figures and appeared in more than 200 films until his death. Early years Hinds was born in Brooklyn, New Y ...

as Howard Price Dutton * Irving Pichel as Tom Davenport *

Elisha Cook, Jr. Elisha Vanslyck Cook Jr. (December 26, 1903 – May 18, 1995) was an American character actor famed for his work in films noir. According to Bill Georgaris of TSPDT: They Shoot Pictures, Don't They, Cook appeared in a total of 21 film n ...

as Danny Shay *

Harry Beresford Harry J. Beresford (4 November 1863 – 4 October 1944) was an English-born actor on the American stage and in motion pictures. He used the professional name Harry J. Morgan early in his career. Career Harry Beresford began his acting career i ...

as O'Dowd * Horace McMahon as Bartsch * George McKay as Hartley

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Newsboys' Home 1938 films American black-and-white films Universal Pictures films Films directed by Harold Young (director) 1938 crime films American crime films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films