Daily Dialogue — March 30, 2016

EXT. SIDEWALK — BARE-KNUCKLED BOXERS — DAY

duke it out as sidewalk spectators watch. The boys work the crowd, each in his own style —

DAVID: (the rookie) Extra, ‘Trolley strike drags on!’
JACK: (the master) Nextry, nextry — ‘Ellis Island in flames — big con-fla-gration!’
DAVID: What — ? Where’s that story — ?
JACK: (making sales) Page nine — thank you, sir. Nextry, ‘Thousands flee in panic — ‘
DAVID: (on page nine) ‘Trash fire near immigration building frightens seagulls — ?’
JACK: ‘Terrified flight from flaming inferno!’ Thank you, much obliged —

David is incredulous — then sees Les by the boxers moving up to a spectator, assuming a pathetic look.

LES: Buy me last pape, mista…?

He coughs, Camille-like. Makes the sale. Down the sidewalk Jack nods approvingly; David is disgusted.

DAVID: Our father taught us not to lie.
JACK: Mine taught me not to starve. So we both got an education.
DAVID: You just make things up — like those headlines.
JACK: I don’t do nothin’ the guys who write this stuff don’t do. It ain’t lyin’ — it’s just improvin’ the truth a little.

— Newsies (1992), written by Bob Tzudiker, Noni White

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Parental advice, suggested by Michael Waters. Today’s suggestion by Will King.

Trivia: Originally intended as a drama, not a musical.

Dialogue On Dialogue: Commentary by Will: “In turn-of-the-century New York City, David Jacobs and his younger brother Les are forced to take up jobs as newsies when their father is incapacitated. Les learns quickly from orphan Jack Kelly how to work the streets, which concerns David. In this short exchange, both young men establish their relative moral positions by expressing what they were taught by their fathers.”