In light of Disney's newly Tony Award-anointed musical Newsies (and Jeff Kurtti's article about Walt and Newsies), I thought it was an opportune time to mention that Walt Disney showcased his own "newsie," Gallegher, on Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. Though Gallegher wasn't a newsboy like the characters in the Broadway show, he was a copy boy on an 1890s newspaper who wanted to be a reporter—and in fact proved himself a headline-hunting scribe better than his elders in every episode. And his trademark cap was very much in the Newsies tradition. The photo above gives a glimpse at the detailed sets, props and costumes created for this elaborate TV series. For those who haven't already seen it, you can "read all about it" in the D23 article I wrote about Walt Disney's "Gallegher," starring the always-excellent Roger Mobley.
Since we can never get enough of Disney historian and author Jeff Kurtti, here's some news that's (not so) coincidentally about the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Newsies. As many of you probably already know, Disney Insider has just launched a weekly feature by Disney historian/author Jeff Kurtti. Entitled The Wonderful World of Walt, this will be a weekly must-read for all Disney fans. The first installment, centering on the Tony Award-winning Newsies, was just posted. What does Newsies have to with Walt, you ask? (Well, some of you may be asking... many of you already know there is a connection.) Read this all-new online article and find out, and be sure and check out The Wonderful World of Walt by Jeff Kurtti each and every week.
