Newsies (1992)
Animal Action
Horse drawn vehicles such as carriages, trollies and wagons are seen throughout the film primarily as atmosphere. Most of the action was basic A to B movement allowing the horses ample breaks. Jack’s friend Dave plans Jack’s escape by secretly removing a lynch pin from a carriage so that the horse will take off without the carriage. The horse was protected with special boots to avoid any possible slipping and was also controlled by wranglers who were strategically out of camera range. When the police arrive to break up the rally outside of the theater, some enter the lobby mounted on horses. During the melee a horse rears. This was accomplished by a trained rearing horse, accustomed to film making and people, simply responding to his trainer’s cues. Pigeons in a coop add atmosphere to a scene that takes place on a tenement rooftop. Dead poultry hanging from street vendor’s stalls were fake props.
