Fact1: convicted murderer asks to make confession on day of execution, Fact2: old friend runs home for indigent men in Omaha, Fact3: convicted man asks officials to leave, Fact4: Father Flanagan is transformed in humanitarian mission by revelations imparted by condemned man 's litany of hardships experienced as child without friends or family as ward of state, Fact5: Whitey 's older brother asks Father Flanagan to take in prison for murder Whitey to Boys Town
Output: A convicted murderer asks to make his confession on the day of his execution. He is visited by an old friend, Father Flanagan Spencer Tracy who runs a home for indigent men in Omaha, Nebraska. When the prison officials suggest that the condemned man owes the state a debt, Father Flanagan witnesses the condemned mans diatribe to prison officials and a reporter that describes his awful plight as a homeless and friendless boy who was a ward in state institutions. After the convicted man asks the officials to leave, Father Flanagan provides some comfort and wisdom. On the train back to Omaha, Father Flanagan is transformed in his humanitarian mission by revelations echoed in the words imparted by the condemned mans litany of hardships experienced as a child without friends or family as a ward of the state. Father Flanagan believes there is no such thing as a bad boy and spends his life attempting to prove it. He battles indifference, the legal system, and often even the boys, to build a sanctuary that he calls Boys Town. The boys have their own government, make their own rules, and dish out their own punishment. One boy, Whitey Marsh Mickey Rooney, is as much as anyone can handle. Whiteys older brother, in prison for murder, asks Father Flanagan to take Whitey — a poolroom shark and tough talking hoodlum — to Boys Town. Whiteys older brother escapes custody during transfer to federal prison. Whitey stays, though, and runs for mayor of Boys Town, determined to win with his dont be a sucker campaign slogan. When the boys instead elect handicapped Tony Ponessa Gene Reynolds and reject Whiteys shoddy campaigning, Whitey decides to leave. Only little Pee Wee Bobs Watson, the Boys Town mascot, catches up with him and pulls on his sleeve, pleading, “We’re going to be pals, ain’t we?” Whitey, nearly in tears refuses and pushes the child to the ground and tells him to go back. He then storms across the highway, and Pee Wee, caught in the tail wind, is too upset about his hero to think about oncoming traffic. When Pee Wee begins to cry, he is hit by a car, Whitey leaves, feeling guilty and hurt. He accidentally comes upon a bank robbery in Omaha and runs into Joe, who mistakenly shoots him in the leg. Joe takes Whitey to a church and calls Flanagan anonymously, after which Whitey is taken back to Boys Town. The sheriff comes to get Whitey, but Flanagan offers to take full responsibility for the boy. Whitey refuses to tell Flanagan about the robbery, because he has promised not to inform on Joe, but when he realizes that his silence could result in the end of Boys Town, he goes to Joes hideout. Joe, realizing with Whitey that Boys Town is more important than themselves, releases his brother from his promise. His cohorts want to kill Whitey, but Joe protects him until Flanagan and the boys arrive at their hideout. The criminals are recaptured and Boys Towns reward is a flood of donations. A now committed Whitey is elected the new mayor of Boys Town by acclamation and Dave resigns himself to go into more debt as Flanagan tells him of his new ideas for expanding the facility.