Jack White has just become one of the biggest donors in an effort to save the house from the classic 1983 film The Outsiders.
Back in 1967, 19-year-old S. E. Hinton published her first book, The Outsiders, which chronicles the conflict between two rival gangs. Fast-forward 16 years and acclaimed director Francis Ford Coppola decided to turn the book into a film.
Set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and starring an all-star cast of C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, and Tom Cruise, the film was a classic, and received rave reviews over the years.
However, since the film’s release, the iconic house that played home to the Curtis brothers has since fallen into disrepair, and has long been the subject of numerous campaigns for restoration.
Back in 2015, House Of Pain’s Danny O’Connor purchased the house for $15,000 with plans of turning it into a museum. However, when the entire cost of restoring the house totalled up to $75,000, O’Connor soon decided to launch a GoFundMe campaign to help raise funds.
“It was in 2009 when I ended up in Tulsa on tour and made my first pilgrimage to the actual house, better known to fans as ‘The Curtis Brothers house,’ that was used in the filming of the 1983 movie,” explained O’Connor.
“I was amazed and equally disturbed by the deteriorating condition of the historic house. I thought to myself, ‘Why hasn’t anyone stepped in to save this place? And why doesn’t someone restore it and turn it into an Outsiders museum or something?'”
Now, Jack White (who himself resides in Tulsa from time to time), has helped the campaign reach its final goal, donating the last $30,000 required to begin the restorations.
If there's a higher caliber of human being who just happens to be a rock god I haven't met em'. Thank you, Jack White. You are a prince among men. Stay Gold. pic.twitter.com/TXo6KtsOWs
— Danny Boy O'Connor (@DannyBoy1968) September 18, 2018
The Outsiders House 1983-2018 Ponyboy and Jack White. Stay Gold. @JackWhiteLive @OutsidersHouse pic.twitter.com/u07NhKtffi
— The Outsiders House Museum (@OutsidersHouse) September 18, 2018
Following confirmation of Jack White’s donation by his management, Danny O’Connor took to Twitter to thank the rocker for his contribution.
“If there’s a higher caliber of human being who just happens to be a rock god I haven’t met em’,” he explained. “Thank you, Jack White. You are a prince among men. Stay Gold.”
At this stage, there’s no word as to when the final restorations of the house will conclude, but if you ever find yourself in Oklahoma, you can undoubtedly thank Jack White for helping to save a piece of movie history.
Check out the trailer to The Outsiders:
