# Obvious things about a creative work you realize after the millionth time (OPEN SPOILERS POSSIBLE) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 24, 2009, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117 "2009-07-24T13:20:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 325
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6487 "2025-07-26T00:54:18Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Plot explanation: The bomb was stuck and wouldn’t release (IIRC, the bomb bay doors wouldn’t open). He climbed onto it to fix it. Once he fixed it, the bomb fell with him on it. Right. But I can picture the sheer glee in his expression, when the bay doors open. He was making the ultimate sacrifice for his country. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6488 "2025-07-26T01:25:32Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Plot explanation: The bomb was stuck and wouldn’t release (IIRC, the bomb bay doors wouldn’t open). He climbed onto it to fix it. Once he fixed it, the bomb fell with him on it. The correct phrase is “bomb door circuits negative function”. Spoken by James Earl Jones, who I didn’t recognize the first few times I saw the movie. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > Metaphorical explanation: Major Kong on the bomb was just another of several bits of phallic imagery. Dr. Strangelove’s hand sticking up out of his control, for instance. I always refer to Strangelove as “a former Nazi whose right arm is still fighting the war.” ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6489 "2025-07-26T01:33:00Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Metaphorical explanation: Major Kong on the bomb was just another of several bits of phallic imagery. Dr. Strangelove’s hand sticking up out of his control, for instance. General Ripper, in close-up, clenching a huge cigar between his teeth: “Looks like it’s pretty hairy.” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6490 "2025-07-26T02:19:15Z")
There are other examples. The way Ripper holds the machine gun, for instance (and the fact that he sent the bombers off because of his own impotence). ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6491 "2025-07-26T06:42:54Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > _Very_ bottom of the pulldown menu. Silly me. “Scroll wheel? I don’t need no stinkin’ scroll wheel!” ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6492 "2025-07-29T05:06:58Z")
I just caught the tail end of [Ghost Stories](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5516328/) (awesome movie) and it occurred to me that there are instances of characters using Yiddish words. Pretty jarring when heard in a British accent, so you’d think I’d have realized before now that it’s another clue to what his actual existence is, i.e. in Locked In state in a hospital. I wouldn’t normally use spoiler blur for an eight year old film, but I hope people who have never heard of it check it out. I really can’t recall any buzz about it or if it even made the theaters here, but it’s a goodie. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2025, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6493 "2025-07-30T19:10:05Z")
I can’t count how many times I’ve seen “The Sting”, but just yesterday I realized that there was somewhat of a problem with the poker game scene, shown in the segment labeled “The Hook”. Newman’s character Henry Gondorf was preparing to take on Robert Shaw’s Doyle Lonnigan. Lonnigan was basically taunted into cheating Gondorf, not knowing that Gondorf has prepared a cheat of his own. Lonnigan prepared a stacked deck, to give Gondorf a great hand of 4 threes, but to give himself 4 nines. Gondorf slips that hand out for one consisting of 4 jacks, much to the chagrin of Lonnigan. But here’s the issue. A poker hand consists of 5 cards. If Lonnigan’s stacked deck had had a jack as its’ fifth card or Gondorf’s ringer hand had had a nine as its’ fifth card it would have been obvious that someone was cheating and the whole scam might have exploded. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2025, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6494 "2025-07-30T19:24:42Z")
I just rewatched this scene and I agree with you that if Lonnigan’s 5th card, or any of the other player’s cards were Jacks, the jig is up. Gondorf’s 5th card was the same 6 of hearts that he had in the hand with 4 threes. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2025, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6495 "2025-08-02T16:29:38Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Yesterday I could hear I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues playing in the background while I was at work. At some point I noticed that the harmonica sounds an awful lot like Stevie Wonder. Checked wiki, it’s him. > To the best of my knowledge, I wasn’t aware of that before yesterday, which is odd, since it’s so distinctly Stevie. This just happened again. I’m at work, the song currently on the radio is There Must Be An Angel by the Eurythmics. This might not really work for this thread since, to be honest, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard the song in the first place. But I could hear Annie’s voice and my brain just registered it as a Eurythmics or Annie Lennox song and I didn’t give it much more thought. But then, cutting through the background noise of the store, I heard what I was pretty sure was Stevie Wonder playing harmonica, which it was. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2025, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6496 "2025-08-02T17:05:43Z")
I watched a Wizard of Oz reaction video today which made me realize an obvious thing about **O Brother Where Art Thou**. While I’d noticed the klansmen marching to the same song-chant as the castle guards of the Wicked Witch, it didn’t register that Clooney & company infiltrated the enemy in the same manner — overcoming three men and using their costumes. (A common trope) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2025, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6497 "2025-08-02T17:45:46Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > Lonnigan prepared a stacked deck, to give Gondorf a great hand of 4 threes, but to give himself 4 nines. Gondorf slips that hand out for one consisting of 4 jacks, much to the chagrin of Lonnigan. But here’s the issue. A poker hand consists of 5 cards. If Lonnigan’s stacked deck had had a jack as its’ fifth card or Gondorf’s ringer hand had had a nine as its’ fifth card it would have been obvious that someone was cheating and the whole scam might have exploded. When Lonnigan prepared his stacked deck, he would have been sure not to put a fifth three in the hand he was giving Gondorf. So no risk for him. But you’re right that Gondorf was taking a risk that he might produce a fifth copy of whatever four-of-a-kind Lonnigan had set himself up for. It’s been a long time since I watched this movie and I’ve forgotten the details. Did Gondorf know what specific hand Lonnigan was giving himself? Because what if Gondorf substituted his four jacks for the four threes Lonnigan gave him and then found out Lonnigan had set himself up with four queens instead of four nines? I vaguely recall seeing a scene (I think if might have been in Mad magazine) where there was a poker game where everyone was cheating and in the big hand, every player revealed they had a hand of four aces. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2025, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6498 "2025-08-02T17:52:13Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I vaguely recall seeing a scene (I think if might have been in Mad magazine) where there was a poker game where everyone was cheating and in the big hand, every player revealed they had a hand of four aces. This one? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/nK_d-Vg495c/hqdefault.jpg "WC Fields Mississipi Poker Game") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK_d-Vg495c) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2025, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6499 "2025-08-02T17:52:36Z")
Or then there’s Granny Weatherwax’s method of cheating DEATH. She gave herself a hand of four queens, at which DEATH stared at his cards for several minutes before announcing “You win. I only have four ones”. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2025, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6500 "2025-08-02T18:02:10Z")
Actually, it’s better than that. She dealt herself four aces, and DEATH four kings. But DEATH swapped hands with her. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2025, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6501 "2025-08-02T18:17:47Z")
But she knew that he would do it. She fully intended for her to end up with the hand she did-- That’s why it was specifically four queens. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2025, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6502 "2025-08-02T18:20:02Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > It’s been a long time since I watched this movie and I’ve forgotten the details. Did Gondorf know what specific hand Lonnigan was giving himself? Because what if Gondorf substituted his four jacks for the four threes Lonnigan gave him and then found out Lonnigan had set himself up with four queens instead of four nines? “He likes to cold-deck low — eights or nines.” ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2025, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6503 "2025-08-02T18:40:17Z")
That’s not the impression I got. Still, I suppose it’s open to interpretation. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2025, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6504 "2025-08-02T19:37:51Z")
Lonnigan wouldn’t have given himself a fifth three, but he might have given himself a jack, obviously not knowing that Gondorf was going to swap out the stacked threes for jacks. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2025, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6505 "2025-08-02T19:40:46Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > “He likes to cold-deck low — eights or nines.” That’s the part I thought was unrealistic, that Lonnigan would win big hands like that often enough that people noticed the pattern, but no one figured out that he was cheating. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2025, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6506 "2025-08-02T20:28:07Z")
Yeah, from what you see of it in popular culture, you’d think most rounds of poker were won with the likes of full houses or straight flushes. In reality, though, it’s a lot more common for someone to win with a high pair. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117.md?page=324) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117.md?page=326)