# "Ocean's 11" (remake) cons **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 10, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851 "2003-04-10T19:01:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/1 "2003-04-10T19:01:55Z")
In the remake of “Ocean’s 11” Clooney and Pitt are going over the plan and they reel off the cons they’d need to work to pull off the caper. I don’t recall them all exactly although I think one of them was “the biggest Ella Fitzgerald of all time.” Anyway, a two-fold question: a) are the names they listed actual cons and if so what con goes with each name? and b) if they aren’t real cons, what activities from the caper would qualify as “cons” and what are they called? ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/2 "2003-04-10T19:19:52Z")
Here’s the quote: > [@](#): > > Off the top of my head–I’d say you’re looking at a Boeske, a Jim Brown, a Miss Daisy, 2 Jethros and a Leon Sphinx. Not to mention the biggest Ella Fitzgerald ever. Hopefully someone else will be around to decipher this quote for us. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/3 "2003-04-10T19:22:28Z")
Oh, and it’s a list of people they’ll need to pull off the heist. I think the two Jethros were Casey Affleck and whatshisface - you know, the guy with the thick neck. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/4 "2003-04-10T19:32:13Z")
[Here’s a FAQ](http://www.coolmoviestuff.com/oceans11_faq.htm), of sorts, in which some theories are thrown around. Just perform a Find for ‘ella’ to get to the relevent text. As an aside, I though _Ocean’s Eleven_ was a really fun movie. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/5 "2003-04-10T20:46:24Z")
Good god, which of the 11 would be the biggest Ella Fitzgerald ever?!? As far as the cons that the 11 were running, anyone know if any of them have standard names among the grifting populace? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/6 "2003-04-10T21:03:58Z")
Huh. I always thought they were referring to the names of known congames, like “The Pigeon Drop” or “The Jamaican Switch.” Were **all** of the “Eleven” ex-convicts? I’d love to see this one answered - I Googled around for a bit but didn’t turn up anything… ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/7 "2003-04-10T21:24:26Z")
I always thought that the “Ella Fitzgerald” was Saul’s portrayal of Lyman Zerga. But I have no reason for that. None of these are listed in “The Big Con” which is a compendium of conspeak, so I’m guessing the phrases are either recent, obscure, or totally fictional. BTW, it’s Leon Spinks, the boxer, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/8 "2003-04-11T00:41:19Z")
I’d guess the “Boeske” would have been the guy who pretended to have a heart attack. An old man with lots of money, like Ivan Boeske. Boeske was part of the Savings and Loan scandal, so that makes obvious sense as slang for any sort of finance swindel. “Jethros” would probably be big guys who could play dumb/naive, like the character from “The Beverly Hillbillies.” The “Leon Spinks” was probably the biker guy who was supposed to be beating on Clooney during the heist. Was Spinks ever involved in any scandals about throwing fights? That’d clinch that ID, I think. I’m not sure what the other names are supposed to be referencing. “Miss Daisy” might refer to “Driving Miss Daisy,” but I don’t see how that fits with any of the gang members. And I feel like I should know who “Jim Brown” is, but I’m drawing a blank. ---
**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:** [April 11, 2003, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/9 "2003-04-11T02:00:55Z")
Livingston Dell could have been Miss Daisy. He was the camera guy who always stayed in the back as it were. Basher Tarr could have been “the biggest Ella Fitzgerald ever”. Ella Fitzgerald starred in the Memorex commercials where she shattered glass. So by extension, an explosives expert might have that nickname. ---
**Author:** ![Fibber\_McGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@Fibber\_McGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibber_McGee)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/10 "2003-04-11T02:14:23Z")
The FAQ that’s linked to seems to think Jim Brown refers to James Brown, but that’s crap. It’s obviously a reference to the footbal player Jim Brown. Don’t know much about football or what position Jim Brown played, but I know he was a runner. ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/11 "2003-04-11T02:24:16Z")
Jim Brown was a running back for the Cleveland Browns. His main cinematic claim to fame, though, was his famous sprint dropping grenades in air ducts in THE DIRTY DOZEN. I’m sure the OCEAN’S 11 reference relates to his DIRTY DOZEN role, but durned if I know how. (I’ve pretty much forgotten OCEAN’S 11, both versions.) ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/12 "2003-04-11T03:12:46Z")
[sort of a hijack] I know this isn’t the sort of movie you’re supposed to nitpick, but…how much money did they spend to pull off the heist? Those three vans cost $14K apiece, plus all the high-tech gadgetry and full scale model of the vault. Where did they get the money to pay for it all? And when Clooney & Pitt rapelled down the elevator shaft, they left the ropes in place (I think.) Wouldn’t they set off alarms once the power went back on? And how in the world did they intercept two 911 calls from a CELLULAR PHONE?!? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/13 "2003-04-11T03:20:21Z")
The Elliot Gould character was the bank. ---
**Author:** ![diku](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@diku](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diku)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/14 "2003-04-11T03:35:04Z")
The ropes retracted when they cut them, before the alarms turned back on. The 911 call came from a cordless house phone, not a cell phone. ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/15 "2003-04-11T05:03:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Miller \* > **I’d guess the “Boeske” would have been the guy who pretended to have a heart attack. An old man with lots of money, like Ivan Boeske. Boeske was part of the Savings and Loan scandal, so that makes obvious sense as slang for any sort of finance swindel.** It’s spelled Ivan Boesk **y** , and he was convicted of securities fraud (insider trading), not the Savings & Loan scandal. But you’re right, I think Boesky refers to Gould’s character. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/16 "2003-04-11T13:07:43Z")
Remember the Memorex commercial when Ella Fitzgerald hits the high note and shatters the glass (and then her voice on Memorex tape does the same thing)? My impression is that’s the “Ella Fitzgerald” they’re talking about, and it refers to the nuclear pulse thingie that knocked out the power all over Vegas for 20 or 30 seconds. But I have absolutely no objective data to back up this impression. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/17 "2003-04-11T13:33:13Z")
The guy who pretended to have the heart attack was Sol, the Carl Reiner character. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/18 "2003-04-11T13:49:37Z")
You’re right. Well, his name was Saul. [IMDB’s credits list](http://us.imdb.com/Credits?0240772) should help keep us on the same page. They even have the uncredited Don Cheadle as Basher Tarr. They also have [the quote itself](http://us.imdb.com/Quotes?0240772#qt0053437). ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/19 "2003-04-11T14:41:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Labdad \* > **Remember the Memorex commercial when Ella Fitzgerald hits the high note and shatters the glass (and then her voice on Memorex tape does the same thing)? My impression is that’s the “Ella Fitzgerald” they’re talking about, and it refers to the nuclear pulse thingie that knocked out the power all over Vegas for 20 or 30 seconds.** Wasn’t the EMP a last-minute thing since the demolition of the older casino resulted in the city finding out about the “weakness” that Basher was going to exploit to cut the power (therefore, the “Ella Fitzgerald” thing is probably referring to something else)? ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851/20 "2003-04-11T18:43:30Z")
It still makes sense, though, pulling the power on an entire grid is a big thing. They were planning to do that at first, anyway. I like the Ella Fitzgerald = cutting the power theory, not because it makes a whole lot of sense, but because it’s poetic. I still think these are just interesting-sounding names that mean nothing, but it’s interesting to think of meanings, anyway. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oceans-11-remake-cons/167851.md?page=2)