The “Cheater’s Justice” scene in Casino just might be my favorite scene in any Scorsese movie ever, and that is really saying something because he has so many goddamn great scenes. In this case I think it’s the musical accompaniment, a hard-driving, stop-and-start blues number by Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart, that builds the tension along with De Niro’s narration, leading up to an explosive “climax” as the guy gets zapped with the cattle prod.
I have two questions about this scene:
The hidden device that the two cheaters are using to cheat: I am assuming that they have a code worked out where each card corresponds to a certain sequence of taps. Kind of like Morse Code. The guy with the beard discreetly taps the transmitter, and it sends the signal to the other guy’s receiver to likewise tap the guy’s leg. Did a device like this actually exist? I’m inclined to think it did, since the movie is based on a nonfictional book. How would it work? Would it transmit a signal using a radio frequency? How would the frequency be established? Was it perhaps built using components from a walkie-talkie? If so, what kind of mechanical contrivance would be utilized to cause the transmission from the transmitter unit to actuate the “tapper”? (No, I’m not trying to build it, I’m just wondering.)
When Robert De Niro’s character picks up the phone at 2:00, what is he saying? It sounds like “I need this to happen. Now.” Immediately thereafter, it cuts to a waitress bringing out a cake decorated with sparklers and singing “Happy Birthday”, for one of the tables nearby.
Is this woman with the cake arriving because De Niro ordered it? Like, to create a distraction so people wouldn’t be paying attention to the cheater getting forcibly dragged off? Or is it completely co-incidental to the cheater-busting situation? If not the latter, then how exactly did they know that it was someone’s birthday and that they could use the opportunity to stage a diversion? The cake-bringing situation, and whether or not it is a stage-managed and calculated part of De Niro’s plan to bust the cheater, is tying my brain in knots.
I can’t speak to that specific device, but I know that there were numerous devices that were similar. You should google ‘casino cheating devices history’ for some examples. IOW, it’s not out of the question.
It sounds like he asks for ‘Mr. Happy’ and then something I can’t quite make out. But yes, it’s a diversion setup at the opposite end of the pit to draw attention away from where his guys are going to move in
ETA: they don’t know if it’s anyones birthday, they don’t care. They’re just sending in a hot chick with a cake singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to distract the customers.
He says “I need Mr. Happy, Loud.” You’ll also notice the cake goes to a dealer( “Jack” ), not a customer. So yes, an absolutely pre-designed stunt to distract attention away from where the action is about to go down. Presumably dealers have been coached to play up this sudden “birthday surprise” if it ever happens to them.
I read this booknot long after it came out, I remember it fascinating the young me.
So yes, those devices did exist and did work (though they aren’t magic and do rely upon playing the slightly increased odds in your favour that comes from a slightly better than random ability to predict outcome)
Yeah, I asked the same question in a thread a few years ago. IME, the dealer only looks at his hole card if he has an ace showing, to pay out any insurance bets. But clearly he was looking at his hole card on every hand in the movie, maybe that’s how they did things in the 60s?
In some variants, if the dealer has Blackjack the game is over immediately and nobody makes any decisions. Players who got BJ get their stake returned, everyone else loses, (or possibly collects insurance if they took it and the dealers upcard is an A). This is cleaner as there’s no possibility of players using doubles or splits, putting more money on the table; it is obviously also quicker as it cuts out some pointless time, given the dealer is already guaranteed a win.
In the scene, the dealer is showing a face card, so he must check to see if he has blackjack.
Today, casinos don’t require dealers to physically bend the card up, of course. They have a prism device build into the table, called a “Dealer peek,” and the dealer just slide the card over it to see the value.
I believe the cards are now printed in such a way that even the dealer doesn’t know what his/her hole card is, other than an Ace or a Facecard which will immediately trigger a dealer blackjack.