"Guys and Dolls" with Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Vivian Blaine, Jean Simmons and Stubby Kaye (1955)

One of my favorite movies is the 1955 version of "Guys and Dolls", which is based upon the Damon Runyon book of short stories about New York City during the 1930's and 1940's. From it's opening scene until the films finale; a double wedding at dawn in Times Square; this film just keeps giving, one delightful scene after another. And, as an added bonus, everyone in the film sings and dances. From Marlon Brando to Frank Sinatra and Stubby Kaye, all the stops are kicked out, as each of the stars sing, dance, and do comedy. These were the days when you really learned your craft on the live stage first, before making the transition to Hollywood and 30 second "takes".

The movie opens with a meander through the Times Square of olden days, when the streets were filled with con artists, hookers and gamblers. The film makes it all seem less sordid than it really was at the time. By the 1970's it was almost hazardous to walk in the area at night, especially after the theaters had closed.

This is one of my favorite scenes from the movie, actually, the whole movie is one of my favorite scenes! From the opening number shown above, right on through Marlon Brando singing a love song in Havana, this film is a pure delight.

"Guys and Dolls" and Other Writings by Damon Runyon

Every now and again I return to the stories of O. Henry, Edgar Allan Poe and the wry, witty writings of Damon Runyon. This neat little paperback was re-issued about 3 years ago with an introduction by Pete Hamill. It contains the complete manuscript of "Guys and Dolls", and then, as promised in the title, a few more stories are thrown in to round things out.

New York City in the 1930's through the late 1950's was a colorful place with equally colorful people. And many of them hung out on Broadway. Long before the re-vitilization of Times Square took place, it was a place to go and see all kinds of various hustlers, tricksters, 3 Card Monte sharks, street salesmen with suitcases that had accordion legs for quick getaways, and all sorts of hookers, shysters and gamblers.

I was first introduced to the Times Square area at about age 5 when my Uncle Irving took me with him to get tickets for a show. My mother was horrified. There were peep shows in antiquated machines that worked with the turning of a handle that caused still picture cards to flip rapidly, making a moving picture. They cost 5 cents. You didn't see much, but those machines were, for me at least, a tangible link to an era which was quickly passing.

The antics of characters such as Sky Masterson, Jew Louie, Sam the Gonoph, Liverlips, Benny South Street and all of their minions are not just some abstract creation of the author. They are the real thing. These "Guys", and "Dolls", are the people like my Grandfather Pincus, who made it out of the Lower East Side and spent alot of time and money gambling on the ponies. They spoke from the corners of their mouths as they went about their business, collecting bets and exchanging tips. They effected a thin veneer of class with their mispronounced mangling of words that they had only seen in writing, but had never heard spoken. They were saavy in the ways of the street, in much the same way as they were lost in the world of art and literature. But they weren't dumb.

The importance of the characters created, or chronicled, by Damon Runyon can be boiled down to the fact their story is the story of New York City during those decades. Mr. Runyon paved the way for the likes of Jimmy Breslin, Norman Mailer and Pete Hamill. His was the template that became the "norm" for a whole new generation of writer's who would go on to chronicle New York City during the 1950's and 1960's. Even the McCourt brothers, with their extensive writings, are an extension of this style of story telling.

New York City will always be in the midst of change. Her sounds and smells will always be in a flux. But the individual stories of people trying to make it, trying to scheme, scam and sell a dream will always remain the same. That's what I love so much about Damon Runyon. He captured it all so well, so many years ago.

"Titanic Thompson" by Kevin Cook

When Damon Runyon wanted to write a biography about "Titanic" Thompson, Mr. Thompson replied, "Mine ain't the kind of business publicity helps." So Mr. Runyon did the next best thing. He turned Mr. Thompson into "Sky" Masterson, the legendary gambler in his classic book "Guys and Dolls." And he was pretty much on the mark with his portrayal of this legendary figure.

Mr. Thompson was born in Monett, Missouri in a log cabin. It was Thanksgiving Eve 1892. His father was in a saloon, drinking and gambling when his wife gave birth to a baby boy they named Alvin Clarence Thomas. When the elder Mr. Thomas returned home the next day to his wife and newborn son, he was far from happy at the arrival of what he considered another responsibility. Within weeks, he would take the last $5 from the sugar bowl in the kitchen, and leave his wife and children.

Alvin's mother remarried, this time to a hog farmer in Rogers, Arkansas. The town was mainly concerned with producing apple vinegar. Life was hard, Alvin grew up poor and swore that he would leave someday. As a child he pitched pennies for practice. He was so good that he could make a coin lean up against a wall if he so desired. And when it came to cards, he was a sharp at the age when most kids are learning to read and write, which is something he didn't take the time to do.

But he could figure odds in his head. He knew the dice inside out, figuring all the odds against each possible roll. He learned to mark cards and shoot pool. In short, he bacame a self educated "sporting" man.

Promising his mother that he would never "smole or drink", he set out to become one of the most legendary gamblers who ever lived. He was friends with Minnesota "Fats", Lee Trevino, and in 1970 he co-hosted the First World Series of Poker with actor Chill Wills. But it's the years in between that are of the most interest.

He would, as Damon Runyon would later state, "bet that one rain drop would beat another" to the bottom of the window. Some of his bets were pure gamble, and others were calculated risks, taken after lenghty study by Mr. Thompson, who got the last name when a news reporter accidentally changed Thomas into Thompson, like the machine gun.

He killed his first man at age 16 aboard a river barge after the other man had thrown him overboard. The other man had lost at dice to Thompson and decided it would be easier to kill the young man rather than pay up. Thompson was able to climb back aboard, club the man over the head and then pitch him into the water, where he drowned.

He was a skilled marksman, carried two sets of golf clubs, one right handed, the other left. He was an expert self taught Craps shooter, as well as a shrewd card player. He could flip 52 cards, one at a time, across the room, landing them in his derby. He could also cheat with the best of the best, often letting himself be set up as the "mark", only to turn the tables on his unsuspecting opponents.

Along with the story of "Titanic" Thompson, the author serves up a complete history of the "bones", which we have come to call dice. He explains the "odds" concerning the toss, and even manages to find the time to record the entire history of cards and the game of poker. You will be fascinated with this portion of the book.

He married 4 times, and had a child he didn't see for almost 20 years while he traveled every back road and major city in the country. This is almost a mirror image of what happened between "Titanic" and his own Dad many years earlier.

After "Titanic" left home and began his quest to become a "self made man", he ran into a card game in New Orleans. It was 1911, four years since he had left home. He was 19 years old. He sat down to the game and quickly won $200. Playing back and forth for hours, the young man took $1,600 from his opponent, who then asked him what his name was. "I'm Alvin Thomas. You're my daddy, and I'm giving you your money back."

The book is filled with the names of every notable sports figure from Babe Ruth to Lee Trevino. The index to this 224 page book could well serve as an FBI roster. The stories are true, and the names and places are real. Before his death in 1974, Mr. Thompson became instumental in making poker the World Wide legitimate sport that it is today. Kind of like NASCAR, which had it's roots in running moonshine. A very entertaining and informative read which will leave you more knowledgable than when you began the book. Wanna bet?