Man from the South
| "Man from the South" | |
|---|---|
| Short story by Roald Dahl | |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Fiction |
| Publication | |
| Published in | Collier's |
| Publication type | Magazine |
| Publication date | 1948 |
| Published in English | 1948 |
"Man from the South" is a short story by Roald Dahl originally published as "Collector's Item" in Collier's in September 1948. It has been adapted several times for television and film, including a 1960 version that aired as an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and starred Steve McQueen, Neile Adams, and Peter Lorre.
Plot synopsis
While vacationing at a
After Carlos has a
Television adaptations
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1960 episode)
This short story was filmed as a 1960 episode of
1960 cast
- Alfred Hitchcock as the Host
- Steve McQueen as the Gambler
- Peter Lorre as Carlos
- Neile Adams as a Woman
- Tyler McVey as the Referee
- Marc Cavell as the Bellhop
- Katherine Squire as Carlos' Wife
- Phil Gordon as the Bartender
Tales of the Unexpected (1979 episode)
The episode was remade in 1979 as the first episode of Dahl's television anthology series Tales of the Unexpected. The adaptation was by Kevin Goldstein-Jackson, direction by Michael Tuchner. In this version, the car was a Jaguar.
1979 cast
- Roald Dahl as the Host
- Jose Ferreras Carlos
- Pamela Stephenson as Cathy
- Michael Ontkean as Tommy
- Cyril Luckham as Rawlsden
- Katy Jurado as the Mysterious Woman
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1985 episode)
The episode was remade again for the 1985 series
1985 cast
- Alfred Hitchcock as the Host (colorized 1960 introduction)
- John Huston as Carlos
- Melanie Griffith as the Girl
- Steven Bauer as the Gambler
- Tippi Hedren as the Waitress
- Kim Novak as Rosa
- Jack Thibeau as Bronson
- Danny De La Paz as the Bellhop
Radio adaptations
In 2009, it was dramatized on
In 1949, the Dahl story was adapted by June Thomson for an episode of Radio City Playhouse. The adaptation, titled "Collector's Item", split the 30 minute run time with an adaptation of a Ray Bradbury story, titled "The Lake". Shortly after meeting in the bar, Carlos offers the gambler his green 1948 Cadillac parked outside. Due to the tastes of the time, some of the more grisly details were omitted from the presentation. The independent observer (the "referee") character realizes the female is a victim of the gambler, but we do not learn the exact details of the gambler's previous bets.[1]
The scene is also parodied in an episode of
Film adaptations
Dahl's story was adapted for a scene from the 1980 Tamil movie Ninaithale Inikkum, which involved a wager by a millionaire that a young man could not flick a cigarette into his lips ten times in a row without dropping it. The millionaire had put up his Toyota car against the young man's little finger. The young man managed it nine times in a row, but chickened out and refused a tenth attempt, thereby defaulting on the wager. The cigarette flick, in fact, was a signature move by iconic Tamil actor Rajinikanth.[2]
Four Rooms
The story was also the basis for "The Man From Hollywood", Quentin Tarantino's segment of the 1995 anthology film Four Rooms. The characters in this segment explicitly discuss the 1960 Hitchcock episode adaptation, although they incorrectly refer to the title as "The Man from Rio". In this version, the lighter fails on the first try and the referee—a bellhop who has been paid $1,000 for his trouble—chops off the finger and swiftly departs.
- 1995 cast (as part of Four Rooms)
- Quentin Tarantino as Chester Rush, who offers the bet
- Jennifer Beals as Angela
- Tim Roth as Ted the Bellhop, who acts as referee and axe-man
- Paul Calderón as Norman, who accepts the bet
- Bruce Willis as Leo (uncredited)
"Cut", a segment of the 2004 film
References
- ^ "Radio City Playhouse". Radio Days. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman (2012). Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography. Penguin Books. pp. 91–92.
