Man from the South
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Man from the South is a short story by Roald Dahl. In this story, an old Hispanic or Italian man apparently named Carlos offers a boastful American boy his Cadillac if the boy can strike his lighter ten times in a row - the boy had been bragging that his lighter always lit. The catch is that if he cannot, his left little finger will be cut off. However by the eighth light a woman comes in the room and throws Carlos to the bed, claiming that he is mentally disturbed. Apparently, he has taken forty-seven fingers from various people and has lost eleven cars. She mentions that everything he had was won by her long ago, including the car, and as she reaches for the Cadillac's car keys the narrator sees the hand has only one finger and a thumb on it.
This short story was filmed as a memorable 1960 episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents starring Steve McQueen as the reluctant young gambler, Peter Lorre as Carlos, the man who bets his car, and Neile Adams (McQueen's wife) as a woman McQueen's character meets.
The episode was remade twice, in 1979 as the first episode Dahl's television anthology series Tales of the Unexpected, with Pamela Stephenson as the girl, Jose Ferrer as Carlos, and Michael Ontkean as the gambler, and again for the 1985 series Alfred Hitchcock Presents with Steven Bauer in McQueen's role, John Huston as Carlos, and Melanie Griffith (Bauer's wife at the time), Kim Novak, and Tippi Hedren (Griffith's mother).
Dahl's story was also the basis for the Quentin Tarantino-directed segment of the 1995 film Four Rooms starring Tarantino and referred to as "The Man From Hollywood." Additionally, the Three...Extremes segment "Cut", directed by Chanwook Park, was inspired by the story.
Contents |
[edit] 1960 Cast
Alfred Hitchcock ... Host
Steve McQueen ... Gambler
Peter Lorre ... Carlos
Neile Adams ... Woman
Tyler McVey ... Referee
Marc Cavell ... Bellhop
Katherine Squire ... Carlos' Wife
Phil Gordon ... Bartender
[edit] 1979 Cast
Roald Dahl ... Host
Jose Ferrer ... Carlos
Pamela Stephenson ... Cathy
Michael Ontkean ... American Sailor
Cyril Luckham ... Rawlsden
Katy Jurado ... Mysterious Woman
[edit] 1985 Cast
Alfred Hitchcock ... Host (colorized 1960 introduction)
John Huston ... Carlos / Narrator
Melanie Griffith ... Girl
Steven Bauer ... Gambler
Tippi Hedren ... Waitress
Kim Novak ... Rosa
Jack Thibeau ... Bronson
Danny De La Paz ... Bellhop
[edit] 1995 Cast
Quentin Tarantino ... Chester Rush (Carlos)
Jennifer Beals ... Angela
Tim Roth ... Bellhop (The Hatchetman)
Paul Calderon ... Norman (The Gambler)
