Mister Ron's Basement #546

Mon, Nov 13 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #546

Mister Ron returns from his hiatus with a unique find -- stories from the 1905 collection, 'The Philosophy of Johnnie the Gent -- A Collection of Humorous Slang Stories' by Frank Hutchison.

Today's tale, 'The Story of a First-Past-the-Post Frame-Up That Proved A Boomerang' has a number of elements that seem strangely similar to the movie 'The Sting.' We are assuming this is a coincidence, but your comments are welcome!

Since posting this episode, I have discovered that 'The Sting' screenwriter David S. Ward was heavily influenced by David Maurer's 1940 book, 'The Big Con.' After reading that book, I discovered that much of what passes for humorous fiction in 'Johnnie the Gent' is actually highly authentic, well researched tales based on the activities of con men back in 1905! Perhaps Maurer himself was inspired by "Johnnie the Gent.'

Time: approx twelve minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html