I did a double-take the first time I saw it. It was some years ago, at the old Lovelace Museum at the athletic complex, and I was still crying from seeing my first video and hearing my first audio of Shug. And then up on the movie screen: Angie Dickinson telling Frank Sinatra that Auburn beat Alabama by 12 points* in the original “Oceans 11” (1960). Thank you, David Rosenblatt.
It’s a landmark in Auburn pop culture references, not only for being certainly one of the earliest instances in film, but for the icons involved. It’s also nice for the fact that thanks to its recent national championship, Auburn was popular enough at the time (the movie was filmed in 1959) to be included organically into the script, rather than sneaked in by a screenwriter’s Auburn fan cousin or something. Not only that, Auburn’s half-decade dominance over Alabama was, you know… probably common enough knowledge to explain the eye roll in her voice, the ‘duh’ nonchalance of the delivery.
This year, as always, I feel the same way.
It’s expected. Done deal. Take it to the bank, Ol’ Blue Eyes… put it all on “2”.
*Auburn won by 6 in 1958, Bear Bryant’s first year. But hey.
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Know of any Auburn references in pop-culture? Drop us a line: mail@thewareaglereader.com
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Little known fact. Frank actually sought out the Auburn Knights Orchestra to sing with them in 1941!
http://www.auburnknights.com/history.aspx
Did not know that — that’s awesome. Thanks!
I actually made a T-shirt on Cafe Press a few years ago, featuring a photo of the two of them from this movie, and with that exact quote on it.
Cafe Press banned it for copyright violation before I could order one.
Gaaah.
I was on campus (yes I’m old) when this movie came out…..much cheering in the old Tiger Theater when this scene came up…..
JH…sometime when you are doing some nostalgia, put in a clip on the April Stevens version of “Teach me Tiger”. I was on campus as frosh in 1959 and WAUD used to play that every night during football season. I saw iit on you-tube recently and it’s still pretty hot even by today’s standards.