Stealing From the Washroom Attendant
Ain't that a shame.
shareHe didn't. He took a flower and admitted it.
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MovieChat Forums > The Lost Weekend Discussion > Stealing From the Washroom Attendant
He stole the purse from the lady sitting next to him in the club before going to the washroom. In the washroom he asks for the attendant to clean his shoes while he's washing. While the attendant is cleaning the shoes, Don pulls out the purse, retrieves some cash, and then notices the carnations. He takes one and puts it in the purse, almost as a marker for the debt. The attendant then asks if he'd like a flower and Don replies that he already took one for a "very kind lady." Then he pays the attendant for the flower and exits the washroom where the lady and her gentleman accuse him of theft. Then Don returns the purse and the cash and is thrown out of the club while the piano player leads everyone in an impromptu song where they call Don a purse thief.
shareI love this. It's horribly embarrassing, and then the pianist starts the song "Somebody stole a purse, Everybody" and everybody sings, on cue "Somebody stole a purse." It's one of my very favorite short-short moments in movies.
shareYes, it provided excellent comic relief after the tense moment.
shareMe, I like the fact that when Don realizes that he can't pay his bill, the first thing he does is order another drink!
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A part of the gritty realism. Even the Ivy leaguer was reduced to petty theft to support his habit. Alcohol doesn't care where the alcoholic went to school or who his parents are. Will grind him down to nothing. When I didn't have cash, I would just shoplift the liquor.
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