A Very Funny Scene: Newman and the Hansons and the Cops

Formerly ecarle.

I love Slapshot in general for its overall tone and "shocking for Paul Newman" cussing candor.

But individual scenes make me laugh hard for specific reasons.

Case in point:

The Hanson brothers have gone into the stands to brawl with fans.

CUT TO:

The locker room. The team is talking back and forth, praising the Hansons for their brutal strikeback at the fans.

A knock at the door.

Door is opened by Michael Ontkean -- who maintains such a saintly, pure attitude through the whole movie.

Outside: cops. What of who grimly demands: "The HANSONS."

Now Paul Newman is brought to the door. Gets again: "The HANSONS."

And here, Newman takes ONE kid of stance, and its hilarious, with/to the cops(paraphrased):

"I'm really glad you're here. I give up on these guys. I can't take it anymore. Could you...could you do something TO them? To punish 'em! I'll go get them."

Now Newman troops back into the locker room to confront the Hansons, who aren't much worried about the cops or anything else. Newman takes one of them out to the cops at the door and his attitude does a 180:

Newman(pointing at face of a Hanson). LOOK AT THIS! (Mock anger and dismay.) This boy has taken a VICIOUS beating! How can you take him away!

Its all so hang loose, improvised and throwaway, this scene, that I can't clearly remember the lines. But what I DO remember is how Newman goes from one mood at the door("I can't handle these guys anymore...take them") to ANOTHER mood at the door("This boy has taken a VICIOUS beating!)...not really meaning it either time, I guess.

And the Hansons have funny lines. And Ontoken does his mild mannered thing. And the dirty minded guy has his funny line.

Its a great scene.