A Night with the Boys story
Irving Randall loses his money in a poker game to his unsympathetic boss Smalley, and lies to his pregnant wife Frances that he was mugged. Irving makes a police report at Frances' insistence, and is surprised when the police arrest a teenage boy named Whitey as a suspect. Irving reluctantly takes Whitey's money, but feels guilty and conflicted. The next day, Irving learns that Whitey had mugged Smalley, and the money that he had was Smalley's poker winnings. Directed by: John Brahm. Story by: Henry Slesar and Jay Fob, Bernard C. Schoenfeld.
16 total · 8 major · 8 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| breaking the law to cover up another crime | major | Irving was torn about having to tell further and further lies in order to not give away the first one he had told about being mugged. First he reluctantly reported the crime, then he reluctantly accepted money from a boy the police had apprehended. |
| expecting parents | major | Central to the story was Irving having gambled away some money that was needed for his pregnant wife's hospital expenses. |
| ironic twist of fate | major | Irving lied about having been mugged but by a twist of fate, the police caught the real mugger and "returned" money to Irving that wasn't actually his. Through an ironic twist of fate, however, it turned out that it was the very same money he had earlier lost to his boss in a poker game. |
| lying | major | Irving lied about getting mugged to hide from his wife that he'd blew a week's salary at poker night and got away with it. |
| mugging | major | Irving faked getting mugged to hide from his wife that he'd blew a week's salary at poker night and got away with it. Coincidentally, his boss, Smalley, had actually gotten mugged. |
| newlywed couple | major | Central to the story were Irving and Frances Randall who were recently married. |
| remorse | major | Irving felt guilty and conflicted over having taken Whitey's money. |
| wrestling with one's conscience | major | Irving wrestled with his conscience after believing his lies had gotten an innocent young man into trouble with the law. |
| boss and employee | minor | Irving resented his boss, Smalley. |
| law enforcement | minor | A beat cop warned Irving that it was dangerous to be out roaming the area streets at night. Irving went to the police station to identify his mugger. |