The Horseplayer story
The newest arrival at Father Amion's church is Sheridan, a gambler who believes that prayer has caused his recent success at the horse races. Father Amion disapproves of gambling but, due to shortage of funds to fix the church, gives Sheridan his life savings on a "sure" winning horse. Father Amion is quickly remorseful and prays that the horse lose instead. Sheridan returns with news that the horse just missed winning, and declares that he will stop gambling, which pleases Father Amion. However, Father Amion is surprised to get his money back with a little extra, because Sheridan put his bet on the horse to place, not to win. Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock. Story by: Henry Slesar.
8 total · 1 choice · 5 major · 2 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| compromising one's ethical principles vs. great need | choice | The crux of this story is Father Amion wrestling with whether to gamble (a thing he fervently preaches against) on a "sure thing" at the horse races in order to pay for essential repairs to the parish church ceiling. |
| gambling | major | The story concerns horse player Sheridan, who tempts Father Amion into gambling with his life's savings. |
| reliable streak of luck | major | Sheridan was convinced that prayer was behind his recent winning streak at the horse track, and kept placing bets under the presumption that his prayers would go on being answered. |
| religious occupation | major | The story concerns Father Amion, a parish priest. |
| resisting a temptation | major | Father Amion, who disapproved of gambling, ultimately succumbed to the temptation to place a bet on a "sure thing" at the horse track in order to pay for essential repairs to the parish church ceiling. |
| wrestling with one's conscience | major | Father Amion, who disapproved of gambling, wrestled with his conscience before betting his life savings on a "sure thing" at the horse races in order to pay for essential repairs to the parish church ceiling. |
| Catholicism | minor | Father Amion was shown presiding over what was evidently a Tridentine Catholic mass. |
| religious hypocrisy | minor | Father Amion spoke out against gambling but then ended up betting his life saving on a "sure thing" when the parish was in dire need of money to repair the church ceiling. |