The Longest Day : Pvt. Dutch Schultz

Pvt. Dutch Schultz

Why did Pvt. Dutch Schultz played by Richard Beymer want to loose the $2,500 he just won playing craps?

Re: Pvt. Dutch Schultz

What was he going to spend it on? He was a man in no need of wealth . . .

Re: Pvt. Dutch Schultz

He was going to spend it on wine and women in Paris. 😊

Re: Pvt. Dutch Schultz

That would be some time . . . unless he had a premonition . . .

Re: Pvt. Dutch Schultz

It was considered very bad luck to win lots of money right before going into battle.

Re: Pvt. Dutch Schultz

oh, I see

Re: Pvt. Dutch Schultz

OP, I see you have a good answer already, but I'll add my 2 cents worth:

It was an old soldier's superstition about luck. If you won a great deal of money gambling just before battle it meant you had used up all your good luck, and thus would have none left for surviving the conflict.

Cheers~

____________________________
I never went in for embroidery, just results.

Re: Pvt. Dutch Schultz

Although you've received some good replies that pertain to real superstitions that soldiers have had and may still have -- the specific reason in terms of the script is that Pvt. Schultz aka Richard Beymer is totally thrilled with his winnings at first. Then another soldier played by Tony Mordente (Beymer's former co-star as "Action" in "West Side Story") reminds Beymer/Schultz about the last time he had won so much money, Beymer then remembers that on the very next day he took his first practice jump and broke his leg or some part of his body in the jump and was laid up for some time. In fact, if memory serves, he gets angry that Mordente had reminded him. Realizing that his winnings must be bad luck because of what happened to him before, he tries as hard as he can to lose the money.

The irony of course is that Schultz not only survives the battle, but never has the opportunity to even fire his gun while he wanders throughout the battle trying to find his company.

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Re: Pvt. Dutch Schultz

Were those rosary beads Beymer received in the mail? Why did he become so depressed when he saw theM? Who sent them? His mother or a girlfriend?

May I bone your kipper, Mademoiselle?

Re: Pvt. Dutch Schultz

Yes it was Rosary beads. He is at first concerned that he dropped them on the floor and wipes them off carefully. He may have had a moment of thinking that it could have been bad luck.
However, it wasn't the beads that depressed him, it was the memory that Sal Mineo reminded Beymer of about the last time he won so much money he'd broken his leg the next day in a jump and then two months in traction. That's why he says at the end of the scene, "I wonder how long it takes to lose $2,500?", so he can hopefully get rid of this jinx.

Re: Pvt. Dutch Schultz

Hey, thanks! You are right! Sorry about that, it's been a while since I saw it. Never realized the additional irony about Mineo's character. Sad if it was true.
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