There is an episode from “Alfred Hitchcock presents” named “The man from the south.” That episode presents a gabler who plays a twisted bet, he will win a convertible car if he is able to turn on his lighter 10 times in a row. If he fails he will lose his left little finger.
The thrill of the story goes around the stress before each try, and the mental game the owner of the car plays with the gambler, to convince him he should play.
When it is time for the 8th try the lighter fails, but the gambler doesn’t lose his finger because a woman appears claiming she is the real owner of the convertible, as she won it gambling. A woman without three fingers.
The story made a big impression on me when I was a child, even if I saw a Colombian re-make instead of the original one, but anyway.
There is a movie, four rooms, what makes fun of the Hitchcock story. In the last room (the penthouse) the main character (a bellhop), finds himself with a group of Hollywood artist that want to recreate the scene, and convince the bellhop to be the one who chops the finger if the gambler loses.
And the gambler loses, in the first try. Without hesitation the bellhop cuts the finger and leaves the room.
In the last few months I have been trying to make a bet on myself, failing without even beginning each time. But because I can’t tell anybody what the bet is, nobody is cutting my fingers, and I wonder if I’d do better with the ax ready to cut me.
