When actor Peter Lawford bought the rights to Ocean’s Eleven in 1958, he told his fellow rat-packer Frank Sinatra the story, which he wanted to turn into a movie. Sinatra, whose 100th birthday is this week, quipped “forget the movie, let’s pull the job!” and then, I assume that he smiled and gave Lawford a gentle and playful smack on the cheek. Two years later, with the release the original Ocean’s Eleven (which is a part of the Warner Bros. Holiday Gift Guide in the Frank Sinatra Collection) Sinatra would prove that that was the kind of thinking that made him the perfect Danny Ocean, the ringleader of a team he recruits straight from his old WWII outfit to pull off the heist of all heists — taking down five major casinos on New Year’s Eve.
That kind of leadership takes charisma, which Ocean, like the original actor who played him (and also, to be fair, George Clooney in the remake and its sequels), had in spades. So, in honor of one of Frank Sinatra’s signature on-screen roles, here are eight Danny Ocean lines for when you need to be the coolest, most charismatic one in the room.
“This is a recording, you’ve dialed the right number, now hang up and don’t do it again.”
A key part to Ocean’s charm is his take-it-or-leave-it attitude. He knows that call he took was important, he just wasn’t going to let that worry him. Nothing can kill your charisma quicker than coming off as too eager, and a man who’d wear a sweater like that obviously has nothing to prove to anyone, anyway.
“Well I married you once and it didn’t work out too well, so what’s wrong with a little hey-hey?”
The thing about Danny Ocean, aside from his unquestioned charisma, is that he isn’t afraid to ask for exactly what he wants, even if that means proposing that he and his ex-wife do a little backsliding. To him, a failed marriage shouldn’t stand in the way of “a little hey-hey.” While your ambitions may vary, don’t be afraid to let the world know of your intentions.
“Where they serve the drinks.”
Granted, no matter how charming you may be, you can still walk away disappointed from time to time. When that happens, don’t be afraid to follow in Danny Ocean’s footsteps, which usually lead straight to the bar.
“Cut out the Gunsmoke dialogue.”
More than just a daring mastermind and a charismatic leader, Danny Ocean is also reliable. He proves it when he hands his buddy Victor Massler (Buddy Lester) a few bucks to take care of an errand. When Victor replies with a genuine “aw, shucks,” he’s met with the above quip from Ocean. So, remember, it’s important to be reliable and to reimburse other’s expenses when necessary. Just don’t tolerate any Gunsmoke dialogue in the meantime.
“Why waste those cute little tricks that the Army taught us just because it’s sort of peaceful now?”
When some of the other guys from Ocean’s old army unit start to question the reason behind pulling this heist, he gives them what’s essentially a well-phrased “why not?” The lesson here is that you don’t always need a good reason, you just need to state it well. Although some prior experience with proven leadership will only help. Also, maybe a thesaurus.
“One minute and 38 seconds. We timed it.”
Gambling in a casino is all a numbers game. To Ocean, knocking off five of them at once is no different. When he asks Sam Harmon (Dean Martin) how long it takes him to croon out a rendition of “Auld Lang Syne,” a song he sings every New Year, Harmon only has a guess. Ocean, on the other hand, knows it down to the second. The takeaway here is always back up your charisma with meticulous planning. People are going to have questions, and you’re going to need to give them answers. The more confident those answers are, the cooler you’ll remain in their eyes.
“That’s a pretty narrow-minded attitude.”
The above line is Ocean’s response to Tony Bergdorf’s (Richard Conte) insight that casinos don’t like to be robbed. To Ocean, the only rules in play are the ones he writes himself, and if you want to play it as cool as he does, any narrow-minded ideas you’ve got in your head won’t be doing you any favors.
“Don’t hit me on the head with that, will ya?”
While the heist goes down almost without a hitch, an unforeseen complication comes up that puts the entire group in jeopardy. Ocean, of course, already knows this. Even though he didn’t plan for it, he’s always one step ahead of the game. Pointing out the obvious doesn’t do any good for anybody, which is something to keep in mind when you’re trying to be cool, especially if you’re not the coolest one in the room. Remember, you learn by watching those better than you.
And, in the end, just as the last line teaches, you simply can’t plan everything, and when Ocean’s off-the-cuff plan to hide the money ends with a pretty disastrous outcome, sometimes there’s just nothing left to say — no matter how cool you are.
Hope you enjoyed our look back at Ocean’s Eleven. Our friends at Warner Bros. asked us to remind readers that Ocean’s Eleven is a part of the Frank Sinatra Collection, which is available for purchase here.
