During a demonstration of Dr.Octavius"" fusion-energy-producing apparatus (fueled by rare tritium) with 4 mechanical tentacle-arms ("impervious to heat and magnetism") attached to a waist-harness and controlled by a spinal-computer-brain interface, the device overheated, exploded, and the apparatus became fused to his body - and his wife Rosalie (Donny Murphy) lost her life.This early, seminal gangster film, that opened in New York near the end of 1930, arrived around the same time as a few other prison-crime films, such as MGM""s quintessentialThe Big House (1930)with Wallace Beery, LeRoy""s ownNumbered Men (1930)andI Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang (1932), Howard Hawks""The Criminal Code (1931), andThe Last Mile (1932)...They say that old Fats just shoots the eyes right off them balls." Fats, the best hustler in the land, makes a side comment to one of his pals, Big John (Michael Constantine): "Big John? Do you think this boy is a hustler?" And then he offers o accept the poolshark""s challenge - at a higher wager of $200 per game:Fats: Do you like to gamble, Eddie? Gamble money on pool games?Eddie: Fats, let""s you and I shoot a game of straight pool.Old life blown away in the blink of an eye.Nothing left but all the time in the world to think about it.Most new fish come close to madness the first night.Somebody always breaks down crying.Happens every time.The only question is, who""s it gonna be? It""s as good a thing to bet on as any, I guess.I had my money on Andy Dufresne.I remember my first night.Seems like alongtime ago.As part of their entertaining betting game, the inmates aunt and ""bait"" the "fishees" or first-timers - and "they don""t quit till they reel someone in.