When Phil Silvers was in the Broadway show, High Button Shoes, one of its producers, Joe Kipness, noticed that his star seemed dejected and not at his best. He asked Silvers what the problem was and Silvers explained he was on a tremendous losing streak as a gambler. Every bet he made, he lost…one after the other. No matter what it was, Silvers bet and Silvers lost.
Kipness came up with a way to help Silvers get his old spirit back and most of his money, as well. He found out about a prize fight that was fixed and he told Silvers, "Bet everything you can on the kid in the black trunks. Hock your car, borrow against your life insurance, rob your mother if you have to. Just put it all on the kid in the black trunks." Silvers thanked him and rushed off to do so.
The kid in the black trunks won in a major upset, as planned. The next day, when Kipness went to see if his star had his old energy back, he found Silvers more depressed than ever. "What's wrong, Phil?" he asked. "Couldn't you raise any money to bet?"
The actor said he'd raised thousands of dollars and bet it with his local bookie. "So," Kipness asked, "why are you so dejected?"
Silvers looked up at him with sad eyes and said, "I liked the kid in the white trunks."