MovieChat Forums > Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971) Discussion > The Number 23

The Number 23

posted 16 years ago by crushtv-1
13 replies | jump to latest

What was the reason the screenwriters chose the number 23 for james garner's character to obsess over?

I expect there wasn't any thought put into it. There had to be a number and it was as good as any other.

Are you going to pull those pistols or whistle "Dixie"?

[–] crushtv-1 16 years ago

Perhaps. But I can't help but note that there have been AT LEAST two movies since that have centered on the number 23. It was a number associated with the Illuminati and even today has a following of paranoids.

[–] Eric-1226 14 years ago

Ah, but as we all now know, the real answer is.... 42.

"It's going to get worse before it gets better." - The White House

[–] cactuscop904 14 years ago

Well, yeah. Unless, of course you discount the number 9..number 9..number 9...number9......

[–] PillowRock 13 years ago

Ah, but as we all now know, the real answer is.... 42.

And that is how we know that roulette is not the question to the ultimate answer of life, the universe, and everything.

42 is not one of the possibilities on a standard roulette wheel.

[–] dsjensenn 13 years ago

But it is the answer. On a side note, 23+23=46 and 2+3=5 and 46-5=41 and 41+1 does equal . . . 42!!!

[–] lujlp 10 years ago

yes but 4+2 is 6 and 6/2=3 23 come up again

[–] baran_erik 8 years ago

Not as good as 42.

Life is pain. Anyone who says differently is selling something.

[–] runar-4 13 years ago

23 in hex is 13 decimal and in octal it's 19 decimal. 23, 13 and 19 in decimal are all prime numbers.

In base thirteen (in which 6 x 9 DOES equal 42), 23 is 29 decimal which is yet another prime number.

Big deal.

[–] PillowRock 13 years ago

23 in hex is 13 decimal and in octal it's 19 decimal.

Excuse me?

23 hex (base 16) = 35 decimal (base 10) = 43 octal (base 8)
23 decimal = 27 octal = 17 hex
23 octal = 13 hex = 19 decimal

[–] mam13143 10 years ago

So no one really knows......right?

[–] Eddysfitzboy 10 years ago

Let me take a stab at this:

23 in HEXADECIMAL = 0010 0011 which = 23 in BASE 10. Only when you get to 10 in base 10 do the Hexadecimal #'s diverge; A,B,C,D,E, and F for 10,11,12,13,14, and 15 respectively. Octal #'s are in groups of three 000 through 111 for 0 through 7 Base 10.

"Open the pod bay doors, HAL."
Dave Bowman

[–] leon_normand 9 years ago

23 (base 10) = 17 (hex)

(2 X 10 + 3 X 1) vs. (1 X 16 + 7 X 1)