Is this bar slide trick shown on Cheers real or a visual effect?

Question

In the Cheers episode "Endless Slumper" (S01E10)" there are a couple of scenes where Sam (Ted Danson) displays a bar slide trick where he is able to curve the glass around the corner of the bar. The scene where he first demonstrates this can be seen below. Its actually really quite amazing.

My question is, is this a real trick? Is he actually able to curve a glass like that or was there some kind of visual or special effect in play to make it do that?

score 61 · Accepted Answer · edited Jun 04 '20 at 15:16

61

Practical effect

Funnily enough, the answer is the fourth comment on the YouTube link you posted. This comment links to Ken Levine's blog (Cheers screenwriter) describing how this trick was performed.

This is referring to the “Endless Slumper” episode of CHEERS from season one, written by Sam Simon and directed by James Burrow. I’ve included the video of the show. Well worth watching the whole thing.

Anyway, here’s how Jimmy and his crack crew did it:

A thin clear plastic filament was attached from the corner of the bar to the handle of the mug. Ted slid the mug. As it reached the elbow the filament tugged at the handle and swung it around the counter. Needless to say, the studio audience went nuts. Physics -- a comedy writer's best friend.

http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-we-did-that-cool-stunt-on-cheers.html

edited Jun 04 '20 at 15:16

Community

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answered Aug 15 '19 at 06:57

You can actually see the string the second time this trick is performed near the end of the episode. – maxathousand Aug 15 '19 at 14:56
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You can actually see the string on this very video, for just a frame or two around 0:28. https://i.stack.imgur.com/mgY0W.jpg – Wasabi Aug 15 '19 at 15:37
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It's a neat trick, but for such a hot-shot bartender he doesn't seem to know how to pour a beer properly without making it mostly head... – Darrel Hoffman Aug 15 '19 at 15:49
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@DarrelHoffman - Perhaps that's how you make a bar profitable in downtown Boston. – T.E.D. Aug 15 '19 at 18:56
@T.E.D. Didn't the bar get sold one or more times because it wasn't profitable enough? – Michael Richardson Aug 15 '19 at 18:57
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@MichaelRichardson - See? That's clearly it. – T.E.D. Aug 15 '19 at 18:59
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@Darrel may be deliberate. I imagine with a full glass this may be more difficult to push with the correct force, and greater risk of spillage – Martin Smith Aug 16 '19 at 15:01

Is this bar slide trick shown on Cheers real or a visual effect?

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