Character Analysis
Luther is the elderly partner that Johnny Hooker works with at the beginning of this movie. We can tell from early on that Luther is a sort of mentor to Johnny. As Johnny says,
JOHNNY HOOKER: If it weren't for Luther, I'd still be hustling pinball.
When Luther finds out about Johnny blowing all his con money in one night, he takes on an even more mentor-like tone, saying,
LUTHER COLMAN: You're a conman, and you blew it like a pimp. I didn't teach ya to be no pimp.
But despite his fatherly feelings toward Johnny, Luther feels like it's time to hang up his boots and quit the conning game for good. And Luther thinks that Johnny should stop wasting his time with little con jobs and should work toward a big project that will put him on easy street for life:
LUTHER COLMAN: We just took off on the biggest score ever. It's nothing compared to what you could make on the big con.
Luther wants what's best for Johnny, especially now that he's retiring from criminal life. He tells Johnny to look up his friend in Chicago, Henry Gondorff. But unfortunately, Doyle Lonnegan's thugs kill Luther before Luther ever gets to give Johnny more advice…or enjoy his hard-earned retirement.