History Main / ShoeShineMister

* El Chavo in ''ElChavoDelOcho'' has tried a job as shoe shiner on more than one opportunity. Always ending up distracted mid-job and painting the socks, trousers and sometimes even the face of the poor adult that accepted his services.

* In an early ''{{Batman}}'' comic, Robin goes undercover as a shoeshine boy, and when the villain of the week stops to get a shine Robin secretly applies a tracking device to his shoe.

** A flashback reveals that Grandpa Simpson was one of these as a kid. He once shined ClarkGable's shoes, but he got stiffed.

* ''ThePrisoner'' episode "The Girl who was Death" parodies secret agant adventures, and early on has Number Six exchanging info with a fellow agent who is posing as a shoe shine guy, complete with transmitter brush.

* [[DisneyDucksComicUniverse Scrooge McDuck]] famously won his Number One Dime shining shoes.

* There's one of these in ''[[TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess]]''. Paying him is necessary to enter the fancy store.

In detective stories, the detective usually has [[KnowledgeBroker a conversation with the shoeshiner while he gets his shoes shined. This lets him know what is happening on "the street"]]. The detective usually adds an extra tip to pay for the information.

Shoe shining is often used as the first step in a character's working his way out of poverty. Horatio Alger Jr. is probably the TropeCodifier, if not the TropeMaker, for that aspect (see Literature below).

* A character from ''The Adventures Of Captain Vrungel'', admiral Kusaki, disguises himself as a black whose job is to polish the shoes, mainly for the purpose to spy the captain out.

* ''LiveAndLetDie'': While JamesBond is trailing Kananga's car in Harlem, he's spotted by a black shoeshine man, who calls Mr. Big on a radio inside his shoeshine kit.

* In the movie ''[[Film/{{Ptitleg61am70o3b3w}} M*A*S*H]]'', the snippets of the song "Tokyo Shoe Shine Boy" are played at various times. The song is also on the movie soundtrack. In the film it is sung in Japanese, except for the words "Tokyo Shoe Shine Boy" in English. You can hear the entire song in Japanese [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC_jf6FUh-U here]].

* {{Scrooge McDuck}} famously won his Number One Dime shining shoes.

The Shoe Shine Stand is a bunch of chairs, where the customer sits and places his feet up on a stand in front of them. Since this is a more established business, the shoeshiners are generally adult men. They are often black men, so calling them shoeshine "boys" is [[{{Understatement}} not recommended]] in modern times.

* ''{{Goodfellas}}'': Features a scene in which Tommy [=DeVito=] (JoePesci), brutally beats and knifes Billy Batts to death for insulting him about being a shoeshine boy in Tommy's younger days. This would eventually get Tommy killed, as Batts was a made man.
** The film is based on the real-life experiences of Henry Hill and the people he met through the Vario brothers, who owned a shoeshine stand and other businesses. In real life, William "Billy Batts" Devino taunted Thomas "Two Gun Tommy" [=DeSimone=], calling him "spit-shine Tommy." [=DeSimone=] retorted by yelling, "Shine these fuckin' shoes," and then executing Batts.

* ''{{Goodfellas}}'': Features a scene in which Tommy [=DeVito=] (JoePesci), brutally beats to death Billy Batts for insulting him about being a shoeshine boy in Tommy's younger days.
** The film is based on the real-life experiences of Henry Hill and the people he met through the Vario brothers, who owned a shoeshine stand and other businesses. In real life, William "Billy Batts" Devino taunted Thomas "Two Gun Tommy" [=DeSimone=], calling him "spit-shine Tommy". [=DeSimone=] retorted by yelling, "Shine these fuckin' shoes", and then executing Batts.

* WesternAnimation/{{Underdog}}'s SecretIdentity is "Shoeshine Boy".

[[folder:RealLIfe]]

* {{Underdog}}'s SecretIdentity is "Shoeshine Boy".

In detective stories, the detective usually has a conversation with the shoeshiner while he gets his shoes shined. This lets him know what is happening on "the street". The detective usually adds an extra tip to pay for the information.

->''"Shoe shine, mister?"''

The Shoe Shine Boy is a young [[AlwaysMale boy]] who carries around a box. Inside the box are the shine tools, which the boy takes from the box as the customer customer places his shoe on a pedestal built on the box.

The Shoe Shine Stand is a bunch of chairs, where the customer sits and places his feet up on a stand in front of them. Since this is a more established business, the shoeshiners are generally adult males. They are often black men, so calling them a Shoe Shine ''Boy'' is [[{{Understatement}} not recommended]] in modern times.

In detective stories, the detective usually has a conversation with the shoeshiner while he gets his shoes shined, this lets him know what is happening on "the street". The detective usually adds an extra tip to pay for the information.

Shoe shining is often used as the first step in a character's working his way out of poverty. Horatio Alger, Jr. is probably the TropeCodifier if not the TropeMaker for that aspect (see Literature below).

* ScroogeMcDuck, famously won his Number One Dime shining shoes.

* ''YoungFrankenstein''. When Frederick's train pulls in, he asks a shoeshine boy "Pardon me boy, is this the Transylvania Station?" The boy replies "Ja, ja. Track 29. Oh, can I give you a shine?" This is a ShoutOut to the 1941 song "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chattanooga_Choo_Choo Chattanooga Choo Choo]]".
* ''LiveAndLetDie''. While JamesBond is trailing Kananga's car in Harlem, he's spotted by a black shoeshine man, who calls Mr. Big on a radio inside his shoeshine kit.
* In ''TheBandWagon'' Fred Astaire sings and dances [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4UUkui545I#t=1m20s "Shine on your Shoes"]] with the shoe shiner. He was a real dancing shoe shiner rather than an actor/dancer, and the inspiration for the song [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEClMiOp6OY "Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy."]] A {{BLAM}} song.

* "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy", a song performed by BingCrosby and FrankSinatra amongst others.

** Rod Blagojevich – later Governor of Illinois.

* There's one of these in ''[[TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess]]'', paying him is necessary to enter the fancy store.

* ''{{Underdog}}'s'' SecretIdentity is "Shoeshine Boy".
* ''TheSimpsons'': the guy who invented Itchy & Scratchy is a homeless hobo who makes a living in part by shining shoes. After he successfully sues I&S Studios for all their money he lives in a mansion, where he hangs out in front asking people if they'd like a shine.
* In one episode of ''SushiPack'', the Titanium Chef's evil plan involves shoeshine, even though his own minions point out that no one shines their shoes in this day and age. However, his plan also involves the power of [[PeerPressureMakesYouEvil peer pressure]], and sure enough, everyone wants to get their shoes shined to be "cool." One boy even volunteers to help them shine shoes.

[[/folder]]

->''"Need a shine, mister?"''