What’s the Story Behind the Dogs Playing Poker Painting?
Part-Time Genius
iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope
4.5 • 2K Ratings
🗓️ 8 May 2026
⏱️ 33 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Cassius Marcellus Coolidge’s name isn’t widely known, but his painting of dogs playing poker (aka “A Friend in Need”) is iconic. Today we discover the truth about one of America’s most forgotten artists, from his early days in banking to his hijinks in the Freemasons. Plus: Why we love dogs and kitsch in art.
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This episode originally aired on November 12, 2024.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
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| 0:04.7 | Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. |
| 0:08.0 | Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, |
| 0:10.3 | so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, |
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| 0:15.8 | Join us as we tackle science and culture topics |
| 0:18.0 | from a galaxy far, far away, |
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| 0:37.8 | You're listening to Part-Time Genius, |
| 0:40.1 | the production of kaleidoscope and IHeartRadio. |
| 0:46.9 | Guess what, Will? |
| 0:48.1 | What's that, Mango? |
| 0:49.5 | So, you know that painting of dogs playing poker, |
| 0:52.3 | like the ones where dogs are drinking and playing cards |
| 0:55.2 | you know it's funny i was uh at a thrift store the other day with my son william and i actually |
| 1:00.8 | think i saw a puzzle of that painting right there in the store so i should should have bought it for this |
| 1:06.2 | that's amazing so i don't know if i told you this, but like when I was in high school, my dad saw |
| 1:12.7 | that painting for the first time and he was so delighted by it and he couldn't stop talking |
... |
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