FAQ for
Ocean's Eleven (2001) More at IMDbPro »

Screenwriter and director for Ocean's Eleven have stated that it's simply a plot hole. Without it the movie wouldn't have worked. Or, the team could have brought them with them in their "SWAT" bags, replaced them and the money, and then blown up only the hooker flyers.

Rusty, early in the film when the heist is being planned, says "I'd say of the top of my head you're gonna need a Boesky, a Jim Brown, Two Jethros, a Leon Spinks, a Miss Daisy and the biggest Ella Fitzgerald ever."

According to Director Stephen Soderbergh in an interview with TV Guide, he said this:

"First of all, [screenwriter] Ted Griffin and I completely made the terms up. We felt we had to come up with some funny, Damon Runyon-esque turns of phrase that weren't arbitrary we did sit down and think them out. So, Carl Reiner is the Boesky, as in Ivan, the powerful, rich magnate, inside kind of guy. Jim Brown is the confrontation Bernie Mac has with Matt Damon the 'don't mess with me or you're in for it' moment. The two Jethros are Casey Affleck and Scott Caan, the idea being 'we're going to need gear heads, car fanatics...some people who are total hillbilly under-the-hood guys.' A Leon Spinks is the disruption of the boxing match: A sporting event with some controversy to it that's what Leon Spinks means to me. The Miss Daisy association is driving; that was the SWAT van, a ruse involving transportation. The Ella Fitzgerald is the tape of the fake vault, which they're going to play back and have [Andy Garcia's character] Benedict think it's live. 'Is it live, or is it Memorex?'"

This excerpt has been taken from an interview with Don Cheadle for the movie Hotel for Dogs.

KW: I've noticed that you sometimes appear uncredited in movies, like in Ocean's 11 and Rush Hour 2. Why is that?

DC: For different reasons. I did Rush Hour 2 just as kind of a laugh, so I didn't really need a credit. To me, it was fine if people recognized me. And if they didn't, that was fine, too. With Ocean's, there was some stuff that happened behind the scenes that I didn't like how it went down, so I just said, "Take my name off it."