The Sting (1973)

Director:

George Roy Hill

Writer (WGA):

David S. Ward (written by)

Release Date:

10 January 1974 (Argentina)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Recapture "the STING Experience". REMEMBER HOW GOOD THE FEEL WAS THE FIRST TIME (re-release)

Plot:

In 1930s Chicago, a young con man seeking revenge for his murdered partner teams up with a master of the big con to win a fortune from a criminal banker.

Plot Keywords:

Con | Big Con | Revenge | Long Con | Courier

Awards:

Won 7 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 6 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Nov. 23

7:00 AM

MAX

Cast

Paul Newman	...	Henry Gondorff
Robert Redford	...	Johnny Hooker
Robert Shaw	...	Doyle Lonnegan
Charles Durning	...	Lt. Wm. Snyder
Ray Walston	...	J.J. Singleton
Eileen Brennan	...	Billie
Harold Gould	...	Kid Twist
John Heffernan	...	Eddie Niles
Dana Elcar	...	F.B.I. Agent Polk
Jack Kehoe	...	Erie Kid
Dimitra Arliss	...	Loretta
Robert Earl Jones	...	Luther Coleman (as Robertearl Jones)
James Sloyan	...	Mottola (as James J. Sloyan)
Charles Dierkop	...	Floyd (Bodyguard)
Lee Paul	...	Bodyguard

Runtime:

129 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | UK:PG (video rating) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:PG | South Korea:15 | Brazil:Livre | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1974) | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Biltmore Hotel - 506 S. Grand Avenue, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Zanuck/Brown Productions

Trivia:

Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley had refused for two years to allow any filming in the city if it was depicted negatively, but allowed the producers of this film to shoot there for three days.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the poker game, the jacket on top of the seat behind Floyd changes between close-ups and long shots.

Quotes:

Floyd: Doyle, I KNOW I gave him four THREES. He had to make a SWITCH. We can't let him get away with that.
Doyle Lonnegan: What was I supposed to do - call him for cheating better than me, in front of the others?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Gilmore Girls: Teach Me Tonight (#2.19)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

PINE APPLE RAG

The clever plot makes multiple viewings mandatory for full enjoyment...

THE STING is so full of twists and turns at every unexpected moment that it never stops drawing you into all of its traps. All of it is performed at a fast clip and the performances have all the nuances needed to keep you entertained and in suspense.

Sparked by perfect period detail, a Scott Joplin piano score courtesy of Marvin Hamlisch and grand performances, it is gritty and at all times entertaining--it deserves to be seen more than once to relish all the tricks you missed the first time.

For full enjoyment, a plot description is better left for the first time viewer to discover so I won't give any plot details here.

The three central performances are perfection--Robert Redford, so comfortable in a role he was obviously born to play, Paul Newman, the epitome of a confidence trickster and Robert Shaw as the man who falls hard for The Sting. Newman and Redford are even more at home here than they were as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

No wonder it won so many '73 Oscars--including Best Picture. A film to relish again and again, with scenes that never lose their punch. The story is full of clever touches that will hook you into the 1930s atmosphere and have you waiting for the knockout ending.

Watch for the scene of Redford and the waitress he seeks out at 2:00 a.m. It's the kind of acting that can melt your heart.