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
Sally Kirkland	...	Crystal
Avon Long	...	Benny Garfield
Arch Johnson	...	Combs
Ed Bakey	...	Granger
Brad Sullivan	...	Cole
John Quade	...	Riley
Larry D. Mann	...	Train Conductor
Leonard Barr	...	Burlesque House Comedian
Paulene Myers	...	Alva Coleman
Joe Tornatore	...	Black Gloved Gunman
Jack Collins	...	Duke Boudreau
Tom Spratley	...	Curly Jackson
Kenneth O'Brien	...	Greer
Ken Sansom	...	Western Union Executive
Ta-Tanisha	...	Louise Coleman
William 'Billy' Benedict	...	Roulette Dealer (as William Benedict)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patricia Bratcher	...	Manicurist (uncredited)
Susan French	...	Landlady (uncredited)
John F. Goff	...	Lacey - Speakeasy bouncer (uncredited)
Bruce Kimball	...	Lacey - Speakeasy bouncer (uncredited)
Chuck Morrell	...	FBI Agent Chuck (uncredited)
Guy Way	...	Gambling den boss (uncredited)

Directed by
George Roy Hill

Writing credits (WGA)
David S. Ward		(written by)

Produced by
Tony Bill	....	producer
Robert Crawford Jr.	....	associate producer (as Robert L. Crawford)
Julia Phillips	....	producer
Michael Phillips	....	producer

Cinematography by
Robert Surtees		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
William Reynolds

Art Direction by
Henry Bumstead

Set Decoration by
James W. Payne		(as James Payne)

Makeup Department
Jim Gillespie	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Ernest B. Wehmeyer	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles Dismukes	....	second assistant director
Ray Gosnell Jr.	....	first assistant director (as Ray Gosnell)
Sergio Emmanuele Anastasio	....	trainee assistant director (uncredited)
John Slosser	....	dga trainee (uncredited)

Sound Department
Robert R. Bertrand	....	sound (as Robert Bertrand)
Ronald Pierce	....	sound
Michael Colomby	....	sound re-recording mixer: restoration remix (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Albert Whitlock	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunts (uncredited)
Scott Gourlay	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Moio	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dean Smith	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Edith Head	....	costumes
Andrea E. Weaver	....	costumer: women (uncredited)

Music Department
Marvin Hamlisch	....	music adaptor
Scott Joplin	....	composer: piano rags
Billy Byers	....	music arranger (uncredited)

Other crew
Charlsie Bryant	....	script supervisor
Jaroslav Gebr	....	title artwork
John Scarne	....	technical consultant
John Longenecker	....	intern: AFI (uncredited)
Eileen Peterson	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
John Scarne	....	card dealer double: Paul Newman's hands close-ups (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Zanuck/Brown Productions
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1973) (France) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1977) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1978) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MCA Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Prem'er Video Fil'm (Russia) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Cinematique  cosmetics by
• Kaleidoscope Films  title & graphic design
• Marion Dougherty Associates  casting
• Universal Title  titles & optical effects

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:

It was just prior to Elizabeth Taylor's presentation of the Best Picture Oscar for this film that the streaker Robert Opel darted across the stage as David Niven was introducing her. It was this incident (among others) that inspired singer Ray Stevens to write the song "The Streak" that went to the top of the US charts the month after the awards. Incidentally, Opel was found murdered in his San Francisco gallery in 1979.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The poker scene takes place aboard the 20th Century Limited, a luxury train that ran between New York and Chicago from 1902 to 1967. Arrival times in Chicago varied over the years, but they usually were between about 7 and 9 a.m. The train would not be arriving in Chicago in what appears to be the middle of the night, as happens in "The Sting."

Quotes:

Henry Gondorff: Tough luck, Lonnehan. But that's what you get for playing with your head up your ass!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974)

Soundtrack:

THE ENTERTAINER

Classy bit of story telling

Small time conmen Johnny Hooker and Luther Coleman unwittingly scam a runner for Chicago main man Doyle Lonnegan. When Luther is murdered, Hooker goes on the run and seeks out Luther's old friend Henry Gondorff to help him put together a major sting to take revenge on Lonnegan. However with so much heat on Hooker and the stakes so high can they pull it off and get away clean?

Almost a follow up to Butch and Sundance, this film partners the stars of the day Newman and Redford to good effect. The story is a little less fun but still very enjoyable to watch as it builds to a great finale. The use of chapters ran the risk of fragmenting the film into bits but instead it really helps set it out and makes it more manageable. Although it is not as light hearted and jovial as the theme music suggests it still manages to flow nicely with the slightly darker drama not spoiling anything but only serving to make it feel more grown up.

The cast are all very good and make the film easy to watch. Redford comes off the best in terms of characters and his role really suits both his carefree attitude (the start of the film) but also his more serious side (the rest of the film). Newman has a lesser role that perhaps doesn't suit him quite as well, but he does have several really good scenes (the hustles) where he does very good work. Shaw's accent is a little heavy at first but I got used to it and it worked for me and he was a really good foil for Redford/Newman. The support cast including Durning, Walston, Gould, Jones and others all do good work.

The direction and use of music is really good and the sense of period is well crafted and doesn't just feel like it was painted on. I'm not sure if it deserved Best Picture or not because I don't know what the rest of the field was for that year but it is a really enjoyable film that is quite fun to watch several times even 30 years later – and isn't that the main thing?