SYNOPSIS

Johnny Hooker is a small-time grifter in Depression-era Chicago. When his friend and mentor Luther is murdered by thugs of big-time New York racketeer Doyle Lonnegan, Hooker sets out to avenge his death. He seeks out experienced con man Henry Gondorff to help him pull off an elaborate scam to fleece Lonnegan. Gondorff, a smart but down-on-his-luck drunk, agrees to help him and they lay a trap for Lonnegan that is full of twists and turns.

Director: George Roy Hill
Producers: Richard D. Zanuck, David Brown, Tony Bill, Julia Phillips, Michael Phillips
Screenplay: David S. Ward
Cinematography: Robert Surtees
Art Direction: Henry Bumstead
Editing: William Reynolds
Music: Marvin Hamlisch (adaptation) with original piano music by Scott Joplin
Costume Designer: Edith Head
Cast: Paul Newman (Henry Gondorff), Robert Redford (Johnny Hooker), Robert Shaw (Doyle Lonnegan), Charles Durning (Lt. William Snyder), Ray Walston (J.J. Singleton), Eileen Brennan (Billie), Harold Gould (Kid Twist), John Heffernan (Eddie Niles), Dana Elcar (FBI Agent Polk), Jack Kehoe (Erie Kid), Dimitra Arliss (Loretta), Robert Earl Jones (Luther Coleman), James J. Sloyan (Mottola), 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).
C-129m. Letterboxed. Closed Captioning.

Why THE STING is Essential

With its clever story and crisp dialogue, The Sting is regarded by many to have one of the best original screenplays of its decade.

Director George Roy Hill and actors Robert Redford and Paul Newman had enjoyed tremendous success with their 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The Sting marked the second time the trio worked together in an effort to make lightning strike twice - and it did. The magical chemistry was still there and audiences flocked to theaters in droves to see Redford and Newman together again.

The Sting features a bright musical score made up mostly of turn-of-the-century Ragtime tunes originally written by composer Scott Joplin including the highly popular "The Entertainer". The success of the film was responsible for turning the spotlight on Joplin's wonderful music more than 50 years after his death and re-igniting its popularity with the public.

A loving wink at old gangster films of the 1930s, The Sting evokes a fond nostalgia for a bygone era of Hollywood. Director George Roy Hill creates a pitch perfect period atmosphere not only through costumes and sets but also through his use of a muted color scheme, Saturday Evening Post-inspired title card artwork and 1930s-style technical elements such as editing wipes and irises. The Sting is truly one of the most stylish films of the 1970s.

The Sting may be an audience-pleasing showcase for Robert Redford and Paul Newman, but Robert Shaw is not to be missed in one of his best performances as the sinister villain Doyle Lonnegan.

by Andrea Passafiume