The Sting 1973

type: Movie

language: English

duration: 129 min

genre: crime

theme: heist

director: George Roy Hill

Score: 8 / 10

The Sting is a 1973 American caper film set in September 1936, involving a complicated plot by two professional grifters (Paul Newman and Robert Redford) to con a mob boss (Robert Shaw). The film was directed by George Roy Hill. Created by screenwriter David S. Ward, the story was inspired by real-life cons perpetrated by brothers Fred and Charley Gondorff and documented by David Maurer in his 1940 book The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man.

Plot

In 1936, during the Great Depression, Johnny Hooker, a grifter in Joliet, Illinois, cons $11,000 in cash in a pigeon drop from an unsuspecting victim with the aid of his partners Luther Coleman and Joe Erie. Buoyed by the windfall, Luther announces his retirement and advises Hooker to seek out an old friend, Henry Gondorff, in Chicago to learn "the big con". Unfortunately, their victim was a numbers racket courier for vicious crime boss Doyle Lonnegan. Corrupt Joliet police lieutenant William Snyder confronts Hooker, revealing Lonnegan's involvement and demanding part of Hooker's cut. Having already blown his share on a single roulette spin, Hooker pays Snyder in counterfeit bills. Lonnegan's men murder both the courier and Luther, and Hooker flees for his life to Chicago.

Awards

Cast

More details

author	David S. Ward
award	Academy Award for Best Costume Design Academy Award for Best Director Academy Award for Best Film Editing Academy Award for Best Original Song Score Academy Award for Best Picture Academy Award for Best Production Design Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay National Board of Review Award for Best Film National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
contentLocation	Chicago
director	George Roy Hill
editor	William Reynolds
events	gambling organized crime
genre	crime
keywords	20th century 20th century limited across the board betting parlor big con con artist con man confidence trick crime boss crime scene fbi fbi agent great depression great depression in the united states grifter hide hired killer horse race kill morning mysterious figure numbers racket off-track betting old friend past-posting pigeon drop poker poker game police lieutenant roulette run summon trifecta walk western union win
musicBy	Marvin Hamlisch
nomination	Academy Award for Best Actor Academy Award for Best Cinematography Academy Award for Best Costume Design Academy Award for Best Director Academy Award for Best Film Editing Academy Award for Best Original Song Score Academy Award for Best Picture Academy Award for Best Production Design Academy Award for Best Sound Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay
producer	Julia Phillips Michael Phillips Tony Bill
productionCompany	The Zanuck/Brown Company Universal Pictures
publisher	Universal Pictures
recordedAt	Chicago LaSalle Street Station Santa Monica
theme	heist