The Sting facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Sting
Theatrical release poster (alternate design)
Directed by	George Roy Hill
Produced by	Tony Bill Michael Phillips Julia Phillips
Written by	David S. Ward
Starring	Paul Newman Robert Redford Robert Shaw Eileen Brennan Charles Durning Robert Earl Jones
Music by	Marvin Hamlisch
Cinematography	Robert Surtees
Editing by	William Reynolds
Studio	Universal Pictures The Zanuck/Brown Company
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date(s)	December 25, 1973 (1973-12-25)
Running time	129 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$5.5 million
Money made	$159.6 million

The Sting is a famous American movie from 1973. It's a "caper film," which means it's about a clever plan to trick someone. The story takes place in September 1936. This was during a tough time in America called the Great Depression.

The movie follows two skilled con artists, Paul Newman and Robert Redford. They team up to trick a powerful crime boss named Doyle Lonnegan, played by Robert Shaw. The film was directed by George Roy Hill. He had also directed Newman and Redford in another popular movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

The idea for The Sting came from real-life tricksters. Screenwriter David S. Ward was inspired by stories of brothers Fred and Charley Gondorff. These stories were written down in a 1940 book called The Big Con.

The title "The Sting" refers to the moment when con artists finish their trick. They take the victim's money, and the victim often doesn't even realize they've been cheated until much later. The movie uses old-fashioned title cards between its different parts. These cards look like drawings from old magazines.

The Sting is also famous for its music. It uses ragtime music, especially a song called "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin. Marvin Hamlisch adapted Joplin's music for the film. The movie's success made Joplin's music popular again.

The film was released on Christmas Day in 1973. It was a huge hit with both critics and audiences. The Sting won many awards, including seven Oscars. These included Best Picture and Best Director. In 2005, the movie was chosen to be kept safe in the U.S. National Film Registry. This means it's considered an important part of American history and art.

The Story of The Sting

The movie begins in 1936 in Joliet, Illinois. A young con artist named Johnny Hooker (played by Robert Redford) and his friends Luther Coleman and Joe Erie trick a man out of $11,000. They use a trick called a "pigeon drop." Luther decides to retire and tells Hooker to find an old friend, Henry Gondorff, in Chicago. Henry knows how to do "the big con."

But there's a problem. The man they tricked was carrying money for a dangerous crime boss named Doyle Lonnegan. A corrupt police officer, Lieutenant William Snyder, finds Hooker. Snyder knows about Lonnegan and wants a share of the money. Hooker has already spent his share, so he gives Snyder fake money.

Lonnegan's men find and harm both the courier and Luther. Hooker has to run away to Chicago to save his life.

Hooker Meets Gondorff

In Chicago, Hooker finds Henry Gondorff (played by Paul Newman). Henry used to be a great con artist but is now hiding from the FBI. Hooker asks Henry for help to get back at Lonnegan. Henry is not sure at first, but then he agrees. He gathers a team of experienced con artists to help them.

They decide to use an old, complicated scam called "the wire." This involves setting up a fake off-track betting parlor. On a fancy train, Gondorff pretends to be a rude bookie named Shaw. He joins Lonnegan's high-stakes poker game. Gondorff acts annoying and then cheats Lonnegan, winning $15,000.

Hooker, pretending to be Shaw's unhappy employee named Kelly, goes to collect the winnings. Instead, he convinces Lonnegan that he wants to take over Shaw's business. Kelly tells Lonnegan he has a partner, Les Harmon (who is actually another con artist named Kid Twist). Harmon works at the Western Union office in Chicago. He can help them win horse races by getting results early.

Trouble from the Police and Lonnegan

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Snyder has followed Hooker to Chicago. But he is stopped by undercover FBI agents, led by Agent Polk. Polk orders Snyder to help them catch Gondorff using Hooker.

At the same time, Lonnegan is angry that his men haven't found Hooker yet. He doesn't know that Kelly is Hooker. Lonnegan hires his best assassin, Salino, to get rid of Hooker. A mysterious person in black gloves starts following Hooker.

Kelly's plan seems to work. Harmon gives Lonnegan the winners of two horse races. Lonnegan agrees to bet $500,000 at Shaw's fake betting parlor. He wants to get revenge on Shaw and win big.

Just before the big trick, Hooker spends time with a waitress named Loretta. The next morning, the black-gloved person appears and shoots Loretta. This person reveals they were hired by Gondorff to protect Hooker. Loretta was actually Lonnegan's hired killer, Loretta Salino. She hadn't harmed Hooker yet because they were seen together.

The Big Sting

Lonnegan gets a tip from Harmon to bet on "Lucky Dan." He places his $500,000 bet at Shaw's parlor. As the race starts, Harmon arrives and acts shocked. He says that when he told Lonnegan to "place it," he meant Lucky Dan would finish second, not win.

Lonnegan panics and rushes to get his money back. Just then, Agent Polk, Lieutenant Snyder, and several FBI agents burst into the parlor. Polk confronts Gondorff and tells Hooker he is free to go. Gondorff, pretending to be angry about Hooker's betrayal, shoots Hooker in the back. Polk then shoots Gondorff and tells Snyder to get Lonnegan away from the scene.

Once Lonnegan and Snyder are gone, Hooker and Gondorff stand up, smiling. The gunshots were fake! Agent Polk is actually Hickey, another con artist. He was running a second con on top of Gondorff's con. This was to make sure Snyder and Lonnegan left the money behind. As the con artists pack up the room, Hooker refuses his share of the money. He says he would "only blow it" (spend it foolishly). He then walks away with Gondorff.

Meet the Cast

Here are some of the main actors and the characters they played:

• Paul Newman as Henry "Shaw" Gondorff
• Robert Redford as Johnny "Kelly" Hooker
• Robert Shaw as Doyle Lonnegan
• Robert Earl Jones as Luther Coleman
• Charles Durning as Lt. William Snyder, the police officer
• Ray Walston as J.J. Singleton
• Eileen Brennan as Billie
• Harold Gould as Kid Twist
• John Heffernan as Eddie Niles
• Dana Elcar as FBI Agent Polk, also known as "Hickey"
• Jack Kehoe as Erie Kid
• Dimitra Arliss as Loretta Salino
• James J. Sloyan as Mottola
• Charles Dierkop as Floyd (Lonnegan's bodyguard)
• Lee Paul as Lonnegan's bodyguard
• Sally Kirkland as Crystal
• Avon Long as Benny Garfield
• Arch Johnson as Combs
• Ed Bakey as Granger
• Brad Sullivan as Cole
• John Quade as Riley
• Larry D. Mann as Clemens (the train conductor)
• Leonard Barr as Burlesque House Comedian
• Paulene Myers as Alva Coleman
• Joe Tornatore as Black Gloved Gunman
• Jack Collins as Duke Boudreau
• Tom Spratley as Curly Jackson
• Kenneth O'Brien as Greer
• Ken Sansom as Western Union Executive
• Ta-Tanisha as Louise Coleman
• William "Billy" Benedict as Jimmy

Making the Movie

Writing the Story

Screenwriter David S. Ward said he got the idea for The Sting while studying pickpockets. He realized he had never seen a movie about con artists. He wanted to make one. It took him a year to figure out how to tell the story. He needed to make the main characters likable, even though they were tricksters. He also imagined a secret group of thieves who would work together for a big plan, then disappear.

A person named Rob Cohen, who later became a director, found the script. He was a "reader" for a future studio boss. He wrote that it was "the great American screenplay." He said it would make an award-winning movie with famous actors and a major director. Universal Studios bought the script that same afternoon!

Later, a writer named David W. Maurer sued, saying the movie's story was too much like his 1940 book, The Big Con. Universal settled the case by paying him $300,000.

Choosing the Actors

David S. Ward first wrote Henry Gondorff as a small role. He was supposed to be an overweight, older man. But when Paul Newman joined the movie, the part was changed. Gondorff became slimmer, and his role was made bigger. This was to make the most of Newman and Redford working together again. Newman had been told to avoid comedies, but he took the part to show he could do comedy too.

Jack Nicholson was offered the main role but turned it down. Paul Newman agreed to be in the film after getting top billing. He also received $500,000 and a share of the movie's profits. Newman needed a hit movie because his last five films hadn't done well at the box office.

The director, George Roy Hill, wanted Richard Boone to play Doyle Lonnegan. But Paul Newman sent the script to Robert Shaw while Shaw was filming in Ireland. This helped make sure Shaw would be in the movie.

Robert Shaw's character in the film walks with a limp. This was real! Shaw had hurt his knee a week before filming started. He wore a leg brace during filming, which was hidden by the wide pants from the 1930s style.

Filming Locations and Style

Director George Roy Hill wanted the movie to look like films from the 1930s. He watched many old movies for ideas. He noticed that old gangster films rarely used many extra people in street scenes. So, he decided to avoid using many extras in The Sting too.

Hill, along with the art director and cinematographer, chose colors like muted browns and maroons for the film. They used special lighting to get the old-fashioned look they wanted. Edith Head designed stylish costumes from the 1930s for the actors. Artist Jaroslav Gebr created the title cards used between scenes. They looked like the golden drawings from old Saturday Evening Post magazines.

Filming on location in Pasadena, California. Stand-ins are used to set up the shot.

The movie was filmed mostly at the Universal Studios backlot. Some small scenes were shot in Wheeling, West Virginia. Other scenes were filmed at the Santa Monica pier's carousel in Santa Monica, California. In Chicago, scenes were shot at Union Station and the old LaSalle Street Station.

One of the producers, Tony Bill, loved old cars. He helped find several cars from the 1930s to use in the movie. One of them was his own rare 1935 Pierce-Arrow, which was used as Lonnegan's private car.

The Music of The Sting

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Source	Rating
AllMusic

The soundtrack album for The Sting was produced by Gil Rodin. It featured several Scott Joplin ragtime songs, which were arranged by Marvin Hamlisch. Ragtime music became popular again in the 1970s, partly because of this movie.

Here are some of the songs from the soundtrack:

• "Solace" (Joplin) – an orchestral version
• "The Entertainer" (Joplin) – an orchestral version
• "The Easy Winners" (Joplin)
• "Hooker's Hooker" (Hamlisch)
• "Luther" – a sad version of "Solace" arranged by Hamlisch
• "Pine Apple Rag" / "Gladiolus Rag" medley (Joplin)
• "The Entertainer" (Joplin) – a piano version
• "The Glove" (Hamlisch) – a Jazz Age style song
• "Little Girl" (Madeline Hyde, Francis Henry) – heard briefly on a car radio
• "Pine Apple Rag" (Joplin)
• "Merry-Go-Round Music" medley – includes "Listen to the Mocking Bird", "Darling Nellie Gray", "Turkey in the Straw" (traditional). Only "Listen to the Mocking Bird" was used in the film, along with other march songs not on the album. These were recorded from the Santa Monica Pier carousel's band organ.
• "Solace" (Joplin) – a piano version
• "The Entertainer" / "The Ragtime Dance" medley (Joplin)

Other Versions of The Sting

Stage Musical

A stage musical version of the movie was created. It had music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis, and the story was written by Bob Martin. The musical first opened in New Jersey on March 29, 2018. The role of Henry Gondorff was played by Harry Connick Jr.. The musical also uses Scott Joplin's music, including "The Entertainer."

Home Video Releases

The Sting has been released on different home video formats over the years.

• It came out on DVD in 2000.
• A special "deluxe" DVD edition was released in September 2005. It included a "making of" video with interviews from the cast and crew.
• The film was released on Blu-ray in 2012.
• It was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray on May 18, 2021.

See also

In Spanish: El golpe (película de 1973) para niños