The Sting Movie Review – One Old Gambling Classic
The Sting 1973 is an outstanding movie that presents how small-time crooks organised their cons at the times of the great depression. The film was made in 1973, but the storyline was situated in 1936. The production is so well made for its time. All small details, from the soundtrack to the costumes used, look exactly like those in the 30s. This The Sting movie review will give you a more detailed look over the screenplay itself, the actors, the plot, and the background.
First, we intend to show you some more general information about the production and details of the actual movie shooting and the team behind it. Then we will move to the actual The Sting movie review, where we will briefly revise the plot and how the story evolves throughout the scenario.
The Sting 1973 Movie Details & Background
| 🎦 Name: | The Sting |
| 🌎 Country: | USA |
| 📅 Released in: | Dec. 25th 1973 |
| 🎥 Directed by: | George Roy Hill |
| 📝 Written by: | David S. Ward |
| 🎬 Leading Actors: | Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, Charles Durning, Eileen Brennan |
| ⭐ IMDB Rate: | 8.3/10 |
| 🎞️ Duration: | 129mins |
| 🏆 Awards: | 15+ |
The Sting 1973 is one of a kind movie that shows how great movies were before the massive digitalization. Similar to some of the best gambling movies, The Sting movie also has an entertaining plot full of exciting gambling action. The script was written by David S. Ward, but there were many allegations of plagiarism after the movie came up on the big screen. Davis S. Ward revealed that he was inspired by The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man.
This is a documentary book based on the lives of two real-life crooks called Fred and Charley Gondoff. Most of the reviewers back in the days said that The Sting movie is one of the best ever made. In a very realistic manner, it presents the con works of criminals in the early ages of the 20th century. But it does show them as people with integrity and honour that make a living out of people’s greed. For the great success of The Sting 1973 are responsible the two leading roles of Paul Newman and Robert Redford.
This was not the first time they play together. They were both part of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid several years before The Sting 1973, and performed excellently. The truth is that the expectations were exceeded, and The Sting movie became even more popular and considered one of the best of its time.
Another interesting fact about The Sting 1973 is that they didn’t use any special effects while shooting the movie. All scenes are natural, shot in real places. Another important fact is that the film was designed in an old-fashioned way with reduced colours and adjusted light, making it look even more like in the 30s.
The Sting Cast – Great Actors Make Great Movies
Now, let’s say a few words about The Sting cast. Paul Newman and Robert Redford are two brilliant actors and some of the most famous ones of their generation. Although the gambling scenes aren’t pictured in one of the best casinos in the USA, this doesn’t affect one bit the great acting.
As we mentioned already, they partnered previously in the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid movie in 1969, and the audience loved them. Many people underestimated the acting abilities of Paul Newman at the time, and he used The Sting 1973 to prove them wrong. Right below, you will find the list of the most recognizable actors in The Sting film and their roles.
- Paul Newman playing the primary role of Henry Gondoff
- Robert Redford playing the primary role of Johny Hooker
- Robert Shaw playing the secondary role of Doyle Lonnegan
- Charles Durning playing the secondary role of Lt. Wm. Snyder
- Eileen Brennan playing the secondary role of Billie
One negative thing that the movie critics mentioned about The Sting 1973 was the lack of any prominent female role. There are women in the film, but none of them is playing a significant part in the movie. However, this is a forever green movie with a super high score not among one generation but several. Keep in mind that The Sting film is over 2 hours long. Remember, nothing is what it seems in this movie. In the end, you will be surprised by the outcome – we can bet on that.
The Sting Film Exposition – Learn How the Movie Begins
The movie starts with the introduction of the main characters or, more precisely, with Robert Redford as Johnny Hooker and Robert Earl Jones as Luther Coleman. Both are small-time grifters in the city of Joliet, Illinois. They were dealing great until they tricked one of the most powerful mobsters in the town named Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw). They made a small fortune, but it cost them the life of Luther Coleman. Before his last breath, he told Johnny Hooker to leave town and visit an old acquittance named Henry Gondoff in Chicago.
Luther told him that Henry is the man who will help him set up a new con to work some money out. Yes, but it was not easy like it seemed. The Lonnegan goons were sent after Johnny, while the FBI wanted Henry so previous crimes. However, this is how the leading two roles of The Sting 1973 met each other. Running from Illinois, Johnny arrived in Chicago and started looking for Henry.
Not long after, he found him and explained what happened with him and Luther. Then, the two gentlemen decided to set a trap for Mr Lonnegan to con him. Both consisted of a plan of how to trick him into a fake off-track betting parlour. For that purpose, they needed a team, which they assembled quickly. They found some of the finest grifters in the city of Chicago willing to help them.
The Sting Movie Main Action
In the scheme, Henry plays the role of a wealthy Chigaco bookmaker named Shaw with a passion for poker, knowing that this is one of the most favourite games of Mr Lonnegan. When Lonnegan arrived in Chicago, he visited the parlour. Then, Henry won $15,000 from Lonnegan and pissed him off with his cheeky behaviour. This is where the Sting movie gets even more enjoyable. Lonnegan didn’t know the face of Hooker, so he was able to set up the trap.
Hooker pretended to be Kelly, a man working for Shaw who must collect the $15,000 owned. The plan was for Kelly to tell Lonnegan that he and his friend called Les Harmon (another con man) can help him win some money by betting on horse racing. Meanwhile, a crooked cop named Snyder arrived in town to seek Hooker. Snyder was summoned by an undercover FBI agent who was working on both Hooker and Gondoff.
Meanwhile, Lonnegan got furious because they could not find Hooker, so he can pay for the troubles he caused in Joliet. Lonnegan sent his best and most ruthless goon after him. Not knowing that Kelly is actually Hooker, Lonnegan fell into their trap. At that time, Kelly (Hooker) successfully organised the horse racing win of Lonnegan and persuaded him to invest $500,000, so they can bet against Shaw (Henry) and get his revenge.
Lonnegan agreed to bet the amount on a horse race at the fake parlour of Shaw (Henry). When the race was coming to its end, it became evident that Lonnegan will lose his bet. At that exact moment, a bunch of FBI agents rushed to the scene. Then it became evident that Hooker sold his friend Gondoff. In his anger, Henry shot Johnny in the back while one of the FBI agents, named Polk, shot Henry down.
In the final scenes of The Sting film, you will see how the FBI agent Polk and Snyder are bringing Lonnegan out of the parlour. At that moment, our two main characters get up and start laughing. It comes clear that the shooting was staged and agent Polk is actually another con man who participated in the scheme.
Other Forever Green Gambling Movies That You May Like
Since you read this article, we assume you are a gambling fan, and you adore movies where the actors are involved in one. For your convenience, we have gathered some of the best gambling movies and their detailed reviews, so you get familiar with their plots and backgrounds beforehand and decide which ones you like most.
John Williams, a state representative of Minnesota and researcher, once said, “The urge of gambling is probably older than written history”, and we believe we can all agree with him. Gambling has changed significantly in the last 30 years. Now on focus are the best online roulette casinos because digitalisation changed the gambling business sector in roots. One thing is clear when it comes to roulette games – there is no self-respected casino that doesn’t offer that forever green game.
FAQ
Those who ask many questions are the ones to see and reach beyond the horizon. Asking the right questions will lead you to the correct answers. To help you out, we gathered the most frequently asked questions about The Sting film and everything about its cast, play, plot and rating. Use the additional links in each answer if you want to investigate it more thoroughly.
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