The Sting

( 15 )

Overview

Four years after setting box offices ablaze in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and director George Roy Hill re-teamed with similar success for The Sting. Redford plays Depression-era confidence trickster Johnny Hooker, whose friend and mentor Luther Coleman Robert Earl Jones is murdered by racketeer/gambler Doyle Lonnegan Robert Shaw. Hoping to avenge Luther's death, Johnny begins planning a "sting" -- an elaborate scam -- to destroy Lonnegan. He enlists the aid of "the greatest ...
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Overview

Four years after setting box offices ablaze in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and director George Roy Hill re-teamed with similar success for The Sting. Redford plays Depression-era confidence trickster Johnny Hooker, whose friend and mentor Luther Coleman Robert Earl Jones is murdered by racketeer/gambler Doyle Lonnegan Robert Shaw. Hoping to avenge Luther's death, Johnny begins planning a "sting" -- an elaborate scam -- to destroy Lonnegan. He enlists the aid of "the greatest con artist of them all," Henry Gondorff Paul Newman, who pulls himself out of a drunken stupor and rises to the occasion. Hooker and Gondorff gather together an impressive array of con men, all of whom despise Lonnegan and wish to settle accounts on behalf of Luther. The twists and surprises that follow are too complex to relate in detail -- suffice to say that you can't cheat an honest man, and that you shouldn't accept everything at face value. The Sting became one of the biggest hits of the early '70s; grossing 68.5 million dollars during its first run, the film also picked up seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Adapted Score for Marvin Hamlisch's unforgettable setting of Scott Joplin's ragtime music.
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Special Features

The Art of the Sting; 3-part documentary on the creation of the film featuring interviews with Robert Redford, Paul Newman; ; 100 Years of Universal: Restoring the Classics - An in-depth look at the intricate process of preserving the studio's film legacy; ; 100 Years of Universal: The '70s; A look at Universal's iconic movies and filmmakers during this dynamic decade; ; 100 Years of Universal: The Lot; A behind-the-scenes look at the movie magic created on the famous Universal Studios lot; ; Theatrical Trailer
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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Ed Hulse
Reunited several years after being paired in 1969's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Paul Newman and Robert Redford proved with this delightful 1973 caper film that their onscreen chemistry was, in cinematic terms, historic. The Sting more than matched the earlier film's box-office success, and it won a total of seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay. David S. Ward's complicated but skillfully developed script sets the action during the depths of the Depression in Chicago, where small-time grifter Johnny Hooker Redford enlists the aid of legendary con man Henry Gondorff Newman to mount an elaborate "sting," targeting ruthless New York gangster Doyle Lonnegan Robert Shaw, who was responsible for the murder of Johnny's mentor, Luther Coleman James Earl Jones. It's a potentially dangerous undertaking that Henry initially disdains. But the lure of the "big con" is irresistible, and ultimately the two men team up to stage an operation so intricate it will require the services of more than a dozen confederates -- all of whom anticipate a big payoff. Director George Roy Hill The World According to Garp, never the most stylish of filmmakers, won his well-deserved Oscar for coordinating the creative efforts of a sublimely talented group working both in front of and behind the cameras. The film is a perfect example of this most collaborative art form. The production design brilliantly re-creates the 1930s in sets, costumes, and props; the lighting and photography is crisp; the editing maintains a crackling pace; and even the ragtime music of Scott Joplin arranged by Marvin Hamlisch, though written decades before the time frame of the movie, seems perfectly appropriate for the mood and setting. Performances are faultless, with stars Newman and Redford heading but not dominating a superb cast, each member of which represents the perfect choice for his or her part. It's hard to imagine anybody other than Robert Shaw as the vicious Irish mobster, and the same goes for Harold Gould's dapper con man, Charles Durning's corrupt cop, Eileen Brennan's hard-boiled hooker, or Ray Walston's smooth-talking sharpster. Simply put, there isn't a single discordant note in this symphony of cinematic artisanship.
All Movie Guide - Lucia Bozzola
Reuniting the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) dream team of Robert Redford, Paul Newman, and director George Roy Hill, The Sting (1973) showed that box-office lightning could strike twice, especially with a cleverly and lavishly produced comedy. Amid the meticulously recreated 1930s setting, with costumes designed by grande dame Edith Head and shiny vintage cars, The Sting's elaborate con game is driven along by properly jaunty Scott Joplin ragtime music, re-orchestrated by Marvin Hamlisch, further adding to the period flavor. Even as film-school graduate David S. Ward's script dealt with a corrupt world, the charming Redford/Newman chemistry and the period appeal lent the potential darkness a glossily entertaining surface. A few critics may have complained that the box-office formula was too obvious, but nobody could deny that Universal's money had resulted in a well-executed film. Produced by actor Tony Bill and young newcomers Michael Phillips and Julia Phillips, The Sting appealed to audiences young and old, turning it into one of the biggest hits of the 1970s. Nominated for ten Oscars, The Sting won seven, including Director, Screenplay, Art Direction, Adapted Score, and Costumes, while Julia Phillips became the first woman to win a Best Picture prize.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 6/5/2012
  • UPC: 025192139758
  • Original Release: 1973

    • Rating:

  • Source: Universal Studios
  • Presentation: Remastered / Bonus DVD
  • Time: 2:10:00
  • Format: Blu-ray
  • Sales rank: 19,655

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Paul Newman Henry Gondorff/Mr. Shaw
Robert Redford Johnny Hooker/Kelly
Robert Shaw Doyle Lonnegan
Charles Durning Lt. William Snyder
Ray Walston Singleton
Eileen Brennan Billie
Dimitra Arliss Loretta Salino
Ed Bakey Granger
Leonard Barr Burlesque Comedian
William Benedict Roulette Dealer
Jack Collins Duke Boudreau
Charles Dierkop Floyd
Dana Elcar FBI Agent
Harold Gould Kid Twist
John Heffernan Niles
Arch Johnson Combs
Robert Earl Jones Luther Coleman
Scott Joplin Piano Rags
Jack Kehoe Erie Kid
Sally Kirkland Crystal
Avon Long Benny Garfield
Larry D. Mann Train Conductor
Paulene Myers Alva Coleman
Kenneth O'Brien Greer
Lee Paul Bodyguard
John Quade Riley
Ken Sansom Western Union Executive
James J. Sloyan Mottola
Tom Spratley Curly Jackson
Brad Sullivan Cole
Joe Tornatore Black-Gloved Gunman
Technical Credits
George Roy Hill Director
Tony Bill Producer
Henry Bumstead Art Director
Robert L. Crawford Producer
Ray Gosnell Jr. Asst. Director
Marvin Hamlisch Score Composer, Screenwriter
Edith Head Costumes/Costume Designer
James W. Payne Set Decoration/Design
Julia Phillips Producer
Michael Phillips Producer
Ronald Pierce Sound/Sound Designer
William H. Reynolds Editor
Robert Surtees Cinematographer
David S. Ward Screenwriter
Bob Warner Special Effects
Ernest B. Wehmeyer Production Manager
Albert J. Whitlock Special Effects
Richard D. Zanuck Producer
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Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Sting
1. Main Titles/The First Con [12:10]
2. Lonnegan Strikes Back [11:57]
3. The Set-Up/The Great Henry Gondorff [4:51]
4. The Round-Up [6:01]
5. Playing for Lonnengan [5:28]
6. The Hook [6:02]
7. A Friendly Poker Game [14:25]
8. The Double-Cross [6:43]
9. The Tale [10:15]
10. Hooker on the Lam [5:43]
11. The Wire [6:53]
12. A Federal Case [2:54]
13. The Shut-Out [8:00]
14. Hooker Hooked by the Feds [10:47]
15. The Sting [6:51]
16. The Big Con/End Credits [10:04]
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Menu

Disc #1 -- Sting
   Play
   Scenes
   Bonus Features
      The Art of The Sting
         Play All
            The Perfect Script
            Making a Masterpiece
            The Legacy
      Theatrical Trailer
   Setup
      Spoken Language
         English 5.1
         Français 2.0 Mono
      Subtitles
         English SDH*
         Français
         Español
         Subtitles: Off
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 15 )
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Sort by: Showing all of 15 Customer Reviews

  • Posted October 1, 2010

    Luther Coleman ...

    was not played by James Earl Jones, but by his father, Robert Earl Jones, an important figure in the Harlem Renaissance.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Couldn't disagree more with the previous reviewer

    I think this movie still plays out just as well today as it did in the 70's. The story, script, music, and of course, acting are all top-notch. The train scene with Paul Newman and Robert Shaw is a must see. And yes, the con is classic. Great movie from start to finish. Highly recommend it!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Played Well in 1970's

    Movies such as Usual Suspects, Sneakers, Bandits and Memento owe a lot to The Sting. It was the original con movie with a twist, and at the time it was released, the ending was a real surprise. But movies released since the 1970's have made the movie-going audience so much more sophisticated about that kind of ending that The Sting doesn't work anymore the way it was originally intended to. Sad, but true. It moves much more slowly than the more current movies, and the ending is more or less predictable. It's still worth watching, though. The cast is wonderful and the actual con is classic.

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    Posted August 24, 2010

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