The Sting

BBBB.5

(out of 5)

Robert Redford plays a con man who seeks revenge after his partner is killed by a crime boss. He teams up with older, wiser scam genius Paul Newman and the two of them set out to take the bad guy for all he’s worth. Despite there having been a million imitations of this film since it was first made, this George Royal Hill gem set in the 1930s still manages to be jam-packed full of treats for all audience members, and the surprises are still fresh. Redford and Newman continue the terrific chemistry they had in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (also directed by Hill), and the costumes by Edith Head are beautifully colourful. Marvin Hamlisch contributes a marvelous, Joplin-inspired ragtime score.

USA, 1973

Directed by George Roy Hill

Screenplay by David S. Ward

Cinematography by Robert Surtees

Produced by Tony Bill, Julia Phillips, Michael Phillips

Music by Marvin Hamlisch

Production Design by Henry Bumstead

Costume Design by Edith Head

Film Editing by William Reynolds

Cast Tags:  Arch Johnson, Avon Long, Brad Sullivan, Charles Dierkop, Charles Durning, Dana Elcar, Dimitra Arliss, Ed Bakey, Eileen Brennan, Harold Gould, Jack Collins, Jack Kehoe, James Sloyan, Joe Tornatore, John Heffernan, John Quade, Ken Sansom,Kenneth O’Brien, Larry D. Mann, Lee Paul, Leonard Barr, Paul Newman, Paulene Myers, Ray Walston, Robert Earl Jones, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, Sally Kirkland, Ta-Tanisha, Tom Spratley, William ‘Billy’ Benedict

Academy Awards
Best Art Direction (art direction: Henry Bumstead; set decoration: James Payne)
Best Costume Design (Edith Head)
Best Directing (George Roy Hill)
Best Film Editing (William Reynolds)
Best Music (Scoring: Original Song Score and Adaptation-or-Scoring: Adaptation) (Adaptation score by Marvin Hamlisch)
Best Picture (Tony Bill, Michael Phillips, Julia Phillips, producers)
Best Writing (Story and Screenplay–based on factual material or material not previously published or produced) (David S. Ward)

Nominations
Best Actor (Robert Redford as “Johnny Hooker”)
Best Cinematography (Robert Surtees)
Best Sound (Ronald K. Pierce, Robert Bertrand)

Golden Globe Award Nomination
Best Screenplay (David S. Ward)

National Board Of Review Award
Best Film

Writers Guild Award Nomination
Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen

Directors Guild Award
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures (George Roy Hill)