Guide Note

The Sting is a 1973 film directed by George Roy Hill and starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. The story follows two con men who contrive a clever and elaborate plot to rob a mob boss. The Sting won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and the Directing Award.

Fast Facts

1. Director: George Roy Hill
2. Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw
3. Released: December 25, 1973
4. Running time: 129 min
5. Won 7 Oscars
6. The film takes place in 1936
7. The theme, Scott Joplin's ragtime piece, "The Entertainer," is actually from 1902

The Paul Newman character, Gondorff, was based on the real-life con men, Fred and Charley Gondorf, who ran a swindle, "the big store," similar to the one in the film -- although less successfully, for they were caught and spent several years in prison. This and other elements of the film were adapted from linguist David Maurer's 1940 book, The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man.