The Sting (1973) First Time Watching! Movie Reaction!

[@johnscott4196]

The intricate backgrounds for this, buildings, cars, clothes, furniture are so good that you don't even see it, the focus remains on the characters. Amazing

[@ParkerAllen2]

The James Earl Jones connection was a great catch on your part. Here's another bit of trivia you might enjoy: Robert Shaw was cast as the bad guy, but before shooting began he injured his foot playing tennis. He called the director to tell him he wouldn't be able to play the role because he couldn't walk properly while he was healing. The director said if Shaw didn't mind limping through the movie they'd make that part of the character and that's why Shaw limps throughout the movie.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

That’s some great trivia!

[@2nd3rd1st]

Great detail, I literally made up a backstory for his limp in my mind like he's only acting crippled to throw off other mob bosses like some animals do with predators.

[@kathyastrom1315]

I love so many of the secondary and tertiary characters here! The guy who provides everything for the wire store has my favorite line delivery. When Twist asks him if he wants a cut or flat rate and he finds out the mark is Lonnegan, the way he says, “Flat rate!” just cracks me up. Twist also is so well portrayed by Harold Gould. He is so suave and personable, but he gets disturbed by random violence, such as when Snyder breaks Kid Erie’s nose.

[@VulcanDeathGrip44]

The fact that they both “died” in Butch and Sundance makes the possibility of them dying at the end, a real fear. The filmmakers pulled a sting on the audience!

[@samworf6550]

2:10 The song is "The Entertainer", a ragtime composition by Scott Joplin. Ragtime peaked around the turn of the 20th century, and by the time this movie came out (and also by 1936 when the movie is set) ragtime had died out and Joplin was largely forgotten. The popularity of this film caused a huge surge in interest for ragtime, and rescued Joplin from obscurity.

[@user-gt2uf8cq9y]

This version by Marvin Hamlisch #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 when the movie was released.

[@Madbandit77]

​@@user-gt2uf8cq9y Hamlisch graduated from my alma mater, Queens College/CUNY.

[@Billinois78]

Nowadays, people are most likely to recognize it from ice cream trucks. lol

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

@@user-gt2uf8cq9yI remember doing a report in 6th grade on Ragtime & Scott Joplin, probably in part from this film.

[@YoureMrLebowski]

19:56 "What was I suppose to do, calling him for cheating better than me in front of the others." -Lonnegan

[@brucedillinger9448]

Lol! And his delivery of the line is great!

[@kbrewski1]

The shrieks followed by the audible gasps of shock when both were shot and then smiled and got up is one of my favorite all time movie experiences in a theater.

[@aresee8208]

At the 46th Academy Awards in 1974, when Elizabeth Taylor opened the envelope naming the Best Picture winner, she giggled and then said, "I'm so glad...the winner is The Sting."

[@michaelceraso1977]

it was a wonderful time bakc then, THis was a treat and throwback to the way films were done so classy (dressin in period costumes and teh great music) I was in school and even 17-18 yr olds were talkin of it

[@eronflemens2977]

I am SO happy you finally watched this! One of my favorite movies of all time! I saw this on the big screen and was fooled as well. When Samantha said this may be her new favorite movie I smiled from ear to ear. You guys have such wonderful reactions. Genuine surprise and interest in the movie. I am pleased to be a frequent guest on your channel. Keep it up! There are many more fantastic movies to see. I will throw in another suggestion: PLEASE watch Harvey with Jimmy Stewart. It is so charming and funny. Thanks for great entertainment!!

[@markb2526]

I 2nd that

[@aleatharhea]

My favorite Robert Redford movie: All the President's Men (1976) My favorite Paul Newman movie: Cool Hand Luke (1967)

[@chongsfury4358]

Oh yeah Cool Hand Luke is a classic I'M SHAKING IT BOSS I'M SHAKING IT!!!

[@djmichnal]

If that’s your first Redford film then you haven’t seen All the Presidents Men with Redford and Hoffman playing Woodward and Bernstein. One of the great movies of all time imo.

[@Kaddywompous]

Not to mention The Natural.

[@thomast8539]

Three Days of the Condor Jeremiah Johnson Great Waldo Pepper Brubaker and The Natural are all good Redford films

[@lesbird1041]

Sneakers, Gatsby, small role in Bridge Too Far.

[@markb2526]

​@@lesbird1041 Sneakers. Robert Redford Sidney Poitier , River Phoenix and, Dan akyroyd

[@lesbird1041]

@@markb2526absolutely love Sneakers. Probably my favourite Redford film, even if The Sting and Butch are “better”.

[@RussellCHall]

When they decide to sting Robert Shaw we meet Kid Twist an older sharp dressed guy with grey hair who starts putting together the crew and renting everything they need. No real backstory like "Wow, that's Kid Twist from blah blah he's the best conman in blah blah!", nope, we are just shown his competence and are allowed to infer from his name that he's been at it a long time. He does the setup (while the main guys are on the train) as sort of a conman administrator. It's a really great "show-don't tell" moment but I love that some fella just takes over 10 minutes of the movie and then fades into the background as a 2nd in command who plays his part. Great stuff.

[@asland52]

George Roy Hill, who directed Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, directed The Sting as well!

[@susanliltz3875]

“Ray Walston” starred along side Bill Bixby in a Tv series in the 60s called “My Favorite Martian”👽. Among other things!

[@paulpeacock1181]

He was Mr Hand in Fast Times At Ridgemont High. Other movies that Ray costarred in: The Apartment, South Pacific, Damm Yankeees, and Paint Your Wagon.

[@shainewhite2781]

Winner of 7 Oscars including Best Picture. One of the greatest caper movies ever made and also one of the best Newman/Redford movies ever made. I wish they made a third film together, but I guess it's true what Newman told Homer, "I'm gonna tell you what I told Redford: it ain't gonna happen."

[@Timmayytoo]

They have such amazing chemistry on-screen. My dad bought the score on vinyl so I grew up listening to all the great Joplin songs from the film.

[@hippiechic6772]

Newman did do a Hustle movie many years later with Tom Cruise : The Color of Money . Not in the league as The Sting but The Color of Money was a good movie .

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

@@hippiechic6772Which itself was a sequel to the 1961 film, The Hustler, in which he plays a pool shark. I remember hoping to see Tom Cruise reprise his role as Vince around 2010-2015, which would be roughly the same time as Newman spent between The Hustler & Color of Money.

[@EricAKATheBelgianGuy]

"You owe me fifteen grand, pal." Love the way Newman says the line.

[@chrispittman8854]

YES!!! Pretty damn awesome. Now you'll get the "finger off the nose" tribute you'll see from time to time in comedies. "Yah follow?"

[@kathyastrom1315]

The screenwriter said that he specifically chose the name “Salino” for the assassin because the “o” ending can lead one to think the character is male, even though that has nothing to do with surnames.

[@EricAKATheBelgianGuy]

Two interesting trivia notes: 1. Others have already mentioned that The Sting won Best Picture. By doing so, Julia Phillips was the first woman to win the Oscar as a producer. 2. Director George Roy Hill became the first director to have two movies gross over $100 million at the box office - this one and Butch Cassidy.

[@Madbandit77]

Julia and her husband/partner Bill would later produce "Taxi Driver", starring Robert DeNiro and Jodie Foster. Hill would later direct Redford in the flying ace film, "The Great Waldo Pepper" and Newman in the gonzo hockey comedy, "Slap Shop".

[@fday1964]

Both have a great filmography. Paul Newman starred in The Hustler, 1961....then starred in the sequel, The Color of Money with Tom Cruise in 1986. Would be an interesting back to back reaction!

[@DSmith264]

Would love to see a reaction to The Hustler. Such a monumental film. Maybe someday.

[@Jon-nu7cy]

Was just about to post the same thing. I think they would love both of those movies. Then maybe down the road they could watch the guilty pleasure, Pool Hall Junkies :)

[@kathyastrom1315]

This was the first grown-up movie I saw in the theater, when I was 7. My family went to the decaying movie palace in my hometown of Joliet and joined the sold-out crowd. When that first date/place card popped up on screen after the opening credits, saying “Joliet, Illinois,” well, I had never heard an audience just erupt like that before! It remains one of my favorite movies of all time, and left me with a lifelong love of grifter films, ragtime, and Robert Redford.

[@clarencewalker3925]

The crooked cop is played by Charles Durning. He was an Army veteran who served at Normandy in 1944 and the Battle of the Bulge.

[@jasonbeatty831]

And Billie was played by the late great Eileen Brennan, who was Mrs Peacock in the wonderfully underrated Clue.

[@upresins]

He also played the CIA boss in 'The Man With One Red Shoe' (1985) starring Tom Hanks

[@conureron3792]

Wasn’t Durning in Dog Day Afternoon, too, as a cop?

[@THOMMGB]

@@upresinsCharles Durning was also in Tootsie, a wonderfully funny Dustin Hoffman movie. I wish that movie would get reacted to. Hint…hint. All star cast…

[@THOMMGB]

@@jasonbeatty831Eileen Brennan was also in Private Benjamin and The Cheap Detective.

[@bg7606]

Another piece of trivia: when Paul Newman and his team are passing around photos of Robert Shaw's Hitmen, the one you can see real well was a regular in movies and tv throughout the 80s amd 90s. You might remember him as the accountant in The untouchables with Kevin Costner, but in this case it was only his picture that made an appearance in the movie

[@johngraham2335]

I'm so glad you are reacting to this. I grew up watching this movie as my parents were huge fans of it. I don't think it gets the respect is it due. I have probably seen it 40-50 times and I see something important that I missed every time. It's a true classic...

[@RegenerativeHomes]

Paper Moon came out the same year (recommend next), also about cons, also an academy award winner. Both influenced several TV series about cons the following year.

[@brucedillinger9448]

Yes. Paper Moon is so good. 👍

[@clash5j]

Good call! It’s such a great film that no one reacts to

[@davelong4416]

Yeah I think these folks would truly love Paper Moon. Yeah, its about cons, but it also has so much heart.

[@brucedillinger9448]

@@clash5j there are a couple reactions to it though

[@UnderDriven17]

Great reaction! I had to watch this as soon as I got the notification because I knew you would love it! This is as close to a perfect movie as it gets. I saw this in the theater when it came out, and I was convinced that the FBI stuff was real, so kudos for being suspicious. I was just a kid then so I accepted it at face value. I've probably seen this at least 20 times since then, and maybe 10 KZbin reactions, but it never gets old. Especially watching someone see it for the first time--it brings back the feeling I had in 1973 (or maybe 1974). My one niggle about the edit is the omission of the "I said place it on Lucky Dan--that horse is going to finish second" dialog. I don't know if that was necessary for KZbin, but I love it when Lonnegan realizes it all went wrong. Okay, I actually have a second minor niggle: omitting the dialog when Benny says "Flat rate." That's another favorite line of mine, but it's not important to the plot so I understand why it was cut. I think I'll watch it again later tonight--that's how great it was. Thanks!

[@mitchellbeston1033]

Cool Hand Luke with Paul Newman and George Kennedy.

[@thomast8539]

Shakin' it boss!

[@mitchellbeston1033]

@@thomast8539 No man can eat 50 eggs!

[@susanliltz3875]

You guys are so young .. all of the members of the cast are known ( back in the day) and had been in a ton of movies and Tv shows and always did good jobs in all of their roles.

[@thomast8539]

Yep. The head FBI agent (Dana Elcar), the guy with the mustache phoning up Lonigan with the horse race tips (Harold Gould) and his "painting assistant" (and race announcer) (Ray Walston) were all huge part players on numerousd TV shows.

[@zedwpd]

Another great duo is Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman in the movie Papillon

[@Grateful_Dad_54]

Classic!!!!

[@tlpsen306]

Saw this when it came out many years ago, the audience loved it and couldn't stop talking about it as they left the theater.

[@clarencewalker3925]

I saw it in 1973. The audience applauded.

[@pvanukoff]

@@clarencewalker3925 Applauding in cinemas is so weird to me. I mean, none of the people who made the movie are there. You're applauding to the walls.

[@mwflanagan1]

That cast had tons of recognizable actors throughout. It especially had actors who frequently portrayed con artists, gangsters, tough guys. Thanks for this one, and I’m glad you enjoyed it.

[@ForcesInMotion]

Another ha! I love that you saw that both Better Call Saul & Oceans 11 pulled from this. It's classic...

[@ForcesInMotion]

Ha! For an old guy like myself, who's been a film freak my whole life, it's a beautiful thing to see younger folks discovering and diggin' into classic 70s American cinema. 70s is maybe the greatest decade for film, and Newman/Redford are both wonderful. Sweet! You wanna check another classic Newman film, I say go with The Hustler...

[@Divamarja_CA]

Not embarrassed to say I’ve been crushing on Harold Gould for 50 years. He’s the bee’s knees!

[@Madbandit77]

I know him best from "The Golden Girls" as Betty White's boyfriend.

[@chefskiss6179]

I always forget about that ticker-tape voice/announcer until the lady goes to the back room and tells him he can stop. 😂 They often kept a lookout for another project, but unfortunately Redford and Newman never did another gig together again.

[@clash5j]

You guys would love Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke

[@thomast8539]

Perhaps Newman's best role. He had a lot of them, but Luke is my favorite.

[@stevenprice8253]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Thank you, guys. I saw The Sting in the theater when I was 10 years old, and it has been in my top five ever since. It was such a delight to hear your reactions as you watched this classic movie for the first time. Cheers!!

[@acecombatter6620]

Fun fact: Luther is played by the father of James Earl Jones.

[@clarencewalker3925]

Finally!

[@sweisbrod6109]

Robert Earl Jones.

[@GreatOutdoors1]

They talk about that in the video.

[@ranger-1214]

Yeah, they thought so and looked it up at the end of the movie.

[@JeffKelly03]

Never clicked on one of y'all's videos so fast. One of the greatest movies ever made.

[@stsolomon618]

This film won Best Picture at the 1974 Academy Awards. Its a fun film. A great Redford film is Three days at the Condor and then for Newman is Color of Money.

[@MikeHunt90731]

The Exorcist should have won best picture, it won the Golden Globes

[@stsolomon618]

@MikeHunt90731 same can be said for American Graffiti

[@reservoirdude92]

Slap Shot all the way!

[@MikeHunt90731]

@@reservoirdude92 that's 1977

[@reservoirdude92]

​@@MikeHunt90731I know that, I'm throwing that film in the ring because of Paul Newman.

[@jasonbeatty831]

Jeremiah Johnson should absolutely be next on your Robert Redford recommendations….

[@DylansPen]

I will second that, that is a great film.

[@D.A.B-w7n]

I’ll third it, one of my favorites.

[@MrLovegrove]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it so much! And now Samantha and I have the same all time favorite movie! To me, this movie is perfect. If I was given the chance to change anything I wanted, I would change nothing. The music, the costumes, the scenery, the dialogue, the casting, the performances, all of them are absolutely perfect in my opinion.

[@laurakali6522]

Robert Redford directed an Oscar winning movie called Ordinary People, 1980. He won as director, the movie won best picture, best supporting actor (a young Timothy Hutton who was also in Taps and Falcon and the Snowman), and best adapted screenplay.

[@kbrewski1]

Finally! An absolute classic gem.

[@ImagineMySurprise510]

Scott Joplin's music used in The Sting already existed years before but at the time the movie was made it had been all but forgotten. Its use in this movie brought it back to prominence.

[@dennisshaper4744]

Ray Walston was Mr Hand, the teacher in 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High'.

[@RockPowerUSA]

I was laughing when you said, "I thought they were going to finish the painting." Lol. You're so charming.

[@zedwpd]

Next movie with Paul Newman; COOL HAND LUKE

[@Cadinho93]

Fun Fact: Luther is played by James Earl Jones' father. Also, not only did this film sweep through the Oscars, winning seven out of ten nominations, including Best Picture, it also inspired a renewed popularity in ragtime music and Scott Joplin in particular. This was the second time Paul Newman, Robert Redford and director George Roy Hill worked together, the first being 1969's "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid".

[@terryv2006]

Couldn’t click fast enough. My number one fav movie. Such a great cast

[@phillipmullineaux9641]

Loaded with Hollywood royalty! Shaw was in Jaws, and actually had an injury here! Single movies to watch of them is Jeremiah Johnson, The candidate,3 days of the Condor, The Way we were, Cool Hand Luke, and one of the funniest comedies ever, Slapshot!

[@jasnycal]

Yeah nice when Hollywood acutely made art and good movies. Never be made today, doesn't check off enough boxes. Great classic pick.

[@aleatharhea]

I love you grasping the rules of poker. "Nines are larger than threes... (?)" 😂

[@wwoods66]

"Three of a kind beats two of a kind?"

[@flerbus]

maybe i grew up with a bunch of degenerates but i'm always amazed when people say they don't know the ranks of poker hands

[@TheSpanishInquisition87]

This is such a fun movie. The soundtrack is amazing, and the story keeps you guessing.

[@Chris-fd9er]

Another really good Con Artist movie is House of Games from 1987. Also, the best Paul Newman flick is Cool Hand Luke, from 1967. Great movie.

[@Cheynayful]

"Can't get a break from riding" was hilarious, especially since we could see you laugh to yourself before you delivered the line. Great film, great reaction!

[@tigqc]

I wish more would react to this. Such a fun and super well crafted film.

[@walterpanovs]

The same producers made "Jaws" a couple of years later and brought Robert Shaw along to play "Qulint."

[@Tony1771-yj8mc]

The opening piano piece is rag time and was from the early 1900s, called "The Entertainer". I was about 7 when this movie came out and this movie caused a slight ragtime revival with this arrangement actually reaching number 3 on the billboard top 40. We kids called it "the Sting" at least in my school. Lots of us who took piano played a simplified arrangement of it.

[@cashflowhustles]

I turned 8 years old that year in August. I do remember seeing this years later on TV.

[@eschiedler]

I learned to play all the main Scott Joplin rags, my fav was "Maple Leaf Rag".

[@thomasgriffiths6758]

The guy broadcasting the fake horse race is actor Ray Walston who played Mr Hand in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

[@verisimilitudeteller]

Fun fact: The Sting came out one day before The Exorcist.

[@KevinLanders-w2k]

Yes. Rewatch. And then rewatch and rewatch and rewatch. From the set design and wardrobe to storytelling and soundtrack, this movie is one of the best, if not the best.

[@conureron3792]

Yep, never get tired re-watching this one!

[@xbosta360]

Fun Fact: That piano song that's used in many "old timey" movies was composed by Scott Joplin, called "The Entertainer". He has many other great songs.

[@robotto8858]

YES! An amazingly incredible movie. I truly believe this was part of the inspiration for the story of Pirates of The Caribbean. Each character has their own interest, their own motivation, which may or may not, depending on the circumstance, coincide with others, to culminate in the perfect ending. Great reaction.

[@hippiechic6772]

Hi TBR& Sam My Mom was a huge movie buff and The Sting is in her top five favorite list. I could have sworn that you both reacted to The Sting before .....I enjoyed your reactions and comments for The Sting so much. I will be watching this here again . Was on the edge of my seat trying to remember how it went down and who was in on it . I had not seen this movie in over a year and I did not remember exactly who was in and who was not . Thank you both for this . I had a great time

[@jpa5038]

Great movie. Remember watching it when I was a kid.

[@christinastarr3178]

Newman and Redford, the perfect likeable rascals who pull off the sting. Incredible film. Do watch more of their films please.

[@robphelps7949]

Thanks for reacting to this amazing movie, ya'll did a great job!!

[@edsmith3461-z7m]

She was wearing the gloves. Lonnegan, frustrated with his men's inability to kill Hooker for the Joliet con, orders the job to be given to Salino, his best assassin.

[@FeaturingRob]

The film won the Best Picture Oscar, a historic win because Julia Phillips, one of the producers, became the first female producer to win the award. She would be nominated again for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The music was mainly adapted from actual ragtime-era songs and music by Marvin Hamlish. Hamlish won the Oscar for Best Adapted Score for this, and the same night won two other Oscars for another film that also starred Robert Redford, the romantic drama The Way We Were with Barbra Streisand (that film won Hamlish Best Song and Best Original Score). David S. Ward, who wrote the screenplay, won the Oscar for Best Screenplay. He did a sequel to the film The Sting II, without Redford and Newman, and wrote and directed it, but it didn't perform as well as the original. However, Ward's films as a writer and director have a few well-known ones: Sleepless In Seattle (Oscar nomination), Major League I & II, King Ralph, and Down Periscope.

[@keithjohnson8866]

Another Robert Redford film to check out is The Horse Whisperer. It’s a love story, very well shot.

[@kermitlacock5930]

I had the same reaction as Samantha when Redford and Neweman got shot. I was only 11 at the time and had seen really any movies with plots this complicated. Some of the actors in this movie have been on your channel before. Billie was Eileen Brennan who played Mrs. Peacock in "Clue". The FBI guy was Dana Elcar who played the Sovit official at the beginning of "2010".

[@dnllrnt]

This movie is incredibly special to me.This was the movie my Mom and Dad saw on their first date. My dad's extremely punctual: if he's not 10 minutes early, he's 5 minutes late. Naturally, he wanted to get to the movies early. Not only were they early, but they walked into the ending of the previous showtime. 😂 My dad's response: "Okay, let's see how they got there!" Real smooth, Dad.

[@EdPawley]

The best one two punch on Paul Newman is, "The Hustler" from 1961, and its Martin Scorsese directed sequel from 25 years later, 1986's "The Color of Money," which partnered him with a young Tom Cruise. Newman plays a pool hustler, young, then old. Excellent.

[@DSmith264]

The acting in 'The Hustler' was nothing short of phenomenal. But the story was dialogue heavy and pretty dark. A great movie that might not translate to a great reaction.

[@rodneybray5827]

Great movie. Two Redford must-see movies are Brubaker and Three Days of the Condor. Mostly because they don't make movies like those two anymore. These days, things have to explode every few minutes and have triple twist plots that are ridiculous.

[@joanward1578]

The actor playing the head of the mob who was conned, was the shark hunter in Jaws.

[@larrydlam]

As far as I am concerned, this is a better movie than Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

[@fnizzelwhoop]

"Have faith!" -- the right thing to have at just that moment! I love this movie; all the plot twists are really fun.

[@Billinois78]

The opening credits are done to the style of the early films of the 1920s, especially serials, showing the actors with their names and character names.

[@samanthab1923]

I saw this in a theater in London while on a school trip abroad. Remember being mad that a friend didn’t tell me they die in the end! 😂

[@717101]

Ray Walston ... " My Favorite Martian "

[@joel65913]

This is a great movie, very deserving of all the prizes it won especially the Best Picture Oscar. The Newman/Redford chemistry is off the charts but the surrounding cast (and pinpoint perfect direction) are what add so much flavor to the film. The score is all based around Scott Joplin's ragtime which Marvin Hamlisch adapted for the film using "The Entertainer" as the central theme. That particular tune became a big hit on the charts staying in the Top 10 for weeks. This and Butch Cassidy are the pair's only two costarring films, though they looked for years for another picture they never found anything that measured up to the quality of these two that would work for them both. However each made many fantastic films on their own. I'd recommend "All the President's Men", "Three Days of the Condor" and "The Way We Were" (in which he costars with Barbra Streisand-an enormous hit that contains her best onscreen performance.) For Paul Newman there are many but three that are a good place to start-"The Hustler", "Harper" and the very Hitchcockian "The Prize".

[@positivelynegative9149]

23:35 Perfect word, Sam. 😄👍 The ultimate heist/con film. 😃

[@paulpeacock1181]

In Casablanca black 22 is used for good, in The Sting black 22 is used for bad.

[@badsit761]

The carousel is the carousel on Santa Monica pier.

[@lesbird1041]

A true classic. Thanks for reacting. Used to watch this with my father. His all-time favourite, too.

[@protoculturematrix4369]

A truly phenomenal movie. They don't make them like this anymore.

[@rollmops7948]

Luther (Robert Earl Jones) was James Earl Jones' s father. (they had the same voice also....Darth Vader's voice).

[@darwinawardcommittee]

40 plus years watching this movie and I never caught that. You learn something new every day.

[@markdenio4537]

“Nice to meet ya kid. You’re a real horse’s ass.” “Luther said I could learn something from you. I already know how to drink.” My favorite exchange in the movie.

[@MarkM430]

I grew up watching this with my father. A wonderful movie and wonderful memories. In all those watching and in all the people I've ever spoken too about this, not a single one caught that the actor playing Luther was James Earl Jones father. Fantastic catch. I'm glad I got to enjoy this movie again with you two. Thank You.

[@kbrewski1]

Actually only 2 people were conned. Lonergan and Snyder. The opening piano tune/theme was classic ragtime composed by Scott Joplin called The Entertainer. The soundtrack was a hit and won tons of awards after the movie came out.

[@sweisbrod6109]

The theme was called The Entertainer by Scott Joplin. Marvin Hamlisch played the music for the movie and many people thought he wrote it, but it was Scott Joplin.

[@Jordashian93]

This movie has really good acting and drama. While I haven't seen many movies with Paul Newman, Robert Shaw is a legend in everything he acted in and died too soon.

[@tomfrankiewicz4030]

This movie is so great on so many levels. Screenplay: writing; acting; etc.

[@jeffdetmer4681]

One of my all time favorites. Not sure what you have watched, but I have a couple suggestions for great Paul Newman movies. He did a movie called The Hustler with Jackie Gleason. Newman played a young pool hustler named Fast Eddie Felson and Gleason played real life legendary hustler Minnesota Fats. Almost the entire movie takes place in a smoky pool hall where those 2 happen to be in the same place and the challenge is on. Brilliant dramatic acting. Then years later Newman played Fast Eddie again as a retired pool player who agrees to teach and manage a new young hustler played by Tom Cruise. That movie is called The Color of Money. Another great Newman movie is Cool Hand Luke. Really love you two reacting together. Stay safe and well. Oh and the original Oceans Eleven is before this. It stars Frank Sinatra and the entire rat pack. Sally Kirkland played the stripper that Hooker took out. Ray Walston played in a huge TV show way back when called My Favorite Martian, he was also the teacher who was always going back and forth with Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

[@rickc661]

been waiting a long time for this. came out the same week as the Exorcist, I think. Ya sure don't see flicks like that nowadays. check. Redford in ' the Natural ' (baseball.) Newman in the classic broadway play ' cat on a hot tin roof' with Liz Taylor. And then - Liz Taylor and James Dean in the texas story ' GIANT'. classics intertwine

[@katherinedinwiddie4526]

Learned the piano because I love this movie so much!

[@kbrewski1]

Surprising you've barely scratched the surface on Paul Newman. Must react: >COOL HAND LUKE >THE VERDICT >THE HUSTLER >THE COLOR OF MONEY (sequel to THE HUSTLER) just for starters

[@bg7606]

Cool hand Luke.. absolutely. Young Newman in "Somebody up there likes me" too.

[@rickwelch8464]

I was a kid when this came out and won the Oscar. Loved it every time I've seen it.

[@WUStLBear82]

'The Entertainer' rag was written in the early 1900s but ragtime was experiencing a renaissance in the early 70s and Marvin Hamlisch's orchestrated adaptation for the film hit #3 on the Billboard pop chart and #1 on the easy listening chart. We played it in band in junior high. If you want a more recent film about con artists, John Cusack, Annette Benning, and Angelica Huston play a complicated trio in Stephen Frears' _The Grifters_ (1990).

[@paintedjaguar]

"The Grifters" wasn't really about the con though.

[@WUStLBear82]

@@paintedjaguarIt's a neo noir, but it teaches you a lot about some classic short and long cons.