The Sting (1973) Movie REACTION!

[@billbabcock1833]

The reaction in the theater when the audience realizes THEY were conned was great. People were clapping, laughing and shouting. Such an incredibly well done movie.

[@chadbennett7873]

I saw this in a theater when it first came out, and you're 100% correct! I felt conned, but loved every single second of it! A true work of art!

[@IAMCAVE]

The chemistry between Newman and Redford is unmatched, their “solo” work is just as great.

[@MrAitraining]

You are probably my fav reactor. You don't ramble on or take away from the experience. Chill, authentic and perfect.

[@briancarr4607]

I second that

[@dontherealartist]

Are you a RELATIVE? Of COURSE she ''Rambles on''! ARE YOU DRUNK?!

[@michaelward9880]

Absolutely! You the words right out of my mouth. Her review is so much better than all of the others I've seen of this picture. She seemed to absorb the story from start to finish. Good job!

[@glennwisniewski9536]

Won 7 Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design (the great Edith Head), Best Film Editing and Best Music Adaptation (Marvin Hamlisch, of Scott Joplin compositions). Edith Head is so famous that she was parodied in the animated The Incredibles as Edna Mode, costume designer for the supers, complete with black round glasses and short stature.

[@CharlesDickens111]

The screenplay was especially brilliant - one of the best there's ever been.

[@flnthrn2]

$160 million box office in 1973-1974. Would be $900 million today.

[@jaykaufman9782]

Your remarks about Robert Redford foot speed was spot on. He was a first-rate baseball player and considered sticking with it and hoping to make the major leagues. Charles Durning described doing the scene where he pursues Redford on foot, and shooting it again and again because Redford would go all-out and just disappear, he was so fast. Durning would try to catch his breath while they set up to film the scene again, and Redford would be unwinded, waiting for Durning -- who'd barely run.

[@keithmays8076]

Yeah. You would almost say he was...a " Natural."

[@skylinerunner1695]

The proof is in Redford's economy and form when running, it's streamlined perfection. He relished physical scenes, skiing in Downhill Racer, tumbling through forests and swamps in The Chase, and running his way through Three Days of the Condor, The Way We Were, and, most impressively, The Sting. And to think that it was Charles Durning who spent three years in the infantry. I'm guessing he didn't keep a regime going after being demobbed. When it came to running in films, Redford was the Tom Cruise of his time.

[@jeffreyjeziorski1480]

@@skylinerunner1695 just need a motorcycle and the transformation is complete.

[@skylinerunner1695]

@@jeffreyjeziorski1480 😀

[@davidcruz8667]

Another great Paul Newman movie is "Cool Hand Luke". The line "what we have here, is a failure to communicate" comes from here. And for Robert Redford, "Jeremiah Johnson" is another great classic, shows him becoming a mountain man in America when the fur trade was highly profitable. It's dramatic and gut-wrenching and expansive, at times awe-inspiring. Very good movie.

[@skylinerunner1695]

David, so true about Jeremiah Johnson. a true gem and an intimate epic.

[@PurushaDesa]

Ah. So that's what Guns N' Roses are sampling at the start of Civil War.

[@davidcruz8667]

@@PurushaDesa Sampling? Sounds like something a teenie-bopper hip-hop group would do.

[@skylinerunner1695]

@@zerpblerd5966 Great recommendation! Sometimes a Great Notion was based on the impenetrable novel by Ken (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest) Kesey. The movie was released in some countries under the title 'Never Give An Inch'. Paul Newman directed as well as starred along with Henry Fonda and Lee Remick. Well worth watching.

[@barblessable]

Somebody Up There Likes Me or Hud are 2 underrated Paul Newman films.

[@glennwisniewski9536]

All the music is ragtime, popular at the turn of the century. The tunes in this movie were written by early 20th century ragtime composer Scott Joplin. The title song is Joplin's "The Entertainer."

[@Cbcw76]

For several years after this film, ragtime and Joplin's music was very hip, very cool. So was the nose touch.

[@gunkulator1]

The movie score was written by Marvin Hamlisch who also performed all the Joplin pieces.

[@glennwisniewski9536]

@@gunkulator1 Hamlisch adapted/orchestrated what were Joplin piano tunes, and won an Oscar. And, yes, Hamlisch is the one playing the piano in "The Entertainer" and the other rags. Also, see Robert Jewell's comment about two Hamlisch-composed tracks that weren't adapted from Joplin.

[@thomasoa]

@@Cbcw76 It was actually starting to gain popularity before the movie. Joshua Rifkin did a very popular recording of Joplin's rags in 1970. "The Sting," however. upped the popularity even more. But the choice to use Joplin, a turn of the century composer, for a film set in the 1930s, was no doubt in part because of the prior renewed interest in Joplin.

[@reverbscherzo7850]

@@Cbcw76 …and card tricks

[@jamesharper3933]

Great reaction 😊. Luther was played by Robert Earl Jones, James Earl Jones father. He was an actor and professional boxer. Other Robert Redford movies to add to your list are 1975's Three Days of the Condor with Max Von Sydow (The Exorcist) and Faye Dunaway (Network). Also the 1976 film All The Presidents Men with Dustin Hoffman. One of the best political thrillers ever, Presidents Men was nominated for best picture while winning 4 academy awards. Neither film has been reacted to by anyone on KZbin. I guarantee you will love them both.

[@ericwalker8636]

Excellent recommendations. I would add "Sneakers" with Redford, Sidney Poitier and Dan Aykroyd.

[@flatebo1]

And The Candidate (1972).

[@i.m.7710]

Network!

[@skylinerunner1695]

@@flatebo1 Yes, yes, yes and YES!

[@DinoNardelli]

Great review! I commend you for watching the older classic films. Speaking of which, another classic Newman film, that not many people have reacted to on KZbin, is Cool Hand Luke. It is a must-see and in my top 20 movies list. Cheers!

[@MrLovegrove]

This is my favorite movie of all time. I think it's basically perfect. The writing, dialog, music, acting, clothing, scenery, casting....I wouldn't change a thing. It's so damn smart and sharp. I love your reaction, and I'm really glad you enjoyed it. On a side note Madison, you looked absolutely amazing.

[@Cbcw76]

I like that analysis: "Three best lead actors" but also the 3 sets of supporting characters: Redford had his little group along with 'Loretta Salino', 'Luther Coleman', Charles Durning's city cop and others; Newman had his entire con-artist brotherhood - Harold Gould, Eileen Brennan, Dana Alcar; and Shaw's gunsels, flat-nosed Charles Dierkop, et al. Rewatching this film highlights those supporting actors, more with each viewing, too. It's a great and almost infinitely rewatchable work.

[@hempchimp]

Don't forget Ray Walston.

[@jeffreyjeziorski1480]

@@hempchimp Ray is my favorite Martian

[@glennwisniewski9536]

"Faro" is one of the oldest gambling games played with cards, supposedly named after the picture of a pharaoh on certain French playing cards. A poker "cooler" is a very strong hand that any player will find very hard to fold, but loses to an even better hand.

[@CheerfulPessimist]

Actually a cooler is a cold deck. A cold deck is one that's not being used ie isn't in the game. So when he says stack me a cooler he is saying fix a deck that is "cold" and is going to be switched into play. When people talk about coolers in hold 'em what they actually mean it's as if this deck was pre-stacked in order to make me lose my chips. The deck switch performed in the sting is 100% legit and was performed by John Scarne.

[@johnnehrich9601]

The on-screen friendship between Paul Newman and Robert Redford in Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid turned out to be so awesome, many people at the time (myself included) saw The Sting as a sort of follow-up encore performance. However, the set-up in The Sting seemed to be hinting at the same type of tragic ending as in the Butch Cassidy. So I think the audience twice as STUNNED at the ending here, that the FBI involvement was part of the con, played on the viewers as much as on the villains.

[@tommix6457]

Funny fun fact when the movie came out about a couple of weeks later everybody that played piano or had a music recital or anything was playing the theme for the sting. And that went on for months. It was a really popular song back in the day. Good little honky-tonk kind of tune.

[@thomastimlin1724]

I was one of those piano players lol. Everybody kept asking me to "play the Sting." I would correct them and say "You mean the Entertainer." there are still a few toys, computer games, ice cream trucks, and cell phones that still play the Entertainer. Now, no one knows that is it a from the movie or Scott Joplin, they think it is that game theme, etc. What a laugh...

[@darryndifrancesco8346]

The whole country, because of the popularity of this movie, got hooked on Scott Joplin’s ragtime music. I personally know 2 kids who decided to take piano lessons to learn it. As to the “sting” we all got stung by the multiple levels of cons going on. This was also a perfectly cast movie. So many great character actors being their perfect selves. I continue to love this movie after at least 100 viewings. The movie itself is timeless. So enjoy your reactions. Always such good observations and points. You also have a delightful charisma, making us smile and laugh along the way.

[@wraithby]

Paul Newman in "the Hustler" is a great , dark ,character study film from 1960. Newman at the top of his acting game.

[@MrTech226]

Paul returns in the sequel to Hustler: 1986's Color of Money with Tom Cruise. Paul won Best Actor for this movie.

[@stewartlowe4597]

A couple of things. When I saw the picture in a Melbourne theatre there was an audible gasp when Newman and Redford were shot and 'you could have heard a pin drop'. Also the limping by Robert Shaw. Just before filming he twisted his ankle playing squash. He apologised to the director and offered to drop out of the film. The director made him walk across the room so he could observe the limp...and said, no, we can use that as part of the character. Shaw was like the villain on Weimar Cinema; powerful but infirmed in some way. (Personally, The Sting along with the 1947 version of Miracle on 34th Street are my two favourite scripts because of their complex plausibility.)

[@Serai3]

It's impressive how the screenwriters used the same tricks on the audience that the con men used on their marks. For example, the whole Salino plot thread depends on the audience's automatic assumption that Salino is a man. 1) The name ends in an "o", which tends to suggest a male, 2) there are only a couple of lines where Salino is mentioned, and a pronoun is never used, and 3) the mere fact of Salino being an assassin would automatically bring a man to mind, especially back when this film was made. When you really look at the story, it's amazing how many times the film managed to con us, one after another, and yet we kept getting fooled, because _we want to think we know the truth when we see it._ It's a great lesson in how easy it is to be conned. That first con, where they took Motolla's $11K, has the rare distinction of being commented on by the _soundtrack._ Watch it again and you'll hear it - he opens the kerchief, sees the paper, the penny drops... and the music _laughs._ It's a perfect use of Joplin's jaunty ragtime, and it set the tone for the whole film. Oh, and you know the theme music precisely because of this movie. Ragtime had pretty much disappeared by the 70's, so Marvin Hamlisch's choice to use it for this film was both inspired and turned out to be popular. The theme song, "The Entertainer", becamse a MASSIVE hit on radio. (Seriously, you couldn't get away from the damn tune for about a year.) It passed into what would now be called a meme, and yes, you've heard it floating around the ether. And that's because of The Sting. :)

[@tomstanziola1982]

This poker game sequence is a thing of beauty!!!! 👏👏👏

[@flatebo1]

The theme song is Scott Joplin's The Entertainer, a ragtime tune written in 1902. Ragtime music was long out of fashion by the 1930s when The Sting is set. But it's got that "old time" feel, and that's good enough. The 1981 film Ragtime is, unsurprisingly, about a ragtime piano player in 1910's NYC.

[@davidwillis691]

Madison, go back to 27:32...the look on your face is priceless! (Same look we ALL had in the theater in 1973!)

[@Peter-pj4zj]

I love it 🤩. At the end of the movie we realize that the audience that was being conned for the last hour and a half. Bravo 👌!

[@chefskiss6179]

I always forget about the race announcer reading in the next room; such a great punchline to that scene. Loved this reaction vid with ya :)

[@Yldcatz]

The song The Entertainer charted very high if not #1 on the pop charts after the movie came out.

[@ollietsb1704]

And in the audiences, everyone sighed great relief, laughed, applauded - "I got stung, too!"

[@itt23r]

Great movie. Glad you found it and enjoyed it. And now, given your love of westerns I think you'd also enjoy checking out another Redford flick (one of his most memorable) and one of the most iconic ever made: JEREMIAH JOHNSON. It is one of the first big screen depictions of Native Americans not as stereotypes but as real people and IMHO the hands down best western from the early New Hollywood era.

[@podunkcitizen2562]

Im almost 60. Only a few movies have I seen where the audience applauded at the end. One was the original Rocky where the audience was cheering like it was a real fight and not scripted. Another one was this movie.

[@garyburley1960]

there is a feelgood movie with Robert Redford in it called 'The Natural' 1984, it doesn't have Paul Newman in it but it absolutely feels like the Sting and Butch and Sundance, if you want a third fix of happiness the first two movies gave you this is definitely the third, also set during the early part of the 20th century during the depression. cool hand luke is the fourth movie with just Paul Newman in it. all four of these films have the same feel to them

[@skylinerunner1695]

Interesting that the novel is far more downbeat and defeatist in tone. The movie version has very different qualities and is among Redford's few acting jobs in the 80's.

[@ephennell4ever]

Cool to see one of my old fave movies reacted to ... and glad you enjoyed it! The theme-music, "The Entertainer", was made popular by the movie; so much so that I actually heard it played on pop-music radio stations! The fact that *that* style of music (Ragtime) was 40 years old didn't matter. In fact, some other movies in the next couple years inserted Ragtime-style material, hoping to capitalize on "The Entertainer". Fine by me, I enjoy a lot of the old-style music!

[@wesleyrodgers886]

A wonderful script. Great acting. Marvellous movie.

[@dagnabbit6187]

Lots of great lines . I like the first line to Snyder when he went to that FBI set up “ Sit down and shut up and try not to live up to my expectations “ Great reaction young lady ! Can you imagine what it was like seeing The Sting for the first time in 73 when you were still a high school teenager ?

[@umbertocalvini7429]

George Roy Hill the director was grossly underrated, never received the recognition that he deserved according to Redford!

[@rustincohle2135]

Yea, the misdirection of this film is so well executed. As you pointed out at 24:37 and at 24:45, the characters appear to be conflicted (Hooker appears to feel guilty to us about betraying Gondorff). But no, within the context of the story, their conflicted looks is just them being nervous about whether the big con will work out or not. And also, the misdirection with the Solino character. It's so superbly directed by George Roy Hill, who yes, also directed "Butch Cassidy".

[@robertjewell9727]

The music was adapted from the works of Scott Joplin by Marvin Hamlisch with the exception of I think 2 scenes, carousel music and one that Hamlisch composed using the same orchestration and ragtime nuance.

[@atty61]

Oh the look on your face when they were both shot is a classic. I was 12 when this came out and I had to watch it several times before I understood it. So clever. It remains the best film I ever saw just because it scrambled my brain, and of course Redford and Newman together were superb. Having just discovered your channel I'll now go and watch some of your other reactions as I enjoy the way you go about it. Calm, thoughtful, not asking loads of silly questions like some do. Thanks.

[@Kurtiscott]

Absolutely fantastic (and satisfying) reaction to this beloved classic. This movie is as tight as a drum. Writing, direction, cinematography, production design, costumes and acting all handled masterfully. And btw, your editing of the film clips was really nicely done. Your restraint made it enjoyable to revisit the movie without a bunch of irritating jump cuts that so many reactors resort to. So, thank you for that and cheers from Northern California.

[@tomfrankiewicz4030]

I saw The Sting back when I was a kid with my older brothers and my Father

[@glennwisniewski9536]

Hooker loses at the roulette wheel because the game is fixed, not because of bad odds (note the croupier pushing a button under the table). Hooker knows his croupier friend had to do it - the big boys upstairs weren't about to lose big.

[@anrun]

Great reaction, thank you. I love The Sting and have rewatched it more times than I can remember. However, the ending does push the suspension of disbelief a bit. They were giving him only to win bets and then decide to go with a second place ("Place") bet at only 4 to 1? And then Kid Twist shows up to deliver that information even though there are only supposed to be a few minutes between him giving the information and the race running. Did he fly there? Lonnegan would have been a fool not to investigate the whole thing afterwards. FYI: the actor who played Luther was the father of James Earl Jones.

[@johnbelcher2323]

The race announcer is Ray Walston, the beloved Mr Hand from Fast Times at Ridgemont High

[@skylinerunner1695]

I was looking forward to Madison Thames commenting on the old time illustrations chaptering the movie, as it's nice to hear an artist respond to art. So glad she watched this film with its wonderful pacing and water-tight script.

[@conureron3792]

More Paul Newman: Cool Hand Luke…and the Verdict. More Robert Redford: The Natural …and Brubaker

[@rickc661]

Newman And Eliz Taylor - 'cat on hot tin roof'. Taylor & James Dean ' Giant'. no CGI in these.

[@PurushaDesa]

Robert Shaw in From Russia with Love is incredible. One of the all time great Bond villains. That guy had some range.

[@8RBrain]

Shaw's limp was real. A week before filming began, he tore the ligaments in his knee while playing handball. The costumes of the loose-fitting suits popular in the 1930's helped Shaw hide the knee brace he had to wear.

[@ericwalker8636]

Without doubt, my favorite movie of all time! Thanks for leaving my favorite line in your edit. "Sit down and shut up. Will ya? Try not to live up to all my expectations." 😆

[@stevenmotchan2048]

My favorite line was "sorry I'm late I was taking a crap."

[@rustynix993]

YES! This is a great one to watch after Butch and Sundance! :-) I love this movie too!

[@flatebo1]

"Your odds aren't good when you're playing a game like that." Your odds are even worse when the game is rigged. When Hooker lays the $3k bet, the dealer looks to the pit boss for permission to take the bet. The pit boss gives the dealer a signal, and the dealer hits a concealed button under the table - which is why the camera focuses on his hand. There would be a couple different buttons to rig the game different ways. Hooker bet on red, so the dealer flipped the game so it could only land on black. It's why the dealer looks kind of ashamed after Hooker loses, as well. He knows he cheated Hooker, but when you're running a rigged, illegal casino, that's part of the job.

[@ironman20740]

One of my favorite movies of all time

[@RDRussell2]

Scott Joplin was the composer of all the beautiful ragtime piano music. For this movie, Marvin Hamlisch took Joplin's music and wrote arrangements for ragtime band - which is great! But I'm grateful so much of the piano music was presented as just that: piano music. Joplin and ragtime were almost entirely forgotten by the time this movie came out, but the movie's popularity restored public interest in this style. Many who saw the movie were hearing ragtime for the first time in their lives. In fact, many people think the song from the opening credits is called "The Sting." (The true title is "The Entertainer.") When I started to learn how to play the piano, I had many people request that I play "The Sting." Great name for a movie, but just so everyone knows, Joplin never wrote a piece called "The Sting."

[@Krommer1000]

Beat me to it. :-)

[@steelers6titles]

The piece dates from 1902; when it became a hit on the pop charts in conjunction with the movie, it was one of the oldest ever.

[@maxtew6521]

The guy that played Luther Coleman, the black gentleman who helped pull the con job at the beginning of the film, was an interesting guy. Born in 1910 in Mississippi, he became a successful boxer -- his sparring partner was Joe Louis. He moved north during the Great Migration, and got into acting. He became one of the first prominent black stars of the silver screen. His name was Robert Earl Jones. Also, he had two sons: one named Matthew Earl Jones, and one named James Earl Jones.

[@littleghostfilms3012]

It's more satisfying for the audience to see Lonegan totally conned at the end believing Hooker and Gondorf to be dead than if they had killed him. Of course that leaves the possibility that he might cross paths with one or both of them down the road in that world of gamblers and con men. Such a perfect cross section of big Hollywood production and brilliant, intriguing plot and characters.

[@1223baddad]

Luther played by James Earl Jones' dad, Robert Earl Jones. JEJ died today. Such a great voice and actor. RIP.

[@phantombrakeman4983]

One of my all-time favorite movies. No need to kill Lonigan, he thinks they are both dead and will never come looking for them. He has to deal with all the money he lost while Hooker and Gandorf can laugh about how they conned him

[@michaelceraso1977]

U summed it perfectly . so mny debbi downers here wth "oh Lonnign or his crew" wil eventully fnd out tht Hooker & Henry G r living. 2 points- he nor his flunkies will be on look out for them, not lke in Good fells where idiots spent 10-20 k on nutty gifts

[@bighuge1060]

Two things that hit me after my umpteenth watch of this movie. Newman's character's last name was the same as the actor playing Lonergan and one of the races was at Narragansett, which was the name of the beer Quint was drinking on the Orca in Jaws. I watch this movie once every year. It's glorious.

[@chuckcharles3113]

This film is such an underappreciated and under reacted to masterpiece. To me Shaw steals the film. That poker game on the train is flawless. Check him out in another masterful performance. That came out around the same time as this. Staring alongside Walter Matthau and Jerry Stiller. In the original Taking of the Pelham 1-2-3. Take care stay safe and be well always !

[@skylinerunner1695]

Downhill Racer(1969), Brubaker(1980), The Electric Horseman(1979). Three Robert Redford gems.

[@80HD8]

I'm really enjoying your reactions. I love your enthusiasm for these movies.

[@writerwade9241]

I'm old and saw this in the theater when I was a kid. It was SO much fun watching your face as you tried to guess. So fun to see your reaction (Since I knew the whole time) as it came to a conclusion. Great reaction!!!

[@magpiesfan]

I love watching people react to the last act. They get all dark and worried when the FBI convinces RR to rat on PN. Then the eye-popping shock when they shoot each other - and then the amazement when they realise it's all part of the scam. Then the laughing and relief. I remember the first time I saw it when it came out and it's the same as everyone reacting. Great movie.

[@robertzander9723]

That's one of my favourite movies of all-time. Everything is so good with this movie 🎥🍿.

[@Sidistic_Atheist]

The movie was depicting the classic "long con" and then we find out that they were "long conning" we the audience too. It's an awesome script.

[@chetcarman3530]

The screen cards were telling us what they were doing at each step -- the last one said, "The Sting." I LOVE that they were telling us WE had been set up & were about to get "Stung!" Lol!! ❤❤❤

[@steelers6titles]

"Scott Joplin" (1977) starred Billy Dee Williams in the title role, with Clifton Davis as Louis Chauvin and Art Carney as music publisher John Stark.

[@Isleofskye]

Great Reaction from S E London:) I am not a movie buff but this was superb:)

[@Echo4Bravo]

I wouldn't recommend this to just any girl. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot 1974. Jeff Bridges, and Clint Eastwood. I'm a old former Marine, and I cry at the end.

[@shainewhite2781]

Winner of 7 Oscars including Best Picture.

[@kennethrussell1158]

Wow, I love your channel and reactions. I was a 17 year old high school student when this movie was released in 1974.

[@robertwheatley2471]

It doesn't get more star-studded than this film. Near perfectly cast characters. The poker game scene is iconic. From IMDb: ""Paul Newman recommended Robert Shaw for the role of Doyle Lonnegan. The day after he finished reading the script, Shaw reportedly said to Newman, "Delicious. When do I start?""

[@mikefoster6018]

As close to a perfect movie as I've ever seen! Mischevious, heartwarming and with such a strong sense of place.

[@kermitcook8498]

Two iconic serious actors in a comedy? I Love it. I think Paul is more comedic in his roles " The secret war of Harry Frigg" and Robert is a better romcom guy "Legal Eagles". But mostly they both did the drama thing. Good job Madison.

[@bigneon_glitter]

👉 _Sneakers_ (1992) - if you liked _The Sting,_ you'll love this classic Robert Redford heist comedy thriller. 👉 _Slap Shot_ (1977) - the third team-up of Paul Newman & _Butch Cassidy_ / _Sting_ director George Roy Hill. One of the best sports comedies ever made. Recommended.

[@firegod001]

This is one of my all time fave movies. Keep up the great job.

[@otisroseboro5613]

Great Movie, Great Cast, Great Performances By Everyone In This Movie & Great Reaction To This Great Classic Movie, Sweetheart

[@aweebunny]

Great movie from the '70s. 'Chinatown' starring Jack Nicholson. Crime Noir set in the 40s. It was nominated for and it should've won best picture. It's my all time favorite movie.

[@clash79]

Yes, this. It’s definitely one of my all time favs as well

[@itt23r]

it is a fun movie and very well made but the reality of it is that with so many people involved they would have never have been able to pull it off. A good realistic example I think is the Lufthansa heist as depicted in GOOD FELLOWS. Besides that, the biggest flaw was finishing the con by killing off the Redford and Newman characters. That condemned them to having to lay low for the rest of their lives if they wanted to stay alive, because as soon as Lonigan got wind of either still being alive (and it is ridiculous to assume that he wouldn't have) the jig would have been up and a contract would have been put out on both of them.

[@Hondo0101]

Sting 2. :)

[@itt23r]

@@Hondo0101 its been 40 years since i saw the sequel and i do not remember a thing about it. Did they deal with the obvious problem of Lonigan almost certainly eventually finding out that they conned him? I don't see how they would have gotten away with staying alive indefinitely unless Lonigan would have somehow died before he found out

[@Hondo0101]

@@itt23r if memory serves me right they did deal with him. He knew they conned him.

[@timreno72]

I studied this movie in my High School cinema class. Back in the day my High School offered a cinema class (watch movies) that was an alternative to an English credit. I also took cooking (for science credit) and automotive (for math). The good old days.

[@ttrdf]

Me and dad used to watch it all the time, he used to play this music in the car too

[@davidpost428]

Great reaction to this film classic and its twists and turns and how we root for the underclass Chicago crooks. Being from Chiago, I loved the sets and cityscapes.

[@vinnynj78]

I first caught this film when I was about 11. Took me awhile to catch on but I loved it. Completely blew my mind when I learned Luther was James Earl Jones's dad.

[@innercircle341]

I love the smile in the thumbnail. Great reaction

[@jackmessick2869]

This movie propelled the theme song, Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer", into the top 10 on the Billboard music rating for a number of weeks in 1973.

[@jamesharper3933]

Additional comments. A great Robert Shaw movie to check out is the original Taking of Pelham 123 from 1974. Robert Shaw died in Ireland in 1978 at the age of 51. He was returning home with his wife from a golf outing and suffered a heart attack. RIP.

[@Jeff_Lichtman]

The music was all Scott Joplin rags, the main one being The Entertainer. It was anachronistic, because ragtime was all but dead in the 1930s when this story was set. Swing music was popular at the time. It doesn't matter, though, because the Joplin rags set the tone perfectly.

[@steelers6titles]

Scott Joplin 1868-1917 Swipesy Cake Walk Rag The Ragtime Dance Magnetic Rag Pineapple Rag Bethena (A Concert Waltz) Solace (A Mexican Serenade) The Entertainer (movie theme) Treemonisha (opera) Heliotrope Bouquet (w/Louis Chauvin) and Maple Leaf Rag

[@cappaman73]

Watching this the first time, the fact that the FBI was part of the con.....just didn't see that coming ! One of my favourite all time movie. Great cast, brilliant writing. Loved your analysis and reaction too.

[@davidmichaelson1092]

I had a cousin who was a baseball star (Harry "The Horse" Danning) before WW II. I talked with him on the phone once. He also used the term "You follow" though his version was "Ya Follow me?" I guess it was a thing at the time.

[@SusanSloate]

You've almost cerrtainly heard the music because it became INCREDIBLY famous as a result of being used here. It's "The Entertainer" by Scott Jopin, adapted by Marvin Hamlisch for this film. You had to have heard it as a direct result of this film, because it was almost forgotten before THE STING came out.

[@cajunsushi]

Even after all these decades, this movie still holds up. Great choice.

[@Gort-Marvin0Martian]

One of the all-time best.!! So many things in your mind that are going to occur and the mission happens at the end and you've been had along with Lonigan.

[@Paul_Waller]

one of me and my dads favorites, music nice

[@ronaldmilner8932]

Great reaction Madison! The scene where Robert Redford runs out of the tavern and on to the train tracks was shot in Chicago! I was a high school freshman and I saw that scene being filmed! It was at 43 and King Drive on Chicago's southside! I saw Robert Redford!

[@johnhickman2033]

Great review by an excellent reviewer.

[@texasray7301]

The Sting is one of the best movies ever made.

[@texasray7301]

It's hard to believe that it has been 49 years since I first saw this in 73 👍🙂

[@otisroseboro5613]

R.I.P To A Great Actor Paul Newman, Still Miss You Always

[@Lue_Jonin]

Robert Redford and Paul Newman in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" needs to be on your reaction agenda list. 🏆 ❤ 🎥

[@roadrunner3100]

Great reaction to a great film. Seeing this movie for the first time is a great joy for a film buff. You are correct that this and Butch Cassidy were done by the same director, George Roy Hill. Newman once said Hill was his favorite director to work with. He worked with Hill a third time on the movie Slap Shot, a comedy/sports movie about a fictional hockey team.

[@MadisonKThames]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@marksterner7532]

Other Redford films you should check out: 1) The Natural , 2) All is Lost , 3) Spy Game , 4) The Horse Whisperer , 5) The Last Castle

[@jonrolfson1686]

Note that The Sting gave Newman a turn to sport a well trimmed moustache (something rather more than the Pencil-Thin, very nearly a Chevron) while Redford went with a naked face. Redford, of course, was afforded the opportunity to sport a fairly thick moustache (more than a Chevron, almost a well disciplined Walrus) in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

[@davidsandy5917]

I remember watching this when I was in college. The film was new in those days.

[@ronbock8291]

It’s commonly said that Chinatown is a perfect script, and it is, but the Sting is a very close second for me, the plot is like an F1 engine.

[@pexxos1]

I first saw this movie on a PanAam flight back in 1974...they showed it on an actual screen and I watched it without the sound because I had no money to buy the headphones...without sound it made zero sense.