In this Depression-era tale of two confidence tricksters who orchestrate a major “sting” against mobster Doyle Lonnegan, who plays Lonnegan?
A) Jack Palance B) James Coburn C) Robert Shaw ü D) Sean Connery
In a film with many fine supporting performances, British actor, playwright and novelist Robert Shaw’s memorable portrayal of the lame Irish gangster Lonnegan provides the perfect foil to Robert Redford and Paul Newman in the lead roles. The Sting’s satisfyingly complex story, which could almost be said to untwist rather than unfold, takes place in a romanticized setting that is convincingly — though anachronistically — supported by a striking musical score based on the ragtime music of Scott Joplin. Indeed, the film provoked a substantial revival of interest in the genre, and the theme tune, Joplin’s “The Entertainer”, is probably known more widely as “The Sting” than by its actual title. Major awards in addition to Best Picture included Best Original Screenplay (David S. Ward) and Best Adapted Score (Marvin Hamlisch, who also won for Best Original Dramatic Score in the same year for The Way We Were).
