Johnny Hooker is a young con-man, learning his trade in the Chicago of the 1930s from a veteran of the con game. After pulling a stunt on a target who turns out to be a runner for Doyle Lonnegan, one of the city's most feared gangsters, his mentor is killed, leaving Johnny wanting revenge on Lonnegan for what he has done. Wanting to turn the tables on Lonnegan, Johnny hunts down Henry Gondorff, a legendary master of the con who has apparently retired and is keeping out of the public eye because of the enemies he has made. Convincing Henry that there's a fortune to be made pulling the carpet from under Lonnegan, they team up and, with several similarly criminal acquaintances, plan the perfect sting.... A brilliantly honed piece of classy entertainment, The Sting is top-notch in almost every department, from the atmospheric photography by Robert Surtees, fantastic production design, a fiendishly clever and playful screenplay, and a terrific supporting performance from Paul Newman as the wily old crook seeing this as his last chance for a major con. The music choices are also inspired, arranger Marvin Hamlish unearthing Scott Joplin tracks which - to be frank - had been forgotten since the Thirties and turning 'The Entertainer' into one of the most annoyingly catchy pieces of music ever known. And, as with the nature of cons, don't believe everything you are seeing. Followed by the disastrous, and largely forgotten, The Sting II, for which none of the principles returned. Nominated for ten Oscars, (surprisingly not scoring a nomination for Newman), the film eventually scooped seven, including best picture and director, original story and screenplay.