George Roy Hill’s 1973 film about a team of con artists trying to scam a Chicago mobster during the Great Depression remains one of my all-time favorite pictures. Paul Newman and Robert Redford were perfect as charismatic charlatans playing a long con surrounded by a cast of colorful characters—cartoons of real-life con men from that era. It began my fascination with con games and introduced me to gambling sleight of hand as demonstrated by the hands of John Scarne during one unforgettable scene. I still remember watching it for the first time and the impact it had on me as a child, and have since seen it over a hundred times. It never fails to entertain or inspire, but as I’ve come to learn, it has very little to do with the world of real-life grifters. In The Sting, con men are honorable thieves who willingly come together to avenge a murdered member of their fraternity. For Johnny Hooker, the fledgling con man played by Redford, revenge is the primary motivation; he even rejects his piece of the take once the con is complete.
