The Sting The Sting The Sting is a 1973 American caper film set in September 1936, involving a complicated plot by two professional grifters (Paul Newman and Robert Redford) to con a mob boss (Robert Shaw). The film was directed by George Roy Hill, who had directed Newman and Redford in the western "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid". Created by screenwriter David S. Ward, the story was inspired by real-life cons perpetrated by brothers Fred and Charley Gondorff and documented by David Maurer in his book "The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man". The title phrase refers to the
Louisa Horton George Roy Hill when they were both actors in a Shakespeare repertory company. They were married in 1951, and had four children, but divorced in the 1970s. They reportedly remained close even after their separation. George Roy Hill, who was best known for directing the 1973's "The Sting", an Oscar-winning film, as well as 1969's "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", died in 2002. Horton made her feature film debut in "All My Sons" in 1948, opposite Edward G. Robinson and Burt Lancaster in a film based upon the play by Arthur Miller. Her additional film credits included "Swashbuckler", a