* AbilityOverAppearance: Henry Gondorff was originally written for an overweight, past one's prime slob, and was a minor character. He was only in about half of David S. Ward's original screenplay, and was intended to be an older, paunchier fellow-a sort of gruff mentor to Johnny Hooker. The producers originally envisioned Creator/PeterBoyle to play the role, but Creator/PaulNewman loved the screenplay and was eager to play Gondorff. Ultimately, Ward slimmed down the character and beefed up the role to fit Newman.
* AwesomeDearBoy: Numerous actors were offered the role of Doyle Lonnegan, and all, for various reasons, including the fact that the role was the movie's "mark," turned down the offer. When it finally came to Creator/RobertShaw, he had no qualms whatsoever, and readily accepted the part. Producer Julia Phillips praised Shaw in an interview, stating that she personally felt he saved the picture, as it would have been impossible to make without casting the key role of Lonnegan.
* ColbertBump: Music/MarvinHamlisch's score, adapting a few Music/ScottJoplin pieces, raised Joplin's profile several decades after his death. Not only did Hamlisch's rendition of "The Entertainer" become a huge hit on the pop chart, but the soundtrack's success is credited with kickstarting Joplin's positive reappraisal by musicologists.
* CompletelyDifferentTitle: In Finland, the film was released as ''Puhallus'' (The Con Game). In Poland it has a very literal translation as ''Żądło'' (The Bee Stinger), missing the original slang meaning.
* DawsonCasting: One of the few complaints about the movie was that Creator/RobertRedford seemed too old to be playing a rookie character like Hooker.
* DuelingStarsMovie: It stars Creator/PaulNewman and Creator/RobertRedford. Need we say more?
* FakeIrish: The English Robert Shaw as Doyle Lonnegan. That said, he did live in Ireland.
* FranchiseKiller: The Sting II got a 0% on Website/RottenTomatoes. We ''still don't'' want to talk about that....
* IronyAsSheIsCast: Doyle Lonnegan is said to be teetotal. In RealLife, Robert Shaw was a notorious drinker.
-->I drink too much. Will you tell me one great actor who doesn't drink?
* PlayingAgainstType: Creator/PaulNewman had been advised to avoid doing comedy films, because he didn't have the light touch needed to play comedy. Part of the reason Newman wanted to play Henry Gondorff was to prove that he could play comedy as well as drama.
* RealitySubtext: Creator/RobertShaw, who plays Doyle Lonnegan, injured his knee just before the shooting began. He incorporated the resulting limp into his performance.
* RecycledScript: Much of the plot appears in the Creator/OrsonWelles radio program episode of ''The Lives of Harry Lime'' entitled "Horse Play." It was on radio in 1951.
* TheRedStapler: Similarly to what ''Film/BonnieAndClyde'' had done for women, the film's 1930's-inspired fashions ignited a trend in men's clothes across the country with gangster suits briefly becoming all the rage.
* RevivalByCommercialization: The film revived interest in Scott Joplin's music, particularly "The Entertainer".
* SequelGap: The first movie was released in '''1973''' while the sequel was released in '''1983'''. Funny, they are released in early decades.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Creator/JackNicholson turned down the role of Johnny Hooker because he didn't want to do such a commercial film at the time. Creator/WarrenBeatty also passed on it. Creator/RobertWagner was also considered.
** Creator/LeeVanCleef was considered for Henry Gondorff.
** Creator/SterlingHayden turned down the role of Doyle Lonnegan because he didn't want to shave his beard off. Creator/OliverReed was offered the role, but refused to test for it. He did play the role in ''The Sting II''. Creator/EdAsner, Creator/RichardBoone, Creator/StephenBoyd and Creator/LaurenceOlivier were also considered.
** The original script was a much darker tale of con men on the take. George Roy Hill envisioned it as a playful homage to old Hollywood gangster films of the 1930s.
* WrittenInInfirmity:
** During filming, Creator/RobertRedford was recovering from a broken right thumb sustained in a skiing accident a few months before, and was supposed to be wearing a cast. Numerous times in the film he uses his right hand oddly to avoid using the thumb, such as holding a fork with four fingers but not the thumb.
** Doyle Lonnegan's characteristic limp was the result of Creator/RobertShaw spraining his ankle during rehearsal.
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