The Sting (1973) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A young grifter pursues revenge by joining a master con artist in a layered deception against a ruthless crime boss.

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

A Debt Of Revenge

Johnny Hooker and Luther Coleman complete a Joliet con, but Luther's murder by Lonnegan's men destroys their partnership. Hooker escapes to Chicago seeking Henry Gondorff and a way to retaliate.

Key Events

• Joliet Cash Con — Hooker, Luther, and their associates con eleven thousand dollars from an unsuspecting victim. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Luther Coleman, Luther Coleman Location: Joliet, Illinois
• Rigged Roulette Loss — Hooker loses his share of the con money during a rigged roulette game. Characters: Johnny Hooker Location: Joliet gambling room
• Luther Plans Retirement — Luther decides to retire and sends Hooker to find his old friend Gondorff. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Luther Coleman Location: Joliet
• Luther Is Murdered — Lonnegan's men murder Luther and the courier after the Joliet con. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Luther Coleman, Doyle Lonnegan Location: Joliet
• Flight To Chicago — After finding Luther dead, Hooker flees Joliet and heads to Chicago. Characters: Johnny Hooker Location: Road to Chicago
• Gondorff In Hiding — Hooker finds Gondorff drunk and hiding from the authorities behind a carousel operation. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Henry Gondorff Location: Chicago carousel and brothel front

Building The Wire

Gondorff agrees to help Hooker and assembles experienced con men for an elaborate wire scam. A fake betting parlor is prepared while Lonnegan's criminal network and law enforcement begin closing in.

Key Events

• Gondorff In Hiding — Hooker finds Gondorff drunk and hiding from the authorities behind a carousel operation. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Henry Gondorff Location: Chicago carousel and brothel front
• The Wire Revived — Gondorff recruits experienced con men to resurrect the obsolete wire scam. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Henry Gondorff, Kid Twist Location: Chicago
• Fake Betting Parlor — The con team builds a phony off-track betting parlor for the scheme. Characters: Henry Gondorff, Johnny Hooker, Kid Twist Location: Chicago off-track betting parlor
• Train Poker Setup — Gondorff poses as Shaw and enters Lonnegan's private high-stakes poker game. Characters: Henry Gondorff, Doyle Lonnegan Location: 20th Century Limited
• Fifteen Thousand Won — Shaw provokes Lonnegan and cheats him out of fifteen thousand dollars. Characters: Henry Gondorff, Doyle Lonnegan, Johnny Hooker Location: 20th Century Limited
• Kelly Gains Trust — As Kelly, Hooker collects the winnings and convinces Lonnegan to oppose Shaw. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Doyle Lonnegan Location: Chicago

The Mark Takes Bait

Gondorff humiliates Lonnegan in a staged poker game, while Hooker gains access through the Kelly identity. Repeated betting successes convince Lonnegan to risk five hundred thousand dollars.

Key Events

• Kelly Gains Trust — As Kelly, Hooker collects the winnings and convinces Lonnegan to oppose Shaw. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Doyle Lonnegan Location: Chicago
• Assassination Attempt — Lonnegan's men wait to assassinate Hooker, but Hooker escapes their attempt. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Henry Gondorff Location: Hooker's Chicago residence
• Salino Receives The Job — Frustrated by repeated failures, Lonnegan assigns the assassination to his best killer. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Doyle Lonnegan Location: Chicago
• FBI Pressure Mounts — The police pursuit draws undercover federal agents into an effort to trap Gondorff. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Henry Gondorff Location: Chicago
• Horse Tip Pays Off — Kelly gives Lonnegan a winning long-shot tip and introduces the supposed Les Harmon connection. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Doyle Lonnegan, Kid Twist Location: Chicago betting parlor
• Half Million Bet — Lonnegan agrees to finance a five-hundred-thousand-dollar bet against Shaw. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Doyle Lonnegan, Kid Twist Location: Chicago betting parlor

The Trap Tightens

Hooker is captured and pressured to betray Gondorff, while an assassin disguised as Loretta nearly kills him. The con survives, but the final wager and the approaching raid create extreme danger.

Key Events

• Hooker Is Captured — Hooker is captured and pressured to betray Gondorff through a threat involving Luther's widow. Characters: Johnny Hooker Location: Chicago police custody
• Loretta's Hidden Gun — Loretta approaches Hooker with a gun, but Gondorff's hired protector shoots her first. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Henry Gondorff, Loretta Location: Chicago diner and alley
• Lucky Dan Wager — Lonnegan places the full bet on Lucky Dan after receiving the ambiguous instruction from Harmon. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Henry Gondorff, Doyle Lonnegan, Kid Twist Location: Chicago betting parlor

The Double Deception

Lonnegan loses the five-hundred-thousand-dollar wager after misunderstanding the word place. The apparent federal raid and shootings are revealed as another layer of the con, and Hooker leaves with Gondorff.

Key Events

• The Place Bet Reversal — Harmon reveals that place meant second, sending Lonnegan into panic at the teller window. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Henry Gondorff, Doyle Lonnegan, Kid Twist Location: Chicago betting parlor
• Federal Raid — Federal agents storm the parlor, and the apparent authorities order Lonnegan away from the crime scene. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Henry Gondorff, Doyle Lonnegan Location: Chicago betting parlor
• False Shootout — Gondorff appears to shoot Hooker, then is apparently shot, while Lonnegan is escorted away. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Henry Gondorff, Doyle Lonnegan Location: Chicago betting parlor
• The Final Reveal — The supposed federal operation is exposed as another con, and the team strips the room of its contents. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Henry Gondorff, Kid Twist Location: Chicago betting parlor
• Hooker Walks Away — Hooker refuses his share of the money and walks away with Gondorff. Characters: Johnny Hooker, Henry Gondorff Location: Chicago betting parlor

Story Breakdown

• Joliet Betrayal — The opening con creates both the financial opportunity and the deadly retaliation that drives Hooker's journey.
  • Cash Con — Hooker and Luther con eleven thousand dollars from an unsuspecting victim.
  • Luther Murdered — Lonnegan's men kill Luther after the Joliet operation.
• Chicago Mentor — Hooker reaches Chicago and persuades Gondorff to transform personal revenge into a large-scale con.
  • Finding Gondorff — Hooker discovers Gondorff hiding behind a carousel and brothel front.
  • Learning The Big Con — Gondorff agrees to teach Hooker and organize the operation.
• Wire Scam — The con team constructs a false betting business designed to manipulate Lonnegan's gambling instincts.
  • Fake Betting Parlor — The team establishes an obsolete wire scam using a phony off-track parlor.
  • Kid Twist's Signal — Kid Twist poses as Les Harmon and supplies fabricated race information.
• Winning Lonnegan — Gondorff and Hooker use staged identities and gambling victories to gain Lonnegan's confidence.
  • Train Poker Game — Gondorff, posing as Shaw, cheats Lonnegan during a private poker game.
  • Kelly's Promotion — Hooker poses as Kelly and encourages Lonnegan to finance the attack on Shaw.
• Threats Closing In — Assassination attempts and official pressure threaten to expose the operation before the decisive wager.
  • Failed Assassination — Lonnegan's men attempt to kill Hooker, but he escapes.
  • Forced Betrayal — Hooker is captured and threatened with consequences involving Luther's widow.
• Lucky Dan Finale — The final bet, staged raid, and false shootings complete the layered deception and leave Lonnegan defeated.
  • Place Means Second — Lonnegan misunderstands the betting instruction and risks the full five hundred thousand dollars.
  • Fake Bullets Revealed — The apparent shootings are exposed as another con, and Hooker leaves with Gondorff.

Directed by

George Roy Hill

Key Cast

• Paul Newman — Henry Gondorff
• Robert Redford — Johnny Hooker
• Robert Shaw — Doyle Lonnegan
• Charles Durning — Lt. Wm. Snyder
• Ray Walston — J.J. Singleton