The Sting II *** (1983, Jackie Gleason, Mac Davis, Teri Garr, Karl Malden, Oliver Reed) – Classic Movie Review 10,888

Director Jeremy Paul Kagan’s 1983 The Sting II is the belated, virtually ignored sequel to the 1973 blockbuster The Sting, a whole decade after the first, with the same writer David S Ward but alas none of the other participants. This movie takes place in 1940, four years after the original. Lalo Schifrin was Oscar nominated for Best Original Score, whereas the original won seven Oscars, including Best Picture. It was always going to be an impossible act to follow.

Oliver Reed takes over the late Robert Shaw’s role of Doyle Lonnegan, who plans to avenge himself on Jackie Gleason (as Fargo Gondorff) and Mac Davis (as Jake Hooker) in the Paul Newman and Robert Redford-style parts, originally Henry Gondorff and Johnny Hooker, but not the same characters from the original movie. So the good guys Gondorff (Gleason) and Hooker (Davis) plot a boxing scam, with Hooker as a fighter, to con vengeful Lonnegan (Reed) and their new mark, nightclub boss Gus Macalinski (Karl Malden).

The Gleason-Davis team do kick up some sparks, the plot is quite fun, the production is smart and the film is directed with enough smooth professionalism. But the magic is not there. The result is merely fairly enjoyable, easygoing entertainment – entertaining enough if you don’t expect it to be up to the standard of the original.

David S Ward won an Oscar for Best Story and Screenplay for The Sting.

Also in the cast are Bert Remsen, Ron Rifkin, José Pérez, Frances Bergen and Monica Lewis.

The movie performed poorly box at the box office and plans for a third Sting prequel movie were dropped.

Gleason played Minnesota Fats opposite Paul Newman’s Fast Eddie Felson in the classic con trick movie The Hustler (1961).

Gleason also starred in the 1983 Smokey and the Bandit Part 3, another film not starring original cast members (Burt Reynolds and Sally Field).

Redford and Newman were said to be unavailable.

Reed had turned down the role of Doyle Lonnegan in The Sting.

Kagan said: ‘The Sting II’ is inspired by and is an expansion of the first Sting rather than a continuation. The principal characters are based on two real-life con-men and are totally different from the original. The Sting II has more comedy and the nature of the con is more intriguing. Now the con men themselves are being conned.’

RIP Mac Davis, singer, actor and TV variety show host, who died on September 29, 2020 at 78.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 10,888

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