An extremely rare screenprinted US One Sheet poster for the original theatrical release of classic American crime caper The Sting in 1973. Exuding the effortless cool of co-stars Paul Newman and Robert Redford, this alternate style One Sheet was silkscreen printed in a bold and elegant 1930's Art Deco style design to echo the sleek poster art of the period in which the film was set. Due to the scarcity of the 'alternate' poster compared to the regular US One Sheet, which features a more painterly artwork by Richard Amsel, collectors originally believed it was a special 'international style' US One Sheet, printed in the US for international use, however the presence of a US ratings box indicates the poster was intended for US release. Although we don''t know exactly why this 'alternate' style was printed, it appears that a limited number were distributed to theatres and very few have survived. The scarcity, combined with the stylish design, has made the poster highly sought after by collectors.

In their second on-screen partnership, following their 1969 collaboration in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Newman and Redford teamed up as two professional grifters to pull off the ultimate con against a Chicago mob boss, played by Robert Shaw. Inspired by 1930s gangster films, director George Roy Hill utilised a muted colour scheme, 1930s lighting and old-fashioned title cards, while costume supremo Edith Head designed a wardrobe of snappy period suits. A box-office smash, the film cleaned up at the Academy Awards, receiving ten nominations and winning seven awards including Best Picture.

Provenance

Excellent (A-)