If you don't know what the film is about, it's a con. Set in the thirties, and brimming over with wonderful Scott Joplin ragtime tunes, it has a light, playful feel that is likeable on every level. When Hooker (Redford) loses his small-town grifting partner to a Chicago syndicate hit, he enlists the help of Chicago con man Gondorf (Newman) to help him get revenge on the syndicate's boss, Lonnegan (Robert Shaw). First they take his money in what has to be one of the best card games in cinema, and, in my opinion, the best scene in the movie. Newman is classic as an obnoxiously drunk, arrogant card shark, and Redford is equally good as his vulnerable errand boy. After that, they continue to lead Lonnegan down the rosy path and into their trap, with the help of a host of wonderful characters played by some of the greatest character actors of the period.

One of the most wonderful things about this film is that, not only is Lonnegan conned by the end of the movie - so are we! The writer, David Ward, did such a good job layering the plot, and giving it so many twists and turns, that we are as unaware as Shaw's character that we are being had. It really is a marvelous piece of entertainment.

As far as the controversial Universal Legacy Series DVD, I have watched this new, widescreen version and the old, full-screen version side-by-side, and can tell you unequivocally that the widescreen version WAS INDEED made from the full-screen version, as some have asserted. In other words, black bands WERE added to the top and bottom of the full-screen version to create the widescreen version. That is why Universal has now reissued the original, full-screen version.

There is also a difference in color between the two versions. While the picture of the earlier, full-screen version is not nearly as good as the new widescreen, the widescreen has been pushed too far to the cyan side of the color scale, so that it has a definite blue-green tint. You may not notice it when watching the widescreen by itself; but if you watch the two versions together, you’ll see it. Also, the sound is considerably lower in volume on the widescreen version, and seems less full-bodied than other DVD’s. I could be wrong about that, but that’s the way it seems on my system.

As far as the extra features on the second disc, they contain many memories of the production and great tributes paid to Hill by the actors, along with writer David Ward. Ward is especially interesting as he discusses how he was drawn to write a script about confidence men and how he structured the film, balancing the mechanics of conning Lonnegan with conning us. So, all in all, the second, widescreen DVD has some improvements over the previous DVD, plus the extras; but, if you want to see the film the way it was released in theatres back in 1973, watch the first version or the new reissue.

Rated PG

Waitsel Smith, October 4, 2005

Text © 2005 Waitsel Smith. Photos © 1998 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.