Movie Music: Marvin Hamlisch's "The Sting" (1973)

The Sting (1973) follows two con artists (Paul Newman and Robert Redford) as they run a long con to ruin the man who had their friend murdered. It's set in the 1930s and filled with amazing period costumes, sets, and music. Marvin Hamlisch blends Scott Joplin's classic rags with original bluesy variations of other period songs to create a soundtrack that is a pure delight. Here are my three favorite tracks from a soundtrack I listen to whenever I need a quick pick-me-up.

My favorite song of all on this album is Joplin's "Easy Winners." I love how jaunty it is. I can't help smiling when I hear it.

"Luther" is more melancholy, a solemn contemplation of loss and mortality. It takes bits of "Solace," another of my favorite Joplin pieces, turns them minor, and melds them into a dirge.

"The Entertainer" is probably the most famous rag, whether by Scott Joplin or anyone else. The Sting uses it to great effect, as it's a great blend of spry playfulness and an undercurrent of more dramatic seriousness, which pretty perfectly describes the movie as well.

That's all for today, friends. If you liked these selections, you can hear the full soundtrack on YouTube here!

(This review originally appeared here at J and J Productions on January 29, 2016.)