“The Sting” (1973) was probably the first movie I ever saw starring Robert Redford; it was a family favorite that made the rounds on television in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.  (Though I will note here that “A Bridge Too Far” (1977), was also a family favorite, and also circulating on television in roughly the same time.  Redford was in that film too.)

I remember asking my father how the ruse worked for that guy in the beginning who fell for the handkerchief trick.  And I remember the movie’s theme music (Floyd Cramer’s “The Entertainer”) being an impossible earworm.

The next movie I saw starring Redford would probably be “All the President’s Men” (1976) when I was 14 or so; that was with my uncle John Muth, who had a wealth of such treasures on VHS.  After that, it was the wonderful “Sneakers” (1992) in the theater in my college town of Fredericksburg, Virginia.

What I remember about Redford is just how goddam likeable he was in every role.  It was uncanny — there was just something about him.  It’s kind of like Carey Grant was so inexplicably suave, or how Harrison Ford always seems so sincere.  I’ll bet something like that can’t be learned in an acting class.

Rest easy, Mr. Redford.

By the way, I am linking below to Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers and MovieClips on Youtube.