These things rarely come off, but the reteaming of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid stars Paul Newman and Robert Redford and their director George Roy Hill proved to be a glorious triumph, and this period romp raced away with seven Oscars. Newman and Redford play conmen who, after the death of an old chum, set about fleecing dangerous mobster Robert Shaw out of a fortune. The sting itself is as audacious as it is elaborate, but the real pleasure comes from the chemistry between the two leads, the lovingly created 1930s settings and Marvin Hamlisch's inspired reworking of Scott Joplin's music. The excellent supporting cast includes Charles Durning, Eileen Brennan and Ray Walston.

A novice con man teams up with an acknowledged master to avenge the murder of a mutual friend by pulling off the ultimate big con and swindling a fortune from a big-time mobster.