Maps of Movies

The Sting (1973)

Where The Sting says it takes place, and where it was really shot.

The story runs through Joliet and Chicago in 1936, but almost all of it was filmed in California; only two old Chicago train stations were real.

Scenes and places

The Joliet street con (1936)

Hooker and his partners Luther and Joe pull a street con on a mark in Joliet and walk away with $11,000. Hooker loses his share on a rigged roulette game, and a corrupt police lieutenant confronts him, revealing the mark was a courier for a crime boss.

Set in Joliet, Illinois — Hooker and his partners con a courier out of $11,000 on a Joliet street. Google Maps · Apple Maps

Joliet is a real Illinois city southwest of Chicago, but the street seen on screen was built in California.

Filmed at Universal Studios backlot, California (California, Universal City, United States) — The film was shot on the Universal backlot; the exact street is not named in the sources. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: The backlot is part of the Universal Studios Hollywood site.

Gondorff's carousel in Chicago (1936)

Hooker finds Gondorff drunk and hiding from the FBI, running a carousel that fronts for a brothel. He proposes they take down Lonnegan, and Gondorff, reluctant at first, gives in and recruits a crew of experienced con men.

Set in Chicago (carousel) — A carousel that fronts for a brothel, where Gondorff is hiding from the FBI. Google Maps · Apple Maps

The story point is only given as Chicago, so the pin is the city centre; the carousel itself was in Santa Monica.

Filmed at Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome, Santa Monica Pier (California, Santa Monica, United States) — Scenes were filmed inside the Hippodrome; the city skyline behind it was a glass matte painting. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: At the entrance to Santa Monica Pier.

The poker game on the 20th Century Limited (1936)

Gondorff, posing as a boorish Chicago bookie named Shaw, buys into Lonnegan's private poker game on the train. He infuriates Lonnegan, then out-cheats him out of $15,000 that Lonnegan cannot pay, because Shaw's wallet was stolen earlier.

Set in 20th Century Limited — Lonnegan's private high-stakes poker game on the luxury train.

The story place is a moving train, so it has no fixed point; the old station used as a set is shown as a film location.

Filmed at LaSalle Street Station, Chicago (demolished 1981) (Illinois, Chicago, United States) — The station was used as a set for the film; which scene is not stated in the sources. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: The old station no longer stands.

The Western Union tip (1936)

Posing as Shaw's disgruntled employee Kelly, Hooker gives Lonnegan a tip on a 7-to-1 long shot that pays off. He says a partner in the Western Union office can help them topple Shaw, and Lonnegan agrees to back a huge bet.

Set in Chicago Western Union office — The supposed office where an insider is said to delay race results.

No shooting location for this office appears in the open sources.

The phony off-track betting parlor (1936)

The crew uses a large team to run a phony off-track betting parlor. Lonnegan arrives with his money, and the plan depends on every person in the room playing a part.

Set in Shaw's betting parlor, Chicago — A fake off-track betting parlor built by the crew.

The parlor was a film set; the sources do not say where it was built.

Filmed at Chicago Union Station (Illinois, Chicago, United States) — Chicago station scenes Google Maps · Apple Maps

Filmed at Wheeling, West Virginia (West Virginia, Wheeling, United States) — A few small scenes Google Maps · Apple Maps

Characters

• Johnny Hooker — A small-time grifter who wants to learn the big con after a partner is killed.
• Henry Gondorff — A veteran Chicago con man in hiding who agrees to run a scheme against a crime boss.
• Doyle Lonnegan — An Irish-American crime boss, the mark of the scheme.

Questions answered on the map

• Where was Gondorff's Chicago carousel really filmed?