 Jack Nicholson (qv) turned down the role of Johnny Hooker in  _Sting, The (1973)_ (qv) (ultimately played by  Robert Redford (I) (qv)), to appear in this film, which was  written by his good friend Robert Towne (qv). Nicholson thought  that The Sting was too commercial. Both he and Redford were  nominated as Best Actor of 1973 at the Academy Awards, losing out to  Jack Lemmon (qv) in _Save the Tiger (1973)_ (qv).