Reuniting with Paul Newman, Redford starred in ‘The Sting’, the top-grossing film of 1974 and the magnum opus of Redford’s career, earning him an Oscar nomination. Playing a two-bit swindler, he teamed up with revered con man Henry Gondorff (Newman). Redford, as Johnny Hooker, does his part to set the silver screen ablaze in this revenge crime caper set in 1936. The movie was beyond popular in the seventies, identified by a brilliantly catchy ragtime soundtrack.
Prior to its many accolades and being preserved by the Library of Congress, Redford was concerned about his part and felt that his character may be running around so much that there would be little acting involved. For his consternation, he was awarded a “Looney Tunes” Road Runner sculpture as a gag gift when filming wrapped up. And, fun fact, despite the great success, ironically, Redford did not view the film until 2004. He went to see it with his grandson during Christmastime at a movie theater in Utah.
Too Attractive to Ravish an Actress
Robert Redford debuted in a spy role in the conspiracy thriller 'Three Days of Condor'. But he had to sit one of the parts out. It wasn’t a stunt scene—as the athletic actor is always proud to mention he does most of his own stunts—it was a violent scene that was too much for Redford to handle. Actress Faye Dunaway, who starred opposite, playing a kidnap victim, later wrote in her memoir that the idea of being kidnapped and violated by Robert Redford was not at all terrifying.
To achieve an authentic-looking take, director Sydney Pollack took charge, furtively stepping in as the spy, and with cameras rolling, Dunaway recalls the fear. “He scared the hell out of me.” Dunaway said, during the take, the director lunged at her shouting, ‘I AM GOING TO GET YOU.’ She recalls, that he kept moving closer, “his eyes glaring at me as he went on detailing all the horrible things he was going to do to me, and let me tell you, Sydney has an inventive mind. He is also a great actor.” She called him relentless.
The Sundance Kid
Despite the bumpy start with the studio, 'The Sundance Kid' was the role Robert Redford was made to play. “When I read it, I thought, ‘This is perfect for me,’” Redford informed the Salt Lake City Tribune. He told them, looking back at the film 50 years later, he always related to the “outlaw sensibility,” ever since he was a kid. The studio, on the other hand, wanted him to play Butch in the 1969 Oscar-winning film 'Butch Cassidy' and the 'Sundance Kid'.
“The studio did not want me,” Redford explained, “and they tried everything to keep me out of the film.” But Paul Newman and writer William Goldman stood up to the studio until they kept him in. Paul Newman basically said he would only be in the movie if Redford played The Kid. Redford responded, “I never forgot that.” The two remained friends and developed a very close, decades-long bond since that shoot. In the end, The Academy passed Redford by, he missed a Golden Globe nomination, but the 'Sundance Kid' was granted a BAFTA from across the pond.
Another Box Office Smash Hit
'The Way We Were' is one of Redford’s political movies, but it showcased his comedic side. Sydney Pollack’s romantic drama, taking place during the investigations by the 'House Un-American Activities Committee', portrayed Redford’s character as complicit with the Republicans’ corrupt witch hunt. His complicity drives a wedge into his marriage. The film premiered on October 16, 1973, two years before the committee was abolished.
The movie, based on the novel and screenplay by Arthur Laurents, costarred Barbara Streisand. The diva contributed a song to the soundtrack, which, of course, saturated the airwaves. Her immense draw as a performer, combined with Redford’s appeal—who played her love interest—helped make Pollack’s six-time Oscar-nominated work an amazing success at the box office. 'The Way We Were' grossed $50 million.
All the President’s Men
In 'All the President’s Men', Redford played investigative journalist Bob Woodward, with Dustin Hoffman, who played fellow Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein. The movie follows the pair as they unravel a string of corruption that eventually brought President Nixon down. It’s Redford’s most political movie and it was another huge triumph. The 1976 film won the Oscar for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. In all, it was nominated for 8 Academy Awards.
Redford missed a nomination, but he dove into the role. He haunted the backrooms and news desks of The Post for weeks, studying and observing reporters and getting into the headspace of an investigative reporter, and of the man who uncovered the Watergate Scandal that ultimately forced Nixon’s resignation. He met Nixon when he was 13. Redford was receiving an athletics award. “When I went up [to the stage] and Nixon handed me the ribbon and shook my hand, I got just a bad vibe,” Redford recalled, “And that stuck with me.”