Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Director:

George Roy Hill

Writer:

William Goldman (written by)

Release Date:

24 October 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Biography | Crime | Drama | Western

Tagline:

Just for the fun of it!

Plot:

Two Western bank/train robbers flee to Bolivia when the law gets too close.

Plot Keywords:

Anti Hero | Money Falling Through Air | Cult Western | Friendship | Bank Robbery

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Paul Newman	...	Butch Cassidy
Robert Redford	...	The Sundance Kid
Katharine Ross	...	Etta Place
Strother Martin	...	Percy Garris
Henry Jones	...	Bike Salesman
Jeff Corey	...	Sheriff Bledsoe
George Furth	...	Woodcock
Cloris Leachman	...	Agnes
Ted Cassidy	...	Harvey Logan
Kenneth Mars	...	Marshal
Donnelly Rhodes	...	Macon
Jody Gilbert	...	Large Woman
Timothy Scott	...	News Carver
Don Keefer	...	Fireman
Charles Dierkop	...	Flat Nose Curry

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color | Black and White (Sepiatone)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Canada:PG (video rating) | Norway:12 (video rating) (1983) | Iceland:L | Brazil:12 | South Korea:15 | Canada:G (Quebec) (re-rating) (2000) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2000) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (original rating) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Norway:16 (1969) | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:M (original rating) | USA:PG (1974 re-release) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Campanile Productions

Trivia:

Paul Newman and Robert Redford really leaped off the cliff; however, they landed on a ledge with a mattress roughly six feet below.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the climactic gun battle, Sundance fires his two six-guns at least 16 times without reloading. Obviously the guns would have to be reloaded after only 12 shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Butch Cassidy: What happened to the old bank? It was beautiful.
Guard: People kept robbing it.
Butch Cassidy: Small price to pay for beauty.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Score (2001)

Soundtrack:

RAINDROPS KEEP FALLIN' ON MY HEAD

8/10

I can't help but giggle at people who get mad at this for not being a "serious" Western, or for having such cornball music. Anyone who thinks the director of "The Sting" is interested in anything other than effortless, finely-crafted entertainments is delusional, and deserves to be disappointed. And the music is wonderful precisely because it isn't the stylized harmonica/whistle of Leone or the folky melancholy of just about everyone else. (It's kinda neat to note, though, that these guys originally wanted to have Dylan sing "Raindrops," who then went on to soundtrack "Pat Garrett," which is exactly the type of Western those disappointed with this one would have wanted to see.) What we've got is an extremely pleasurable buddy flick, one that doesn't seem a day dated -- unlike many '60s movies -- thanks to Hill's unobtrusive direction, and Golding's very entertaining and fresh dialogue. But Hill isn't just some schmuck without a clue -- the movie reel opener, and the so-gorgeous-it-hurts sepia tone in the first scene, by the great Conrad Hall, is spectacular. That first scene -- and the last frame -- is a dreamy fantasy of our picture postcard Western memories; it's like the stamp Hill uses to secure his version of these two thieves, which have been stolen out of the reservoir of plots and characters that is history.

And the pairing of Newman and Redford. Yeah, they're chemistry is very good. But it's Newman's show. He's the easier of the two, raising his naturally deep voice just a touch, his easy charm on full display in the great bike riding scene, or the hilarious moment as he rides by Ross's window. He's not as great as he is now (and has been for about 25 years), but he's perfect in the role. Redford is such a face actor. There's no depth in his performance, and it only seems memorable because we get to know him by experience, and because he's paired with Newman. The witty lines sink with him, but Newman grabs them and makes them his own. I love freeze-frame endings, especially ones that pull back and make us feel like something's still happening, even though it's just our brains finishing the story. This one is a snapshot in movie history; sad and perfect, and I wish I could have stayed a little bit longer. 8/10