Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

George Roy Hill

Writer:

William Goldman (written by)

Release Date:

24 October 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | 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:

Bolivia | Posse | Train | Prostitute | Explosion

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 Train Passenger
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:

Iceland:L | Norway:12 (video rating) (1983) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (original rating) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2000) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) (re-rating) (2000) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Argentina:13 | South Korea:15 | Brazil:12 | Canada:PG (Canadian Home Video rating) | 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:

With nine wins it currently holds the record for the British Academy Awards (BAFTAs). It won for picture, actor (Robert Redford), actress (Katharine Ross, direction (George Roy Hill, screenplay, cinematography, film editing, sound and score.

Goofs:

Plot holes: After binding and gagging their sheriff friend, Butch and Sundance don't bother to take any rifles (which they had complained about not having) nor any fresh horses. They ride off double on the same tired mount they rode in on.

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:

Spoofed in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)

Soundtrack:

RAINDROPS KEEP FALLIN' ON MY HEAD

Another Winner From the "Class of 1969"

"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" is a great film just due to the pairing of Paul Newman and Robert Redford. These two work so well together that the film would have been impressive no matter what. However, with a smart story and great direction by George Roy Hill, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" was the smash-hit of 1969 as it achieved box office dominance and won more Oscars (four) than any other film that year. It did not win the Best Picture or Best Director Oscars as "Midnight Cowboy" and its director John Schlesinger took home those honors, but it has stood the test of time and is right up there with the other imperative films of that important year ("Midnight Cowboy", "Easy Rider", and "The Wild Bunch"). The two titled characters are two shrewd outlaws who love to rob trains and banks. However, the law has about had it with the outlaws and the two decide that Bolivia is the place they need to be. Also along for the ride is school-teacher Katharine Ross who obviously has feelings for both men. They both want to go straight in Bolivia, but temptation is too big for them and in the end tragedy will occur for the titled characters. Of course this film is based on real people, but so little is known about them that the film-makers were able to take many liberties with the tale. The film-makers went for comedy and action, but it is the drama and the likable characters that make "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" one of the best films produced in the 1960s. 5 stars out of 5.