Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

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

Director:

George Roy Hill

Writer:

William Goldman

Stars:

Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross

Top 250 #146 | Won 4 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Butch and Sundance are the two leaders of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. Butch is all ideas, Sundance is all action and skill. The west is becoming civilized and when Butch and Sundance rob a train once too often, a special posse begins trailing them no matter where they run. Over rock, through towns, across rivers, the group is always just behind them. When they finally escape through sheer luck, Butch has another idea, "Let's go to Bolivia". Based on the exploits of the historical characters.

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Plot Keywords:

bolivia | escape | train | posse | gang | 

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Taglines:

They're taking trains... They're taking banks and they're taking one piece of baggage!

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Genres:

Adventure | Biography | Crime | Western

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Certificate:

M

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

24 October 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

Butch Cassidy

Filming Locations:

Lake Sherwood, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$102,308,900 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Campanile Productions, Newman-Foreman Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color Black and White (Sepiatone)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jack Lemmon turned down the role of Sundance because of a scheduling conflict with The Odd Couple.

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Goofs

While the second train robbery is taking place, the Pinkertons arrive on the special train. The shot of the special train engine coming to a stop right in front of the camera was obviously filmed with the engine starting close to the camera and backing up, then the shot was run in reverse. Notice the steam is returning to the engine instead of coming out of it.

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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.

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Crazy Credits

Opening disclaimer: Most Of What Follows Is True

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Connections

Referenced in Doghouse (2009)
Matt (to Vince): "Me and you - Butch and Sundance!"

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Soundtracks

"Rock of Ages"
(uncredited)
Music by 'Thomas Hastings'
Lyrics by Augustus Montague Toplady

User Reviews

A Perfect Script For a Near-Perfect Movie

"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" is one of the greatest movies ever made. It is my favorite film of all time, and the biggest reason for that is because of its script by William Goldman. It's very rare in film that a script has perfect lines in it from beginning to end, but this film is an example of what can be achieved by Hollywood screenwriters. It was William Goldman's script of this movie that sparked my passion for the American cinema. Though most Westerns of the cinema past have serious and gritty tones to them, this film has just the right mix of comedy, wit, and adventure. The greatest team in Hollywood history, arguably, is the team of Paul Newman and Robert Redford. The presence by these two Hollywood legends has help cement this film as one of the greatest movies ever made - according to organizations like the American Film Institute. The direction by George Roy Hill is first rate, and much credit also has to be given to cinematographer Conrad Hall, who did a great job giving this film the superior look of the Old West.

Katherine Ross adds to this film in the role as the beautiful Etta Place, as does the score, which makes us feel good about going to the movies. This was the film that, for the first time, got audiences to root for "the bad guys". This film should be shown in every film school to show film students how to make a theatrical film. I will always love this movie, and indeed, this movie is something special. It is also special to me because the REAL Sundance Kid was born in my hometown of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.