Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Richard Lester

Writers:

William Goldman (characters)
Allan Burns (written by)

Release Date:

12 October 1979 (Denmark)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

A "prequel" of sorts to "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," chronicling the two outlaws' lives in the years before the events portrayed in the Newman/Redford movie. |

Plot Keywords:

Sundance Kid | Butch Cassidy | Prequel | Prison | Hold Up

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

William Katt	...	The Sundance Kid / Harry Alonzo Longabaugh
Tom Berenger	...	Butch Cassidy / Robert Leroy Parker
Jeff Corey	...	Sheriff Ray Bledsoe
John Schuck	...	Kid Curry / Harvey Logan
Michael C. Gwynne	...	Mike Cassidy
Peter Weller	...	Joe Le Fors
Brian Dennehy	...	O.C. Hanks
Christopher Lloyd	...	Bill Tod Carver (as Chris Lloyd)
Jill Eikenberry	...	Mary Parker
Joel Fluellen	...	Jack
Regina Baff	...	Ruby
Peter Brocco	...	Old Robber
Vincent Schiavelli	...	Guard
Hugh Gillin	...	Cyrus Antoon
Sherril Lynn Rettino	...	Annie (as Sherril Lynn Katzman)

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Argentina:16 | Chile:18 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Quotes:

Butch Cassidy: I was just sort of wondering what's up there?
Jack: Rooms. If you want to satisfy your curiousity, give her twenty bucks. She'll show you one.
Butch Cassidy: I'm not that curious.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Magic Sword (#5.11)" (1992)

Find it and see it!

Under-Shown, under-appreciated, underrated and vastly overlooked gem. An entertaining little western with good performances and situations and with some genuinely funny lines. Look for Christopher Lloyd and John Schuck in brief but humorous character roles, and the menacing Brian Dennehy who offsets William Katt in the film's main gunfight. By no means the heavyweight and complex picture starring Newman and Redford that we all know and love but it gets along quite amiably on its own merits and does nothing at all to offend or tarnish the memory of George Roy Hill's classic. Still, one wonders just how great and memorable the premise could have been if it had been produced in the 90's with Matthew McConaughey and Brad Pitt as the younger Butch and Sundance. Think about it. While you do, pour yourself a shot of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid then watch Early days as the chaser.