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
Sherill Lynn Rettino	...	Annie (as Sherril Lynn Katzman)
Jack Riley	...	Messenger
Charles Knapp	...	Telegrapher
John Megna	...	Outlaw
Frank Doubleday	...	2nd Outlaw
John Mark Robinson	...	3rd Outlaw
Shay Duffin	...	Mint Train Engineer
Noble Willingham	...	Captain Prewitt
Elya Baskin	...	Bookkeeper
Carol Ann Williams	...	Lily
Paul B. Price	...	Skinner (as Paul Price)
Paul Plunkett	...	Bob Cassidy (as Paul Michael Plunkett)
Patrick Stewart	...	Sam Parker
James Harmond Taylor	...	Elderly Man at Train water stop
Charlene S. Stockton	...	Elderly Woman at Train water stop
Jane Austen	...	Daisy Mullen
Daryl Anderson	...	Bank Guard
Joe Pacal	...	Torgerson
Kent Hays	...	Corporal
Regis Parton	...	Sergeant (as Reg Parton)
Jane Beauchamp	...	Fat Woman (as Jane M. Beauchamp)
Bob Behanna	...	Hoffman
Sonja Buckley Berthrong	...	Girl on Train
Ben Zeller	...	Mike Cassidy's Guard
Peter Burman	...	Boy on Street
Aly Yoder	...	Dry Goods Store Clerk
Patrick Egan	...	Guard
Bob Tzudiker	...	Man on Street
Raleigh Gardenhire	...	Anderson
Jackson S. Haynes	...	Old Man
Stephanie Himmelsbach	...	Woman at Bank
Walt Stevens	...	Grissom
Liam Russell	...	Banker
Mary Marsischsky	...	Lady Barber
Caroline Rackley	...	Woman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Will Hare	...	(uncredited)
Arthur Hill	...	Governor (uncredited)
Sonny Skyhawk	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Lester

Writing credits
William Goldman		(characters)
Allan Burns		(written by)

Produced by
Steven Bach	....	producer
Jack B. Bernstein	....	associate producer
William Goldman	....	producer
Gabriel Katzka	....	producer

Original Music by
Patrick Williams

Cinematography by
László Kovács		(director of photography) (as Laszlo Kovacs)

Film Editing by
George Trirogoff

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton

Production Design by
Brian Eatwell

Art Direction by
Jackson De Govia		(as Jack De Govia)

Set Decoration by
Barbara Krieger

Costume Design by
William Ware Theiss		(as William Theiss)

Makeup Department
Carolyn Ferguson	....	hair stylist (as Carolyn Jean Ferguson)
Michael Hancock	....	makeup artist
Gary Liddiard	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Robert J. Koster	....	unit manager
Wilbur Mosier	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter L. Bergquist	....	second assistant director
Bob Dahlin	....	second assistant director
Jack Frost Sanders	....	assistant director

Art Department
Al Litteken	....	construction coordinator
John Zemansky	....	property master

Sound Department
Peter Horrocks	....	sound editor
Gerry Humphreys	....	sound re-recording mixer
David M. Ronne	....	production sound mixer (as David Ronne)
John B. Schuyler	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Phil Cory	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Paul Wilson	....	creative visual consultant

Stunts
Loren Janes	....	stunt coordinator
Steven Chambers	....	stunts (uncredited)
Diamond Farnsworth	....	stunts (uncredited)
Kent Hays	....	stunts (uncredited)
Larry Holt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chris Howell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Regis Parton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sorin Serene Pricopie	....	stunts (uncredited)
Walter Robles	....	stunt double: Christopher Lloyd (uncredited)
Jack Verbois	....	stunts (uncredited)
Greg Walker	....	stunts (uncredited)
Rock A. Walker	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Warlock	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Richmond L. Aguilar	....	gaffer (as Richmond Aguilar)
Gary B. Kibbe	....	camera operator (as Gary Kibbe)
Leonard Lookabaugh	....	key grip (as Len Lookabaugh)
Ralph Nelson	....	still photographer (as Ralph Nelson Jr.)
Louis Niemeyer	....	assistant camera
Robert M. Stevens	....	camera operator (as Robert Stevens)
Johnny Walker	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Frances Harrison Hays	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Antony Gibbs	....	supervising editor
Chris Blunden	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
William Hogue	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Gordon Arnell	....	publicity director
Stuart Craig	....	creative assistant
Chip Fowler	....	production office coordinator
Booth Gallett	....	location manager
Ana Maria Quintana	....	script supervisor
Rudy Ugland	....	head wrangler
Harry Williams	....	location auditor
Roger Neville Williams	....	location manager

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1981) (USA) (TV)
• Abril Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Playhouse Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Camera Effects  titles
• DeLuxe Laboratories  color by (as DeLuxe)

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:

[waving a gun at Butch]
The Sundance Kid: Now let me tell you something. I could drop you right here. so don't be telling me how stupid I am. I'm as smart as you are. Now, you got that?
Butch Cassidy: Now with that in your hand, you're a damn genius!

Movie Connections:

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

BUTCH AND SUNDANCE: THE EARLY DAYS (Richard Lester, 1979) **1/2

This unnecessary prequel to a seminal western is still fairly enjoyable on its own and the two leads (Tom Berenger and William Katt), then virtually unknown, mimic Paul Newman and Robert Redford, respectively, surprisingly well; Jeff Corey is even on hand to reprise his role from the earlier film! Good-looking if forgettable entertainment - and curiously straightforward, given the stylization of the original and the involvement of Richard Lester (A HARD DAY'S NIGHT [1964], PETULIA [1968]) who, earlier in the decade, had also directed two rousing adventures, THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1973) and its sequel, THE FOUR MUSKETEERS (1974)!