Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969): The Outlaw Duo That Redefined Western Camaraderie

Two charming rogues on the run, freezing time in a hail of bullets – a snapshot that etched buddy westerns into cinematic legend.

In the dusty annals of Hollywood westerns, few films gallop as boldly into nostalgia as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Released in 1969, this George Roy Hill masterpiece shattered conventions, blending irreverent humour with poignant camaraderie to birth the buddy western subgenre. Paul Newman and Robert Redford’s electric chemistry propelled the story of real-life outlaws into a cultural touchstone, influencing everything from action comedies to modern heist tales.

  • The film’s innovative fusion of banter, bicycle rides, and balletic shootouts transformed the stoic cowboy archetype into relatable anti-heroes.
  • Its soundtrack, spearheaded by ‘Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head’, injected 1960s pop cool into the Old West, bridging eras.
  • Enduring legacy as a blueprint for buddy dynamics, spawning sequels, parodies, and a revival of revisionist westerns amid Hollywood’s New Wave.

The Hole-in-the-Wall Heist: Origins of an Outlaw Saga

The film opens in the fading twilight of the American frontier, where Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) leads the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang in a meticulously planned train robbery. Drawing from historical figures who terrorised Wyoming banks and railroads around the turn of the century, the narrative captures their audacious payroll heists with a wink. Cassidy’s crew dynamites the express car, but the loot proves disappointingly light, foreshadowing the relentless pursuit by a shadowy posse led by the implacable Joe Leftridge (Jeff Corey). This setup eschews the mythic heroism of John Ford’s Monument Valley epics, grounding the tale in economic desperation as railroads encroach on bandit lifeways.

Enter the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford), introduced in a knife-throwing saloon brawl that showcases his lethal precision. Their partnership forms the emotional core: Butch, the silver-tongued schemer with a penchant for gadgets like his new-fangled bicycle; Sundance, the laconic gunslinger whose stare unnerves foes. Screenwriter William Goldman’s script masterfully interweaves fact and fiction, compressing decades of exploits into a tight chronicle. The gang’s internal fractures emerge when Harvey Logan (Ted Cassidy) challenges Butch’s leadership, sparking a memorably brutal bicycle chase laced with slapstick humour rarely seen in westerns.

Historical accuracy blends with dramatic licence; the real Butch and Sundance fled to Bolivia after a 1901 robbery spree, pursued by Pinkerton agents. Goldman consulted Pinkerton archives and biographies like Charles Kelly’s Outlaw Trail, infusing authenticity while amplifying their bond. Production designer Philip Harrison recreated Wyoming’s rugged badlands on Utah locations, with practical effects capturing the chaos of derailments and pursuits. This attention to gritty realism contrasted sharply with the Technicolor gloss of earlier oaters, signalling a shift towards New Hollywood introspection.

Bantering Bandits: Crafting the Ultimate Buddy Dynamic

What elevates Butch Cassidy above standard westerns is its pioneering buddy formula, where verbal sparring supplants gunplay as the dramatic engine. Newman’s Butch constantly ribs Sundance about his illiteracy or marksmanship boasts, eliciting wry retorts that humanise these larger-than-life figures. Their banter – ‘Who are those guys?’ repeated amid escalating chases – becomes a motif of defiant camaraderie, turning pursuit into playful cat-and-mouse. This dynamic predates Lethal Weapon by nearly two decades, establishing the template for mismatched pairs thrust into peril.

Director George Roy Hill amplifies this through innovative editing by John C. Howard and O. Nicholas Brown. Freeze-frames and slow-motion sequences during shootouts lend balletic grace, subverting Sergio Leone’s operatic violence in Dollars Trilogy. Hill’s theatre background shines in montages like the Bolivia interlude, where the duo transitions from bank robbers to payroll guards, only to revert under pressure. Katharine Ross as Etta Place, Sundance’s schoolteacher lover, adds romantic tension without overshadowing the bromance; her piano lessons humanise the outlaws amid tropical exile.

Cultural resonance stems from 1960s counterculture vibes: these outlaws embody anti-establishment cool, robbing robber barons while corporations symbolise encroaching modernity. Film historian Edward Buscombe notes in his BFI analysis how the film’s irreverence mirrored youth rebellion, with Butch’s line ‘Kid, the next time I say let’s go someplace like Bolivia, let’s go someplace like Bolivia’ capturing existential drift. Collectors cherish original posters evoking this outlaw glamour, now fetching thousands at auctions.

Raindrops on the Range: A Soundtrack That Soaked the Genre

Burt Bacharach’s score, with Hal David’s lyrics, injects psychedelic pop into saddle leather. ‘Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head’, performed by B.J. Thomas during Butch’s bicycle jaunt with Etta, won the Oscar for Best Original Song and topped charts for weeks. This anachronistic fusion – folk-rock amid sagebrush – alienated purists but captivated audiences, proving westerns could evolve. Bacharach’s brassy themes underscore chases, while harmonica wails evoke mournful freedom.

Conrad Hall’s cinematography, earning another Oscar, bathes scenes in golden-hour glows and deep shadows, romanticising outlaws without sanitising violence. Super 70mm Panavision captures epic vistas, from Sweetwater cliffs to Andean salt flats filmed in Mexico doubling Bolivia. Hill’s choice of handheld shots during pursuits conveys vertigo, innovating beyond static framing.

Production hurdles abounded: Newman initially eyed the Sundance role, but Redford’s casting sparked magic. Budget overruns hit $6 million amid location shoots, yet 20th Century Fox reaped $102 million worldwide. Marketing emphasised star power, with trailers highlighting banter over bullets.

Frontier Fade-Out: Themes of Obsolescence and Brotherhood

Thematically, the film mourns the West’s demise, with trains symbolising industrial inevitability. Butch laments, ‘The days have come and gone,’ as posses modernise with Winchesters. This revisionism echoes Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch (1969), but Hill opts for whimsy over nihilism, celebrating friendship as bulwark against change. Sundance’s reluctance to read aloud underscores vulnerability, deepening their bond.

Influence ripples through cinema: Thelma & Louise borrows the freeze-frame suicide; Redford’s Sundance role launched his superstar status, leading to collaborations like The Sting. Toy lines from Marx reproduced the duo on horseback, while comic adaptations in Wild West Weekly extended the mythos. Modern reboots like Butch Cassidy and the Purple-Hued Kid parodies nod to its DNA.

Critics praise its anti-hero pivot, with Pauline Kael hailing the ‘easygoing’ pace in The New Yorker. Yet some decry romanticisation of criminals; nonetheless, its box-office dominance – Best Picture Oscar winner – validated the buddy shift, paving for Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979) and stage musicals.

Collecting culture thrives on memorabilia: script variants, Newman-Redford lobby cards, and Bolivian set props surface at conventions. VHS releases in the 1980s revived interest amid home video boom, cementing its nostalgia staple.

Director in the Spotlight: George Roy Hill

George Roy Hill, born 20 December 1921 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, emerged from a privileged background as son of a district attorney and grandson of a U.S. Senator. Educated at Yale, he served as a Marine Corps pilot in World War II, experiences informing his disciplined storytelling. Post-war, Hill trained at the Actors Studio under Lee Strasberg, debuting on Broadway with Cherry Pies Should Be Homemade (1948). Transitioning to television in the 1950s, he directed episodes of Kraft Television Theatre and Playhouse 90, honing economy amid live broadcasts.

His feature debut, Period of Adjustment (1962), showcased Jane Fonda, but Toys in the Attic (1963) followed. Breakthrough came with The World of Henry Orient (1964), a quirky comedy blending adult-child worlds. Hawaii (1966) tested epic scope with Julie Andrews. Butch Cassidy (1969) marked his pinnacle, grossing massively and earning directing nods. Reuniting Newman and Redford for The Sting (1973), another Best Picture winner, solidified his con-artist niche.

Other highlights include Slaughterhouse-Five (1972), a faithful Kurt Vonnegut adaptation blending sci-fi and war; The Great Waldo Pepper (1975), aviation romance; Slap Shot (1977), hockey raunchfest with Paul Newman; A Little Romance (1979), charming tween romance Oscar-winner for screenplay; and The World According to Garp (1982), John Irving adaptation. Later works like Little Dracula (1990s animation) showed versatility. Influences spanned Ford, Capra, and Wilder; Hill championed actors, fostering improv. He retired post-Funny Farm (1988), dying 27 December 2002 from Parkinson’s complications. Legacy: master of crowd-pleasing craft with subversive edges, twice besting Spielberg at Oscars.

Actor in the Spotlight: Robert Redford

Charles Robert Redford Jr., born 18 August 1936 in Santa Monica, California, navigated a peripatetic youth marked by father’s milk route business and early athletic promise curtailed by injury. Art school dropout, he honed acting in New York, debuting on Broadway in Tall Story (1959). Television gigs on Maverick and The Twilight Zone (‘The Reward’, 1961) built buzz, leading to films like War Hunt (1962) with Sidney Poitier.

Breakthrough in Barefoot in the Park (1967) opposite Jane Fonda cemented rom-com charm, but Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) exploded him to icon status as the steely Sundance, earning Golden Globe nod. Follow-ups: Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969), Little Fauss and Big Halsy (1970), The Candidate (1972) political drama with Oscar-nominated performance. Hill’s The Sting (1973) paired him anew with Newman for con epic.

Redford’s 1970s peak: The Way We Were (1973) with Barbra Streisand; The Great Gatsby (1974); Three Days of the Condor (1975) thriller; All the President’s Men (1976) Watergate expose with Dustin Hoffman, earning acclaim; The Electric Horseman (1979); Brubaker (1980). Directorial debut Ordinary People (1980) won Best Picture and Director Oscars. Starred in Out of Africa (1985), Legal Eagles (1986), Sneakers (1992).

Later: Indecent Proposal (1993), Quiz Show (1994, directing/producing nod), Horse Whisperer (1998, directing), The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000), Spy Game(2001). Founded Sundance Institute (1981), fostering indies via Film Festival (1985-) and labs. Environmental activism via Solar Energy International. Awards: Honorary Oscar (2002), Kennedy Center (2005), French Legion d’Honneur. Recent: All Is Lost (2013), The Old Man & the Gun (2018) echoing Butch. Retired from acting 2018, legacy as activist-producer blending stardom with cinema elevation.

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Bibliography

Buscombe, E. (1993) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. British Film Institute. Available at: https://www.bfi.org.uk (Accessed 15 October 2023).

Ebert, R. (1999) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. RogerEbert.com. Available at: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-butch-cassidy-and-the-sundance-kid-1969 (Accessed 15 October 2023).

Goldman, W. (1983) Adventures in the Screen Trade. Warner Books.

Kael, P. (1969) Going Steady. Little, Brown and Company.

Kelly, C. (1938) Outlaw Trail: The Story of Butch Cassidy and His Wild Bunch. University of Nebraska Press.

Richardson, C. (2006) No Place for a Hero: The Western in Revisionist Cinema. University Press of Kentucky.

Roberts, R. (2002) Now It’s a Party Line: The Hollywood Films of George Roy Hill. Fanletter Press.

Schickel, R. (1973) The Men Who Made the Movies. Atheneum.

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