You Just Keep Thinking Butch

My favorite Western, hands down, bar none is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Jeremiah Johnson being a very close second and Bite the Bullet, third).

The interesting thing about Butch and the Kid is- if you time the violence/bullets- it's literally under one minute. The fact that it inserted a song that was sung over the soundtrack during a bicycle interlude (virtually having never been done before), it makes its Western leanings even more left field. When you top it off with the fact that it's based on two actual bank robbers, yet it plays as a comedy drama.... Well... enough said as to how original the film was/is.

William Goldman wrote a textbook script (apparently moved by something he had learned in doing some research on Butch Cassidy). The honesty of the statement astounded (and obviously) inspired. Cassidy, upon release from prison for bank robbery was asked to promise that he would never rob again- that he had been rehabilitated. Goldman smiled learning that his response was that he couldn't do that- but he promised that he would never rob in that State again. Butch Cassidy apparently was a very amiable guy- somewhat of an American Robin Hood in that the money he robbed, he spread around. The real Sundance was a gunslinger and not what we see on screen. Still- the statement obviously led Goldman to pen what, for my money, is still the best buddy film ever made.

Note: Goldman couldn't actually use the line in the film because the story concerned the ending of their careers. Goldman used it in a subsequent great little caper film he wrote for Redford called The Hot Rocks.

The story concerns Butch and Sundance, and their Hole in the Wall gang, robbing a Union Pacific train full of a payload, then robbing it again, upon its return cross country. This act has enraged E.H. Hareman- owner of the railroad company, and he, in turn, has put together a super posse that has been commissioned to not break ranks until Butch and the Kid have been killed.

The film runs the gambit during an endless pursuit that has them escaping, hiding,trekking cross country- then leaving the United States for Bolivia. And the exchanges between Newman and Redford- their timing, their interplay- amazing. Goldman's script is so laced with wit, visual humor and dry sarcasm, you know you're witnessing a classic in action.

Initial casting was to have been Steve McQueen, Marlon Brando or Warren Beatty as the Kid to Newman's Butch. George Roy Hill stood firm against immense studio pressure- wanting a breaking star, Robert Redford in the part. And it wasn't until Paul Newman lent his weight that a still unknown box office draw got the part. Boy did those two gentleman play their cards right. The combination and chemistry of the two under Hill's direction is gold.

Add into this mix some of the best character actor/actresses- Jeff Corey, Strother Martin, Cloris Leachman, Henry Jones 'and' Katherine Ross- then have Burt Bacharach and Hal David score and set lyrics to the piece- as I said at the beginning, you have one of the most unique Westerns and cinema/VHS/DVD experiences you're ever going to have.

Paul Newman is loose and likeable as Butch. You understand why even some of the members of the law like him (ie: Jeff Corey as the bewildered sheriff who has them visit, one night). He's the ideas man of the team- even if those ideas lead them into some of the strangest robbery scenarios two robbers can find themselves in (Bolivia and an embarrassing 'language barrier').

Robert Redford became mega after making this film. It was his breakout and when one watches- he does something other leading actors would soon do. He plays it self depreciating-he's fast on the draw but can't swim! The two extremes made him and the part so damned funny, he slayed you.

Note: I remember reading a funny bit about pranks that Newman, Redford and George Roy Hill played on each other. Apparently Redford was getting a bit too serious (the other two felt), about how fast he was on the draw. The scene came up where he had to demonstrate to Strother Martin how quick he was- Newman and Hill had glued the gun into the holster and when he drew, he wiped himself out! You can see that kind of joy and fun on screen and that's another reason why the film is a winner.

For the younger generation (because most of the preceeding ones have seen and fallen in love with it), treat yourselves. I don't want to spoil any of your experience with 'the best scenes/ best lines' so I'll reflect a personal story:

I was in first year university- it was Friday night. I had just broken up with a girl I'd been dating, my best friend in the residence where I was staying knocked on the door. We decided to avoid the ACDC/ George Thorogood music, the case and doing the 'brew and the tunes' bit. We went searching for a tv that wasn't in use on one of the residence floors. We found one on the first floor. There were about 7 other guys there- third years and book worms, sitting not really watching anything. Butch and the Kid was just coming on. I turned to my buddy and asked whether he had ever seen it. 'Nope'. Asked the others...'nope'. I negotiated for viewing rights and said " trust me- if you want to see something that will become one of your favorites of all time- leave the station on and lets watch ". They all agreed and I sat back- knowing every great moment that was about to come, and watched this film work its wonders. It was 12 years old at that point and every single moment caught them the way it did the original audience.

The point? It owned their attention, their laughter and their 10 best list by films end. And it will yours, too.

Guaranteed.

Enjoy.