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Two of the Wild West’s most notorious outlaws were effectively whitewashed in this lighthearted romp, a box-office champion and multiple Oscar winner that marked the first teaming of superstars Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Newman stars as Butch, the quick-witted leader of Old Wyoming’s Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, while Redford portrays the Sundance Kid, a fast-draw artist who serves as Cassidy’s right-hand man but also rivals him for the affections of comely Katharine Ross. Finally driven from Wyoming by indefatigable pursuers, the pair flee to Bolivia in an attempt to begin their crime careers anew. The most successful western ever made at the time of its 1969 theatrical release, this breezy star vehicle either avoided or mocked cowboy-movie clichés; it served up equal portions of romance, comedy, and adventure to savvy Vietnam-era audiences weary of hackneyed horse operas. (Additionally, the film introduced the decidedly nonwestern, Oscar-winning song, "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.") William Goldman’s clever screenplay teems with snappy dialogue, and the direction by George Roy Hill (who later reunited with the star duo to make The Sting) maintains a lively pace. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid wasn’t the first revisionist western, but it was in the forefront of what became a systematic, irreverent, and highly entertaining deconstruction of cinema’s most venerable genre. The DVD Special Edition features a 45-minute documentary on the film's making, plus commentary by director Hill and cinematographer Conrad Hall, interviews with other members of the cast and production team, and the original theatrical trailer. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Opening with a silent "movie" of Butch Cassidy's Hole in the Wall Gang, George Roy Hill's comically elegiac Western chronicles the mostly true tale of the outlaws' last months. Witty pals Butch (Paul Newman) and Sundance (Robert Redford) join the Gang in successfully robbing yet another train with their trademark non-lethal style. After the pair rests at the home of Sundance's schoolmarm girlfriend, Etta (Katharine Ross), the Gang robs the same train, but this time, the railroad boss has hired the best trackers in the business to foil the crime. After being tailed over rocks and a river gorge by guys that they can barely identify save for a white hat, Butch and Sundance decide that maybe it's time to try their luck in Bolivia. Taking Etta with them, they live high on ill-gotten Bolivian gains, but Etta leaves after their white-hatted nemesis portentously arrives. Their luck running out, Butch and Sundance are soon holed up in a barn surrounded by scores of Bolivian soldiers who are waiting for the pair to make one last run for it. Lucia Bozzola

Product Details

• UPC: 024543002567
• Source: 20TH CENTURY FOX
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Cinemascope (2.35:1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: THX-Supervised Mastering, Dolby Digital Mono
• Language: English, Français
• Subtitles: English, Español
• Time: 1:50:00
• Sales Rank: 8,908

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• The Films of Paul Newman
• Ultimate Western Collection
• Cowboy Collection
• Paul Newman - The Tribute Collection

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