Cassidy vs Cassidy, Curry vs Curry

Rating: 7/10 (7 November 2008)

Fun naming trivia: Butch Cassidy, played by Paul Newman, has a fight with Kid Curry (Harvey Logan), played by Ted Cassidy. "Kid Curry" is later used as the name of one of the similar heroes in "Alias Smith & Jones", ironically played by Ben Murphy, the Paul Newman look- alike! Cassidy fights Cassidy, Curry fights someone who looks like the other Curry...
This is a very good movie, although not perfect. The story about the two charming outlaws, with more or less truth behind it, is pretty good, although a bit over the top sometimes. The ambition to tell the story about the real outlaws is undone more than once by over- simplifications and dramatic effects. Fortunately, the movie has qualities beyond that.
I think that the fine performances by Redford and Newman is what holds it together. That, plus the good photography, and the fact that the script most likely was very original at the time. Later, the "Alias Smith & Jones" TV series shows what would have happened if they had been granted amnesty, which they are denied in the movie, resulting in a lighter version of the story.
So, if you want something less bloody than "Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid", get "Alias Smith & Jones". If, on the other hand, you like "Alias Smith & Jones", this is the original that you can't miss!
A classic, definitely.