Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) Pages: ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) Background Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) is the likeably entertaining, charming and amusing comedy/drama of the friendship and camaraderie shared between the two handsome and humorous buddy leads - legendary, turn-of-the-century Western outlaws and their "Hole in the Wall" gang. Historical antecedents for the two daring "Robin Hood" outlaws actually existed, two notorious figures who were sadly anachronistic for their turn-of-the-century times: "Butch Cassidy" (outlaw Robert Leroy Parker) "The Sundance Kid" (outlaw Harry Longbaugh) In the early 1900s, they came toward the tail-end of a long stream of bank/train robbers and highwaymen in the 19th century. Their exploits were perfect for a film that was intended to portray outlaws who mock and defy authority and the Establishment. After relentless pursuit by authorities, the train-robbing outlaws fled to Bolivia (after a brief stopover in New York City) with the Kid's schoolteacher-lover - hoping to find better luck.

Instead of the ultra-violence typical of other outlaw films, the screenplay (William Goldman's first screenplay - he also authored The Great Waldo Pepper (1975) and Marathon Man (1976)) and the direction of George Roy Hill focused on the endearing mis-adventures of the bandits/heroes, using impudent slapstick comedy, conventional Western action, contemporary music, and humorous dialogue to characterize the past and irreverently poke fun at typical western film cliches. The whimsical revisionist Western film, with the new "M" rating (for mature), although varying considerably in tone and mood, did so by imitating the styles of other cultish outlaw films, including director Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde (1967) , and the balletic graceful shootouts of Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch (1969) .

The good-natured film from director George Roy Hill, one of the most popular (and highest-grossing) westerns ever made, revived the careers of two 'golden-boy' Hollywood actors: superstar Paul Newman (in most of his previous films, he had been a rebellious loner - The Hustler (1961) , Hud (1963) , and Cool Hand Luke (1967) ) newcomer Robert Redford - who had previously appeared in stage plays and only a few films (i.e., Barefoot in the Park (1967)) [Warren Beatty was originally slated for the Butch role, and Steve McQueen for the Sundance Kid role.] The two male leads would again co-star (only once more) as big-screen buddies in George Roy Hill's Best Picture winner The Sting (1973), with ten Oscar nominations and seven wins. The flip-side of this light-hearted buddy picture was its major competitor of the year, the X-rated, dark Midnight Cowboy (1969) with its anti-heroes Ratso Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman) and Joe Buck (Jon Voight).

Of the seven Academy Award nominations, there were four Oscars: Goldman was awarded an Oscar for Best Story and Screenplay and Conrad Hall was honored for his cinematography. Two other statues went to Burt Bacharach for Best Song ("Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head," lyrics by Hal David) and Best Original Score. The other three nominations were for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Sound. The Story The film opens with the credits next to a sepia-toned "film within a film" of "The Hole In The Wall Gang." The silent flicker portrays the legendary outlaw gang holding up a train. The group's exploits in the newsreel-style film bear a resemblance to, and were said to have inspired one of the earliest classic films, The Great Train Robbery (1903) , by Edwin S. Porter. A title card suggests that the film about legendary characters is reasonably authentic and factual: Most of What Follows Is True The sepia tone of the newsreel is extended into the first sequence.

[The beginning of the film's action is set just before the turn of the century.] In the memorable opening, the screen is filled with an immense close-up of the face of sly, funny, witty, smart-ass, egotistical, and handsome Butch Cassidy [(Paul Newman) not identified as Butch until later in the film]. Still framed in extreme close-up, he stops and glances in a window in town - one that is heavily barred. From the outside of a modern, high-security bank, he expertly surveys and cases the frontier town's building, looking at other higher-up barred windows. In the bank's front door, he stands and observes the bank's strong measures against robbery: a security button and an alarm bell. At the three o'clock closing, he watches the banker deposit a sack of money in a large bank safe, enclosed behind more bars. There are loud slammings of window covers, latches, and doors. He notices how secure it is and how things have changed - asking the uniformed guard: Butch: What happened to the old bank? It was beautiful. Guard: People kept robbing it. Butch: That's a small price to pay for beauty.

Butch's partner is introduced in a similar, sepia-toned sequence filmed in close-up. During a blackjack card game in Macon's Saloon - a typically cliched Western scene, Butch's partner, a dead-panning, silent, dim-witted, mustached, dark-hatted cardsharp 'The Sundance Kid' [(30 year old Robert Redford in a breakout role) not identified by name until later] deals cards to other players at a gaming table. One opponent named Tom folds his hands and asks for credit from the saloon owner/gunman Mr. Macon (Donnelly Rhodes), but is denied. Off-camera, Macon confronts the mustached player: Macon: Well, it looks like you just about cleaned everybody, fella - you haven't lost a hand since you got the deal. What's the secret of your success? Sundance: (mono-syllabically) Prayer. Macon: Let's just you and me play. Sundance plays against his final, sole opponent - a professional gambler and gunman and the only one left at the table.

When Macon busts, he accuses Sundance of cheating while the card player is raking in his winnings and stacking everything neatly in piles: "You're a helluva card player fella. I know, cause I'm a helluva card player. And I can't even spot how you're cheatin'." Although Sundance attempts to ignore the insulting accusation, other players back off. Macon stands with his immense hand readied by his holstered gun: "The money stays - you go." Butch enters the saloon - he would rather rely on his brains than gunplay, and so he interrupts an impending shoot-out: Butch: We seem to be a little short on brotherly love around here. Macon: If you're with him, you'd better get yourselves out of here. Butch: (urging his partner) We're on our way. Come on. Sundance: (with his head slightly down) I wasn't cheating. Butch: (now more urgently as he drops down beside him) Come on! Sundance: (louder) I wasn't cheating. Macon: You can die. For that matter, you can both die. Butch: You hear that?

BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID – Burt Bacharach | MOVIE MUSIC UK Home > Reviews > BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID – Burt Bacharach BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID – Burt Bacharach Original Review by Craig Lysy For screenplay writer William Goldman, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” was a passion project. He first came upon the story of Cassidy and Longbaugh in the late 1950s, was fascinated by the men, and felt it was a story that needed to be brought to the big screen. Richard Zanuck of 20th Century Fox saw gold when he read the script and purchased the rights for an astounding $400,000! He tasked John Foreman to produce and George Roy Hill to direct. A stellar cast was brought in, which included; Paul Newman (Butch Cassidy), Robert Redford (The Sundance Kid), Katherine Ross (Etta Place), Jeff Corey (Sheriff Bledsoe, and Strother Martin (Percy Garris).

This true-life story of the American West was set in Wyoming in the late 1890s. Robert LeRoy Parker and Harry Longabaugh are better known by their infamous aliases, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. These two men forged a partnership that brought them fame as the most notorious outlaws of their day. Their respective strengths complimented the other’s weaknesses; Butch had the brains, and Sundance the shooting brawn. For years they held up trains and robbed banks. Over time their outlaw status brought them fame, admiration, and a gang called “The Hole in the Wall Gang”, which was named after their hideout in the Wyoming mountains. Over time the civil authorities mobilized more resources and a posse was deputized and dedicated to bringing them to justice. As the loose tightens, they split from their gang and end up narrowly escaping by jumping off a cliff into a river. They make it back to town and are assisted by their friend, schoolteacher Etta Place who is Sundance’s girlfriend. Butch convinces them to stake out a new existence in Bolivia. In Bolivia they try to go straight but their old ways return, leading to their death in a hail of bullets during a bank robbery.

The film was a massive commercial success, and received critical acclaim being nominated for seven Academy Award nominations including; Best Picture, Best Director, Best Sound, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Film Score and Best Song. It won four awards for Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Score and Best Song. Hill decided on a contemporaneous score for his film in lieu of a traditional Western approach, as he wanted the music to match the demeanor of the two principle characters. As such, Burt Bacharach, who was a pop icon at the time, was brought in to score the film. The score was constrained from the onset as director Hill did not want music to play during scenes with dialogue. Lastly, he and Goldman decided that three musical interludes would be inserted into the film. So of the 26 minutes of music Bacharach wrote for the film, in the end, only twelve minutes of music was used! For the songs, Bacharach brought in lyricist Hal David, and for vocals, B. J. Thomas. Early on, Bacharach understood that the film was character driven and so his music needed to speak to the dynamics that existed between the three main characters.

I believe he succeeded on all counts, and some of his songs have no become iconic. In the end, he won two Oscars for Best Score and Best song. The CD album is not congruent with the score’s placement in the film, so I will present it in the correct sequence. “The Sundance Kid” is a score highlight, wonderful, light-hearted, and flows like a languid bossa nova, which perfectly showcases Bacharach’s talent. It was intended to play over the Opening Credits. Regretfully, much of it was truncated, which I believe was a creative mistake. “On A Bicycle Built For Joy” supports the first musical interlude where we see Butch waking Etta and Sundance and she coming outside to join him on a fun and playful bicycle ride. At 1:30 we have a slapstick orchestral interlude, which wonderfully supports Butch’s child-like playfulness. At 2:29 we resume the song’s narrative flow, coming to a very satisfying conclusion. I believe Bacharach perfectly captured the spirit of the moment. Most interesting is that this quirky song, which was a late decision to be inserted into the film, was an instant success.

It went on to become a pop sensation, soaring to #1 in the charts for four weeks. “The Old Fun City” plays during a montage of sepia photos of our trio traveling through New York City, their embarkation point for their trip to Bolivia. We see our trio enjoying themselves and living a celebrity life. In many ways this free-flowing and upbeat passage music emotes with a happy-go-lucky dance-like sensibility. There is a Charleston-like quality to it, which makes this very enjoyable. At 2:36 we slow and transition to a tender dance as we see Butch and Etta slow dancing together on the steamship taking them to Bolivia. We conclude with them arriving by train at the train station in Bolivia. “South American Getaway” supports the Bolivian robbing montage where our trio is seen fleeing into the hills. Bacharach scores the scene unconventionally with a parade of jazz waltzes, slow sambas and Brazilian pop, which are propelled by bubbling, syncopated wordless vocals. At 0:51 a scene change take us to a new bank robbery and the music down shifts into a slow dance with the syncopated wordless pop sustaining its flow.

As they rob the bank and are pursued the music shifts up-tempo once again and supports a montage of robberies. We close on a slow dance as we see our trio fine dining, and enjoying their new wealth and status. “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” offers the song without the slapstick orchestral interlude version that was used in the film, and the three other cues were all excised from the film. “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” presents the orchestral version of the song in pop style. “Come Touch The Sun” is a gentle piece that emotes with a dance-like lyricism, and features a solo trumpet carrying the melody. “Not Goin’ Home Anymore” offers a tender melody, which is carried by piano, which was intended to be Etta’s Theme. As delightful as this 12-minute score is, I believe that popular culture and the public’s love of both the song and the film contributed to it wining. It suffices to say that the competition that year was rather weak; Anne of the Thousand Days by Georges Delerue, The Reivers by John Williams, The Secret of Santa Vittoria by Ernest Gold and The Wild Bunch by Jerry Fielding.

Given the constraints imposed by the director, I believe Bacharach showed great versatility and creativity. This is a fun score, care free, light-hearted, and definitely the road less traveled. I recommend it for Bacharach enthusiasts, and Oscar film score completists. Buy the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid soundtrack from the Movie Music UK Store Track Listing: The Sundance Kid (2:10) Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head (written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, performed by B. J. Thomas) (2:57) Not Goin’ Home Anymore (3:27) South American Getaway (5:14) Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head – Instrumental (2:31) On A Bicycle Built For Joy (written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, performed by B. J. Thomas) (3:07) Come Touch the Sun (2:27) The Old Fun City (N.Y.

Sequence) (3:59) Not Goin’ Home Anymore – Reprise (1:04) Running Time: 26 minutes 56 seconds A&M Records CD-3159 (1969/1987) Music composed and conducted by Burt Bacharach. Orchestrations by Jack Hayes and Leo Shuken. Featured musical soloists Robert Bain and Tommy Morgan. Score produced by Burt Bacharach. Burt Bacharach on Apple Music To preview a song, mouse over the title and click Play. Open iTunes to buy and download music. Biography With a hit-single track record spanning four decades, Burt Bacharach became one of the most important composers of popular music in the 20th century, almost equal to such classic tunesmiths as George Gershwin or Irving Berlin. His sophisticated yet breezy productions borrowed from cool jazz, soul, Brazilian bossa nova, and traditional pop to virtually define and undoubtedly transcend the staid forms of Brill Building adult pop during the 1960s.

Born May 12, 1928, in Kansas City, he studied cello, drums, and piano as a child, and was later transplanted to New York City by his father, a syndicated columnist. The time spent in New York gave him a chance to sneak into clubs to watch his bebop heroes Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker; he also played in several jazz bands during the 1940s. Bacharach studied music theory and composition at the Mannes School in New York, at Berkshire Music Center, at the New School for Social Research (with Darius Milhaud), at Montreal's McGill University, and at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, CA. A period in the Army interrupted his concentration of music study, but even while serving in Germany, Bacharach arranged and played piano for a dance band. He also played in nightclubs and backed Steve Lawrence, the Ames Brothers, and Paula Stewart. Bacharach was discharged in 1952, and he married Stewart on December 22nd of the following year.

On returning to the U.S., he began writing songs for Lawrence, Patti Page, the Ames Brothers, and others, but his first hit came from Marty Robbins in late 1957 when Robbins took "The Story of My Life" to the American Top 20 and the number one spot in England. The single was also notable for its co-composer, Hal David, who became Bacharach's songwriting partner and collaborated on most of his big hits. The Bacharach/David team followed up in January 1958 with Perry Como's "Magic Moments," another U.K. chart-topper and a Top Five entry in America. Bacharach's marriage dissolved in 1958, and he left for Europe to tour with Marlene Dietrich. He returned in 1961, and wrote several songs for the Drifters with Bob Hilliard (including "Mexican Divorce" and "Please Stay") before reuniting with Hal David. At an arranging session, he found the singer who became the ultimate vehicle for his songs: Dionne Warwick who was working as a member of the Drifters' backup vocal group, the Gospelaires.

By late 1962, Bacharach and David began focusing most of their composing energy on Warwick, who was the recipient of 15 Top 40 singles from 1962 to 1968 (including the Top Tens "Anyone Who Had a Heart," "Walk on By," "Message to Michael," "I Say a Little Prayer," "Valley of the Dolls," and "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?"). The duo also remained dominant in England, where Frankie Vaughan, Cilla Black, Sandie Shaw, the Walker Brothers, and Herb Alpert all hit number one with Bacharach/David compositions. As if their schedule wasn't busy enough throughout the '60s, the songwriters contributed film scores for What's New Pussycat?, Alfie, and Casino Royale. The film featuring their most celebrated score, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), won Oscars for Best Original Score and Best Theme Song for "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (plus two non-musical Academy Awards).

Bacharach and David began working on the musical Promises, Promises in the late '60s; it won a Tony and a Grammy Award (for cast album) during a popular three-year Broadway run. Bacharach hit the charts himself in 1969, with the show's "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" reaching the Top 100. Surprisingly, this was not his only foray into recording; Bacharach had reached number four in the U.K. charts in May 1965 with "Trains and Boats and Planes," and he released several popular solo albums during the late '60s. The beginning of the '70s looked bright for Burt Bacharach, as the Carpenters took "(They Long to Be) Close to You" to number one in the U.S. in July 1970. The forecast was premature, though, as three of his closest partners -- Hal David, Dionne Warwick, and his second wife Angie Dickinson -- left him.

He gathered several accolades for an eponymous 1971 album featuring renditions of his previous hit compositions, but later albums were disappointing and Bacharach's next hit was over a decade in coming. Finally in 1981, he collaborated with Christopher Cross, Carole Bayer Sager, and Peter Allen on the Oscar-winning "Arthur's Theme." Bacharach married Bayer Sager just one year later, and together they wrote Roberta Flack's Top 20 hit "Making Love," as well as "Heartlight" which Neil Diamond took to number five. Once Bacharach resumed composing he began to hit, and 1986 was one of his finest years, with two American number ones: "That's What Friends Are For" (by an all-star group including Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder) and a duet by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald titled "On My Own." He divorced Sager in 1991, but worked with Dionne Warwick again two years later on "Sunny Weather Love," from her Friends Can Be Lovers album.

Also in 1993, Bacharach contributed songs to James Ingram, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Tevin Campbell. Around the same time, many alternative bands began name-checking the hitmaker as an influence, and Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher joined him on the stage of the Royal Albert Hall as well as including a picture of him on the cover of Oasis' Definitely Maybe. BBC-TV focused on Bacharach in a January 1996 documentary, and a three-disc retrospective of his compositions was released by Rhino in 1998. That same year he collaborated with Elvis Costello on the acclaimed Painted From Memory, and was celebrated at an all-star concert at Radio City Music Hall which later formed the basis for the LP One Amazing Night. The 2005 album At This Time found Bacharach writing lyrics for the first time. Tonio K helped with the lyrics, Elvis Costello, Dr. Dre, Chris Botti, and Rufus Wainwright also contributed to the album.

~ John Bush Top Albums Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Review #275 Directed by: George Roy Hill Staring: Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Katharine Ross, Strother Martin Oscars: 4 Wins (Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Score, Song (Raindrops Keep Fallin' on my Head)) 7 Nominations (Picture, Director, Sound) AFI 100 years, 100 _____ tributes: Top 10 of 10 (Western, #7); Heroes (#20, Heroes Butch and Sundance); Songs (#23, Raindrops Keep Fallin' on my Head); Movies (#50); Thrills (#54); Movies 10th Aniv. (#73) Runtime: 1h 50min Best quote: "...Don't ever hit your mother with a shovel. It will leave a dull impression on her mind..." - Butch Cassidy Rating: 4/5 The western genre was huge in the early days of Hollywood, but slowly over the years the western lost popularity to science fiction and car chases.

But every so often you get a western that brings back the nostalgia of just how good westerns could be. We all know of the legend of Butch and Sundance; the outlaw bandits wanted all across the United States for robbing banks. In this film they are played by two of Hollywood's finest: Robert Redford (The Sundance Kid) and Paul Newman (Butch Cassidy). They are the charismatic leading men of the day, and they make the romantic legend of Butch and Sundance seem so much more real. Together, Butch and Sundance rob any bank they find. They rob the trains that thunder by. But never do they end up with any real money; they spend it frivolously and foolishly. Before long, a sheriff and his posse manage to track down the two bandits. Butch and Sundance are too smart for them, however, and manage to evade these lawmen at every turn. With what little money they have, they flee the United States of America to find more banks worth robbing in Bolivia, South America. But it is there that Butch and Sundance may just rob one too many banks...

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid has long been critically acclaimed as one of the best westerns ever made, and indeed it is. Sweeping cinematography highlights rich, Oscar worthy performances from Newman and Redford, taken from a fabulous screenplay. The always charming Oscar winning song Raindrops Keep Fallin' on my Head compliments the grand score. Newman and Redford make the film fun, making heroes out of the two bandits, always giving us something fresh to marvel at. After all, these were the matinee idols of the day. Handsome and charismatic leading actors bring a sense of power to the film. It's a shame they were snubbed for Oscars; they each could have easily been nominated. The film's ambiguous ending leaves us wanting so much more from these characters, but Redford and Newman do indeed deliver enough to keep us well entertained in this high spirited, western romp that lives up to it's billing as one of the best westerns ever made. 20-04-10 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) Butch: So you'd be Major Longbaugh. Whaddya say? Sundance: You just keep thinkin', Butch.

That's what you're good at. Because of the changing times, an opportunistic bicycle salesman (Henry Jones) interrupts the Marshal and draws a more curious, interested crowd to peddle his newfangled 20th century merchandise: Marshal: Well, whaddaya say? Bicycle Salesman: (He moves up next to the Marshal) I say this, I say ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, friends and enemies, meet the future. Crowd member: The future what? Salesman: The future mode of transportation for this weary Western world. Now I'm not gonna make a lot of extravagant claims for this little machine. Sure, it'll change your whole life for the better, but that's all. Marshal: And just what in the hell do ya think you're doing? Salesman: Well, you got the crowd together. That's half my job, so I just thought I'd do a little selling. Marshal: Well, I'm trying to raise a posse here if you don't mind? Salesman: I got a short presentation. (To the crowd) The Horse Is Dead. You'll see - this item sells itself.

After admiring the new 'mode of transportation' from afar, Butch is approached by one of the saloon women. Drunken Sundance announces that he will also go "hunting" for a woman - after running down a long list of qualifications: "Well, I think I'll get saddled up and go lookin' for a woman too...It shouldn't take more than a couple of days. I'm not picky, as long as she's smart and pretty, and sweet, and gentle, and tender and refined, lovely, carefree..." In a nearby part of town that evening, primly-dressed mid-twenties schoolteacher Etta Place (Katharine Ross) with her hair in a bun returns to her farmhouse. [The scene mocks the cliched concept of the starched Western schoolmarm.] She lights a lantern, and undresses down to a white slip as she moves into her bedroom. The Sundance Kid, who has made a forced entry and waited for her in a corner of the room, surprises her there. His appearance - with a grin on his face - causes her to jump back in fright.

Sundance commands her to keep slipping out of her clothes for him - at gunpoint: Sundance: Keep going, teacher lady. (He reaches for his pistol and points it at her.) It's OK, don't mind me. Keep on going. (She nervously removes her outer slip.) Put down your hair. (She reaches back behind her head with both hands. Her hair falls to her shoulders.) Shake your head. (He examines her appreciatively. Cocking his gun, he threatens for her to undo the last remaining bits of clothing. She unbuttons her undergarment, revealing the flesh of her body. Then he unbuttons his holster, rises from his chair and approaches toward her with amorous intentions to force himself upon her.) Etta: (Unafraid, she watches him approach. He begins to caress her.) (Sadly) Do you know what I wish? Sundance: What? Etta: (chiding) That once, you'd get here on time! It is soon apparent that this is a game. She is his hot-blooded, renegade, twenty-six year old girlfriend - not a demure virgin. They are lovers that know each other very well.

She wraps her arms around him as they embrace and kiss. In a memorable wordless, frolicsome bicycle scene which has nothing to do with the film's plot, Butch appears outside their window the next morning riding one of the salesman's new-fangled bicycles of "the future." His voice, in the tone of melodramatic villains, intones from outside: "You are mine, Etta Place. Mine. Do you hear me? Mine. All mine. Your soft white flesh is mine. Soft. White." Both men vie for the attentions of Etta. His disembodied head (with a Charlie Chaplin-like bowler hat) glides past the window. Etta rises and stands at the front door, where Butch gestures for her to get on the crossbar. Butch: Meet the future. Etta: Do you know what you're doing? Butch: Theoretically. Butch tries out the latest newfangled invention, with Etta precariously perched on the handlebars, accompanied by Burt Bacharach's contemporary smash hit, the Award-winning song: "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" (sung by B. J. Thomas, and lyrics by Hal David).

[The comical-lyrical "Bicycle Ride" sequence is like a music video dropped into the middle of the film.] During the fun ride in the golden rays of the dawn's sunlight, they ride downhill. As she watches from the loft of an old barn, he performs stunts to impress her, and ends up ungracefully tumbling onto the ground. After their bike ride as they walk back to the house, Etta asks about his plans with Sundance: Etta: You've come to get him for the Flyer? Butch: Do you believe I'm broke already? Etta: Why is there never any money, Butch? Butch: I swear, Etta, I don't know. I've been working like a dog all my life and I can't get a penny ahead. Etta: Sundance says it's because you're a soft touch and always taking expensive vacations and buying drinks for everyone and you're a rotten gambler. Butch: Well, that might have something to do with it. At the front of her house, Butch lightly kisses her on the cheek, and she ponders their relationship: Etta: Butch?

Do you ever wonder if I'd met you first we'd been the ones to get involved? Butch: Well we are involved, Etta. Don't you know that? I mean, you are riding on my bicycle. In some Arabian countries, that's the same as being married. Sundance emerges and finds Butch kissing and hugging her: Sundance: Hey, what are you doing? Butch: Stealing your woman. Sundance: (scratching his butt) Take her, take her. Butch: Well, you're a romantic bastard, I'll give you that. The second robbery of the Union Pacific Flyer is less successful than the first. They again encounter stubborn - bruised and bandaged Woodcock guarding the safe in the express car: "Butch - you know that if it were my money, there is nobody that I would rather have steal it than you, but you see I am still in the employ of Mr. E. H.

Harriman of the Union Pacific Railroad." A loud, oversized female passenger (Jody Gilbert) protests the delays and bulls her way over to the robbers: I'm a grandmother and a female and I've got my rights!...You can bull all the others but you can't bull me. I've fought whiskey and I've fought gambling, and I can certainly fight you. Sundance and Butch pretend to be hurting the woman and imitate her voice, tricking Woodcock to open up the car's door. The inept Hole-in-the-Wall train robbers use too much dynamite to blow up the safe, now reinforced and larger. They blow up the entire railroad boxcar - a startlingly real explosion with a deafening sound and flash of light. [It is a clever reversal of another Western cliche.] After the tremendous blast, they watch the pieces of paper money fly away and flutter around in the wind. Sundance laughingly jokes: "Do you think you used enough dynamite there, Butch?" Gang members scramble around and begin gathering up the loot that blows over the ground.

In the distance, Butch notices an ominous black cloud from a second train locomotive and is bewildered: "Now what the hell is that?" The President of the Railroad has anticipated their hold-up. Following the first train is another locomotive with a boxcar attached containing horses and a posse specifically formed to eliminate Butch and his gang. Before they can gather up the money, a formidable Superposse of a half-dozen men on horseback swiftly exits from the side of the boxcar - cued by the sounding of the train's whistle. Butch gives one look and senses trouble: "Whatever they're sellin', I don't want it!" Several members of the gang are shot down as they run for their horses. Sundance rates their shooting skill as Flat Nose and News are shot dead: "They're very good!" Even though the fleeing gang of four members splits in two directions to evade the determined posse, Butch and Sundance are the ones that are stalked. At the crest of a hill, they are upset that the entire posse is relentlessly following them: "What's the matter with those guys?" Their strained banter during the chase is wryly humorous: Butch: I think we lost 'em.

Do you think we lost 'em? Sundance: No. Butch: Neither do I. To take refuge and hide out, they go to Fanny's brothel in town, where they commission a cherubic, pink-faced Sweet Face (Percy Helton) to provide an alibi to the posse about their whereabouts: "You seen us ride through town not five minutes ago. You do this right, I'll get you an old dog to kick." Sweet Face is positioned across the street on a porch, whittling on some wood. In a top floor room, Butch is caressed by blonde-haired prostitute Agnes (Cloris Leachman), while Sundance nervously looks out a curtained window at Sweet Face. The two fugitives watch with relief as Sweet Face converses with the posse and gestures down the street. Sundance leaves the room as Butch returns to Agnes. From opposite sides of the bed with their backs to each other, Butch removes his boots and both of them undress - Agnes speaks of her feelings for him: You're the only real man I ever met, you know that Butch? It's not just because of all that money you got to spend on people.

It's you. They way you're always looking to see am I happy or not. A lot of the other girls, they might want you just for when you got lots of money to spend on people. Me, I don't care about clothes and money and jewels and furs and things like that. Lots of the others girls do, but I never did... With the sound of horses' hooves, they are alerted to the return of the posse. Sweet Face confesses and points up toward their window. When their decoy plan backfires, they must hurriedly slip out the second story window and climb down from the rooftops. They quickly subdue one of the posse's guards who is watching the group's horses. While Sundance gets their own horses for a quick getaway, Butch unties the posse's horses from the hitching post and starts shooing them away: "Go on, get out of here, you fat-headed beasts." But the enormous horses stand perfectly still, staring at him flailing his hands wildly in the air. Sundance returns with Butch's horse and warns his partner: "You're the fat-headed beast.

Quit shouting!" Butch is dumbfounded that his efforts are ineffectual: "Boy, somebody sure trained 'em." [The sequence is another irreverent twist on Western cliches.] Through thick dark woods, they attempt to avoid leaving a trail. From the crest of a hill, they watch for any sign of pursuit: Butch: How long before you figure they're not after us? Sundance: A while longer. Butch: How come you're so talkative? Sundance: Just naturally blabby, I guess. Butch: I haven't done so much ridin' since I quit rustling. That's a miserable occupation. Dusk to dawn, no sleep, rotten food. They suddenly stop, faintly noticing a slowly-moving, phantom-like glow in the darkness - they are the torches or lanterns of the posse following their path dead-on. Worried, they whisper to each other: "I couldn't do that. Could you do that? How can they do that?" They repeatedly ask each other the bewildering question - as they look over their shoulders and try to evade the Pinkerton posse: Who are those guys?

They are endlessly pursued by the machine-like, impersonal, superhuman posse, often filmed with a long focal-length lens, while the two outlaws are frequently filmed in close-up. Certain that he has an infallible plan, Butch proposes that they double up on one horse, hoping that the riders will divide in different directions: "This'll work!" From another high vantage point, they look back at the route of the glowing posse. The glow separates into different paths, but only momentarily. The two glows move back together again into a single force: "They're not going for it. Who are those guys?"

Question: What famous song from the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid won an Oscar for best song?
Answer: Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head