BUTCH AND SUNDANCE: THE EARLY DAYS (1979, USA, 115m, PG) ***
Comedy, Western
dist. Twentieth Century Fox; pr co. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation / William Goldman Productions; d. Richard Lester; w. Allan Burns; pr. Steven Bach, William Goldman, Gabriel Katzka; ph. László Kovács (DeLuxe | 1.85:1); m. Patrick Williams; ed. George Trirogoff; pd. Brian Eatwell; ad. Jackson De Govia.
cast: William Katt (Sundance Kid), Tom Berenger (Butch Cassidy), Jeff Corey (Ray Bledsoe), John Schuck (Harvey Logan), Michael C. Gwynne (Mike Cassidy), Peter Weller (Joe Le Fors), Brian Dennehy (O.C. Hanks), Christopher Lloyd (Bill Carver), Jill Eikenberry (Mary), Joel Fluellen (Jack the Bartender), Regina Baff (Ruby), Peter Brocco (Old Robber), Vincent Schiavelli (Guard), Hugh Gillin (Cyrus Antoon), Sherril Lynn Rettino (Annie), Jack Riley (Messenger), Charles Knapp (Telegrapher), John Megna (Outlaw), Frank Doubleday (2nd. Outlaw), John Mark Robinson (3rd. Outlaw).
Director Richard Lester brings much of his trademark style to the otherwise lukewarm prequel to the 1969 western BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID, in which a gang of bank robbers arrive in a small town disguised as preachers. However, their plot is confounded by the presence of a band of Mexican outlaws, and their incompetence at thieving soon shows through. Berenger and Katt follow Newman and Redford’s approach well, but they are not helped by an episodic script, which fails to find a core thread. Lester imbues the film with many of his trademark slapstick and dialogue asides, whilst furnishing the film with sumptuous period production design (by Eatwell) and eye-catching location photography by Kovács. Despite some great individual moments, overall, there is a sense of missed opportunity.
AAN: Best Costume Design (William Ware Theiss).
