Butch and Sundance: The Early Days

This western comedy follows the younger years of two men who would become among the most famous outlaws of the American West. Fresh out of prison, Robert Leroy Parker, later known as Butch Cassidy, happens upon a small-time bandit trying to rob a saloon on his own, Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, who will become the Sundance Kid. Convinced he has found the right partner, Butch teams up with him, and their early attempts at holdups go badly before a bold train robbery changes their fortunes. A revenge-seeking killer and a pursuing marshal keep the pair on the move through a West where old traditions are giving way to progress.

Richard Lester directed the film, the ninth of the thirteen features he made in chronological order, arriving between Robin and Marian and Cuba. Allan Burns wrote the screenplay, and William Goldman was among the producers. Tom Berenger plays Butch Cassidy and William Katt plays the Sundance Kid, with Jeff Corey, John Schuck, Michael C. Gwynne and Peter Weller in supporting roles across a credited cast of 51. The film was released in June 1979 and runs 111 minutes.

Audience response has been modest: on IMDb it holds a rating of 5.7 from roughly 1,900 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 5 from a much smaller base of 43 votes. Both point to a film seen by relatively few viewers and regarded with limited enthusiasm.