For my last blog of 2019, I'm going back to the 1969 well to celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of my favorite movies of all-time, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, released October 24, 1969.The film won four Academy Awards: Best Cinematography; Best Original Score for a Motion Picture (not a Musical); Best Music, Song (Burt Bacharach and Hal David for "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"); and Best Original Screenplay. It was also nominated for Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Sound. Wikipedia
As kids in high school, my friends and I would reenact favorite scenes over and over as it instantly became our favorite western. The John Wayne torch of the Western had moved over to a new generation of movie fans that would champion new Westerns like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Little Big Man with Dustin Hoffman in 1970.
I think what completes this perfect movie of script, cast and direction is Burt Bacharach's music. The score is a masterpiece that breathes so much life into the action and cinematography. For me the highlight of the soundtrack is the South American Getaway montage with Newman, Redford and Ross robbing banks and avoiding the Bolivian soldiers. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a quality video of the sequence but the audio track is classic Bacharach pop that should just take you back to the 1960's and start your Monday Monday with a little pep in your step.
Here is the soundtrack on Amazon Music.
Here is the soundtrack on Spotify.
Here is the soundtrack on YouTube along with some selected clips from the movie that made us all want to play and be this trio on the big screen.
Note - The video for Come Touch The Sun is not part of the movie, but thought it added a nice visual touch to the audio soundtrack.
I was up at Sundance in Utah several times in the last couple months. There at the OWL BAR, the bar itself was the actual bar the real Butch Cassidy used to drink at when it was in Wyoming. Redford bought the thing and had it installed at Sundance some years. The bourbon tasted particularly nice sitting at that bar! Another related story.....I have been in the Bway show CHICAGO several times over the years. The mandolin/guitar player for years on that show has been the great Jay Berliner. Such a great guy. Jay played the ukulele on the original recording of "Raindrops keep fallin' on my head" ! He had a huge studio career back in the day. Played with all sorts of legends. Happy NEW year, Doug! Love ya, Jeff
ReplyDeleteJeff, thanks for this wonderful comment! Happy New Year and hoping we can sometime meet up at Paul's again.
DeleteDoug