Whether you love him for his memorable roles in “Cool Hand Luke” or “The Color of Money,” or enjoy dressing your salad with\u00a0Newman’s Own, Paul Newman was a once-in-a-lifetime star.\u00a0But for fans of the Western genre who have yet to see Newman’s beloved role in 1969’s “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” what are you waiting for?\u00a0Newman plays Butch Cassidy opposite Robert Redford’s Sundance Kid in a buddy comedy-style take on the genre, full of fast-paced dialogue and brilliant chemistry between its two leads.<\/p>\n
While not terribly well received at the time of its release, “Butch Cassidy” has since amassed a cult following that led to it\u00a0becoming one of the most successful Westerns ever<\/a>.\u00a0The picture follows two outlaws on the run from a lawman posse after a string of train robberies. While it sounds like trademark Western fodder, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” goes above and beyond by shattering the genre’s traditional character archetypes and embracing the New Hollywood style of filmmaking.<\/p>\n Part of what makes “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” so notable is the unique blend of action and comedy that, while great on paper (the screenplay did win an Oscar, after all), is cinematic gold when Newman and Redford are together. It may be a departure from traditional Westerns, but with Newman and Redford delivering the performances of a lifetime, you’ll be just as thrilled.<\/p>\n Read more: Actors Who Refused To Touch Each Other On Screen<\/a><\/p>\n By the time “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” came about, Paul Newman had solidified his place in the Western genre. The first was 1958’s “The Left-Handed Gun,” where he played Billy the Kid. From there, he worked with director Martin Ritt on 1963’s “Hud” and 1967’s “Hombre.” In between, he also starred in a Western remake of “Rashomon” titled “The Outrage.” But none live up to “Butch Cassidy.”<\/p>\n Newman’s boyish charm and gentlemanly charisma shifted public perception of the historic outlaw, and to this day his face is still the first we picture whenever we hear the name. It certainly helped that\u00a0Newman and Redford were such an impressive duo. The tightly bonded pair teamed again for the best picture-winning “The Sting” a few years later after,\u00a0though tragically never made an unmade\u00a0third film “A Walk in the Woods.”<\/p>\n While Redford went on to be associated with the genre for the rest of his career\u00a0(even almost starring in “Yellowstone”<\/a>), Newman’s time in the Old West would wind down. He starred in only three more horse operas in the years following, one of them being modern day neo-Western “Pocket Money.” Through it all, he peaked playing the famed, smooth-talking outlaw in a movie many rank high among\u00a0Paul Newman’s greatest films<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you enjoyed this article, sign up to our free newsletter<\/a> for the biggest movie and TV news delivered straight to your inbox. You can also add us as a preferred search source<\/a> on Google.<\/p>\nPaul Newman’s career peaked with Butch Cassidy<\/h2>\n
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