Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid

Artist: Tom Beauvais
Format: UK Quad (30"x 40")
Condition: Excellent
Year: 1969

Description

A classic western, often considered equal to the likes of other collectable 1960’s cowboy films “Once Upon a Time in the West” and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” has enjoyed lasting popularity. A witty, touching and exciting screenplay coupled with the made-in-heaven pairing of Paul Newman’s easy-going Butch and Robert Redford’s brooding Sundance helped the film to become an iconic and much-loved part of pop-culture, often parodied but never bettered.

It could very easily have been completely different however. Writer William Goldman initially had trouble selling the script as no studio liked the idea of the two lead characters ‘running away’ to South America. The cast was constantly changing too; Jack Lemmon and Warren Beatty both turned down roles whilst Steve McQueen reportedly pulled out at the final hour. Newman was also originally scheduled to play Sundance until he suggested a swap with Redford. Regardless, thanks to the film’s enormous success, Newman, Redford and director George Roy Hill found themselves working together just four years later on the similarly successful “The Sting”.

Tom Beauvais designed and illustrated the Quad poster for the film and beautifully captures the final, heart-breaking scene where the two anti-heroes run-out to their deaths. The classy poster also makes sure to reference the film’s refreshing humour through its long tagline but rightly it is Newman and Redford who take centre stage. Beauvais imbues the design with a ‘sunny grittiness’ through his use of bright yellows and subdued browns.

Beauvais worked alongside Tom Chantrell for many years and as such their work is sometimes mistakenly attributed. The stunning, vivid and exciting Quad for 1966’s science-fiction classic “Fantastic Voyage”, (see below courtesy of www.moviepostermem.com), is often accredited to Chantrell though it was actually Beauvais’ very skilful work. For further examples of his talent, range and success within multiple genres, see his highly collectable Quads for 1977’s revenge thriller “Mad Max” (shown below courtesy of www.moviepostermem.com) and his gruesome design for 1979’s cult horror “Zombie Flesh Eaters”.