Filmmaker Peter Fishbeast joins me from Belper in Derbyshire, England to discuss the 1969 George Roy Hill blockbuster Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, aka Dudes Rock: Origins.

Butch Cassidy is a great example of the influence the French New Wave had on late sixties Hollywood cinema, as it transitioned towards the New American Cinema of the seventies. It’s a western loaded with countercultural appeal and modern sensibilities, powered by an unexpected Burt Bacharach soundtrack that spawned the first No. 1 song of the seventies, "Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head".

Peter and I talk about the film’s enigmatic director George Roy Hill, the magic of Paul Newman and Robert Redford as Dudes Rock avatars, William Goldman’s screenplay being perhaps an unfortunate influence on today’s quippy soy banter in modern blockbusters, and the film’s forgotten prequel.

Patrons of the Junk Filter podcast receive at least two additional exclusive episodes a month: some of our notable previous guests include Jared Yates Sexton, David Roth, Bryan Quinby, Will Sloan, Sooz Kempner, and Jacob Bacharach. More to come! Sign up at https://www.patreon.com/junkfilter

Follow Peter Fishbeast on Twitter and visit his website.

Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head - Bobbie Gentry, 1971

Trailer for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (George Roy Hill, 1969)

Trailer for Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (Richard Lester, 1979)