Robert Redford Hated One the Most Ridiculous Part of ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’

Contrary to how we view the picture nowadays, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was critically panned when it was first released in 1969. Despite the clear-cut chemistry between Robert Redford and Paul Newman, many critics at the time didn’t understand the appeal. In fact, both Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel gave the film less-than-stellar reviews, and they certainly weren’t the only ones. Indeed, one of the most beloved aspects of the iconic Western — the “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” theme song — was hotly contested by many. But what you may not know is that Robert Redford agreed with these critics, believing that the addition of the folksy tune added little substance to the film. At least, that’s what he believed at the time.

Robert Redford Thought “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” Was a Poor Addition to ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’

Speaking on the film’s trademark tune, one reviewer for Timenoted that the sequence where “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” plays (which was insisted upon by director George Roy Hill), made the film “absurd and anachronistic.” The idea that Butch Cassidy (Newman, who wasn’t even the studio’s first choice) would ride around on a bike was strange enough on paper, but to do so with B.J. Thomas‘ vocals over the scene? Preposterous! But the critics weren’t alone. Robert Redford thought the song was the wrong choice for a film about two buddy outlaws trying to catch their “big break” in the Old West and later Bolivia. “I found out much later that the entire board over at 20th Century Fox didn’t like the song, and Robert Redford didn’t like it too much, either,” co-songwriter Burt Bacharach, who won an Oscar for the ditty alongside his writing partner Hal David, told USA Today decades later. “But it felt right.”

With a breezy feel to the words and tune, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” is, admittedly, a bit of a strange addition to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, at least on the surface. The film itself focuses on aging outlaws who realize that the West is no longer what it used to be, ultimately escaping to South America to build a new life for themselves. Yet, in the romantic bicycle riding scene between Butch and Etta Place (Katharine Ross) — Sundance’s (Redford) main squeeze who finds herself caught between the lovable pair — it feels quite natural. More than that, it’s necessary, emphasizing the romance brewing between them (not to mention Butch’s consistently upbeat attitude) as progress, innovation, and their inevitable fates fade in. It’s no wonder that Hill fought to include it in the final cut.

Years later, it appeared that even Redford turned around on “Raindrops,” revealing to the aforementioned news outlet:

“When the film was released, I was highly critical – how did the song fit with the film? There was no rain. At the time, it seemed like a dumb idea. How wrong I was, as it turned out to be a giant hit.”

Indeed, it was. “Raindrops” peaked at No. 1 on the billboard charts in several countries (including the U.S.) and has been famously associated with the famed Western production ever since. “Today, the song still works from the standpoint of nostalgia,” Redford concluded. “All these years later, it still has resonance.”

‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ Was a Triumph That Shaped Robert Redford’s Career

Often considered one of the greatest Western films ever made, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid proved the critics wrong over time, becoming a sheer triumph of filmmaking — Western or otherwise. Newman and Redford’s performances (not to mention their intense and dynamic range of on-screen chemistry) have been long praised by folks in and out of the industry, and the pair eventually got back together to tackle another buddy project, The Sting, which would be their final on-screen collaboration (and earn Redford an Oscar nomination). It’s a shame that they never got to pursue a third picture together, but Butch and Sundance has remained the pinnacle of their respective careers, emphasizing their acting talents and impeccable ability to entertain folks of all ages.

Of course, the film also very clearly meant something significant to Robert Redford as well, as he eventually spearheaded the Sundance Institute, the Sundance Film Festival, and the Sundance Collection at UCLA in efforts to find new voices and preserve artistic integrity. To the actor, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was the film that, in many respects, really put him on the map — one that deserves to be added to the Criterion Collection. Although he clearly wasn’t in full agreement with every creative decision, his response to the success of “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” proves that Redford was willing to embrace creative visions different than his own, a true testament to the collaborative nature and spirit of filmmaking.