It was actually the other way around.

William Goldman's sensationally written script about the exploits of the outlaw leaders of the Hole In The Wall Gang was originally titled 'The Sundance Kid and Butch Cassidy.' It was only after Steve McQueen dropped out of the Sundance part and Robert Redford stepped in that the title was changed, to give first place billing to Paul Newman, playing Cassidy. Good, 'cause 'Sundance & Butch' just doesn't sound right, does it?

One of the finest All-American Westerns, George Roy Hill's film played fast and loose with historical accuracy, and yet, in the process, mythologised a pair of gunslingers that utterly deserved it.

Burt Bacharach's soundtrack and Conrad Hall's cinematography gelled perfectly with the film's one-more-robbery theme -- here's a video of that lovely, beautifully shot Burt song, the song Bob Dylan refused to sing for the film, praise the Lord!

Meanwhile, Newman and Redford threw around razor-sharp repartee with irreverence, cheekiness and the kind of chemistry that ensured many, many repeat viewings.

'tis true what they said: you never met a pair like Butch and The Kid.

A disclaimer, from the author:

Phew, that was some ordeal. It was horrendous to create a list from such a dynamic decade in cinema, leaving out masterpieces in an ambitious rush to choose only the finest. Several personal favourites have been overlooked -- Lolita, my favourite Kubrick film; The Birds, one of my favourite Hitchcock films; James Bond's big-screen debut with Dr No and the excellent Goldfinger, not to mention From Russia With Love, the best in the franchise; Warren Beatty's Bonnie & Clyde; Dennis Hopper's Easy Rider; Peter Sellers becoming a comic sensation with the Pink Panther films and The Party; and space itself becoming sexier than ever with Barbarella.

I urge you to go nostalgic and mail me at senterfold@rediffmail.com, telling me your favourite films of the 60s. Comment on the list here, debate its de/merits, abuse me for leaving out Cleopatra. But do write in, I'd love to know what you think.

For now, I'm going to rest and curl up with a Magnificent Seven DVD -- the epic multistarrer being left out because it is, after all, a remake of The Seven Samurai. See what I meant about tough decisions? That's it for this decade. Next week, we tackle the 70s.

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