Robert Redford Made An Art Of The Double Take | Defector

"I didn't realize he was 89, but even if he was, he had that air of immortality that attaches to all true movie stars. The double take seemed appropriate-Robert Redford, over his many decades on screen, had, among so many other things, managed to turn it into an art form. He was a kind of skittish actor, whose flashing, darting eyes often appeared almost frantic, whose movements skewed jerky, like there was a scrappy little boy constantly knocking against that old Hollywood exterior."

"Sundance holds the gaze, he doesn't double back on it. He watches, he waits, as his partner talks and talks and talks. But even as far back as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Redford was doing a double take. It wasn't in the script. William Goldman didn't even have him written on screen when it happens. But in the moment in question, it's dark, so dark it's almost pitch, and he and Butch are watching a posse closing in on them."

Robert Redford often projected an air of immortality and became known for a signature double take. His performances combined flashing, darting eyes, jerky movements, squinting and a distinctive nod to create a skittish, boyish energy beneath an old Hollywood exterior. The double take consisted of a casual glance, a brief look away, then a snap back with communicative big blue eyes that carried many meanings. The move surfaced early in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in an unscripted, blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment as a posse closed in, punctuated by an exclamatory "Dammit!" and became a recurring trademark.

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