Before entry in the grid delete one letter, wherever it occurs. In clue order this spells out two names whose aliases then need to be found in 5 straight lines in the completed grid.
I found this quite hard work – not having real words in the grid limits the ability to guess an answer from the crossing letters. Definitely a much longer fill than usual. Once all the clues were solved, who did we have:
ROBERT LEROY PARKER and HARRY ALONZO LONGABAUGH
Better known as BUTCH CASSIDY and THE SUNDANCE KID
The five words distributed across the grid KID from 1dn, SUNDANCE down from the square to the right of 3dn, THE down from the square to the right of 8dn, CASSIDY down from the end of 7dn and BUTCH from 30ac.
Thanks The Ace of Hearts – took me quite an effort to get there but did in the end.
Key rev. reversed; * anagram; underline definition
Across
R 1 Salute old school service delivery to person on their birthday (9)
kiss (salute) + o(old) + gam (school) = KISSOGRAM
O 7 Restrains small shabby people (6)
bits(restrains) = OOBITS
B 11 Not entreated, a Parisian that’s gross entering drunk (10)
une(a Parisian) + ugh(that’s gross)n in sot(drunk) = UNBESOUGHT
E 12 Onlookers at tennis match denied disputing any net signals in the van (6)
Denied Disputing Any Net Signals = DEDANS
R 13 Small slab gets left out for American silk fabric (7)
Tablet (small slab) – l + a (American) = TABARET
T 14 Assess a German duke (5)
ein (a German) = d (duke) = TEIND
L 15 Purposeful belief is support we in Perth used with disheartened guy (9)
tee(support) + oo (we in Perth) + gy (disheartened guy) = TELEOLOGY
E 16 One who begins again runs right to circle fire (9)
r(runs) + r(right) around start (fire) = RESTARTER
R 17 Laments for example returning to shelter in the underworld (6)
rev eg (for example) in dis (underworld) = DIRGES
O 19 Cross coffee cake finally with neat and smart appearance (7)
sign (cross) + ee (coffee cake finally) = SOIGNEE
Y 25 Eucalypti say remained undisturbed in Scotland during deadly storms initially (7)
rade (remained undisturbed) in ds (deadly storms initially) = DRYADES
P 27 Heard you break down beside El Salvador mounts (6)
u(heard you) + go (break down) + es (El Salvador) = UPGOES
A 28 Chain letter (19th in series) gutted mean king (8)
ch(chain) + ess (19th letter) + mn (gutted mean) = CHESSMAN
R 30 Bloodthirsty people from Ayr in outer room clipped strong box (8)
but(outer room) + chest(strong box) – t = BUTCHERS
K 32 Deer is back for instance (5)
Rev is + as (for instance) = SIKAS
E 33 Short passage intended for take-off at rear of airport to the west (7)
cod (intended for take-off) + Rev. at + t(rear of airport) CODETTA
R 34 Naked, stiff and pompous jouster (6)
stilted(stiff and pompous) – sd (naked) = TILTER
H 35 Ben for one and Edward briefly describing type of card game? (11)
tree (Ben for one) + and + ed(Edward) = THREE-HANDED
A 36 Planes once before landed in terminals of Las Vegas (5)
or(once before) in ss (end of Las Vegas) = SOARS
R 37 King bats eyes at me with first bit of extra fine woollen cloth (10)
k(king) + (eyesme)* + e (first bit of extra) = KERSEYMERE
Down
R 2 Independent institute is interrupting Doctor of Engineering tipping with heavy metallic element (9)
II Independent institute) + is in Ding (Doctor of engineering) = IRIDISING
Y 3 Parsimonious old judge is on time (6)
scan(old judge) + t (time) = SCANT
A 4 Subject to easy terms passing through the system (8)
on (subject to) + (terms)* = ON STREAM
L 5 Eastern governor from Turkey returns church land (5)
Rev. e(eastern) + beg(governor from Turkey) = GLEBE
O 6 Eros maybe tried out, while in the lead (8)
as(while) + (tried)* = ASTEROID
N 7 Another cuboid bone, done differently out of swelling lymph nodes (7)
(cuboid bone – done)* = BUBONIC
Z 8 Did Major Mitchell bomb with a US soldier all over Germany? (9)
Rev egg (bomb) + a + gi(US soldier) followed by D (German) = ZIGZAGGED
O 9 Foolish commanding officer ignored by people north of the border collectively (7)
scottish(people north of the border) – co(commanding officer) = SOTTISH
L 10 Raider surreptitiously supplies spivs (6)
Hidden raIDER Surreptitiously = IDLERS
O 18 Worried grins withheld from uneasy disagreements about unhealthy accumulation of tissue (9)
(disagreements – grins) OEDEMATOSE
N 20 More worn-out lecturer is replaced by university after gross low ball (8)
gr(gross) + older (more worn out) swapping u(university) for l(lecturer) = GROUNDER
G 21 Trade outside church, Glaswegian one (8)
ex(outside) + ch(church) + ane(Glaswegian one) = EXCHANGE
A 22 One who is taken into custody about acquiring synthetic trees (8)
re(about) + (trees)* = ARRESTEE
B 23 Works up suspect to admit deed (7)
sus(suspect) around act(deed) = SUBACTS
A 24 Artificial fibres take seconds to screen heart attacks (strictly between us) (8)
sCreen + hEart + aTtacks + sTrictly + bEtween + uS = ACETATES
U 26 Bridge partners in card game defeat decline (6)
Sn(bridge partners) + set(defeat) = SUNSET
G 29 Turned obstinate shortening symbol used in manuscripts etc. (6)
Rev mulish(obstinate) – h = SIGLUM
H 31 Faces last of the bills (5)
e(last of the) + ads (bills) = HEADS
Twenceslas – the whole of the blog is showing on the home page.
Thanks – have amended.