Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)

With the help of an irreverent young sidekick, a bank robber gets his old gang back together to organize a daring new heist.

Director:

Michael Cimino

Writer:

Michael Cimino

Stars:

Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, Geoffrey Lewis

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clint Eastwood	...	Thunderbolt
Jeff Bridges	...	Lightfoot
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Eddie Goody
Catherine Bach	...	Melody
Gary Busey	...	Curly (as Garey Busey)
Jack Dodson	...	Vault Manager
Eugene Elman	...	Tourist (as Gene Elman)
Burton Gilliam	...	Welder
Roy Jenson	...	Dunlop
Claudia Lennear	...	Secretary
Bill McKinney	...	Crazy Driver
Vic Tayback	...	Mario Pinski
Dub Taylor	...	Station Attendant
Gregory Walcott	...	Used Car Salesman
Erica Hagen	...	Waitress

Storyline

Seven years after a daring bank robbery involving an anti-tank gun used to blow open a vault, the robbery team temporarily puts aside their mutual suspicions to repeat the crime after they are unable to find the loot from the original heist, hidden behind a school chalkboard. The hardened artilleryman and his flippant, irresponsible young sidekick are the two wild cards in the deck of jokers.

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Plot Keywords:

heist | preacher | ice cream truck | montana | safecracker | 

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Taglines:

He has exactly seven minutes to get rich quick!

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 September 1974 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Die Letzten beißen die Hunde

Filming Locations:

Choteau, Montana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$25,000,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Malpaso Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Debut feature film as an actor for Kyle Eastwood, son of Clint Eastwood, who was five years old at the time, playing, uncredited, a boy at a refreshment truck eating ice creams.

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Goofs

When Thunderbolt is delivering his sermon in the church, his hair is heavily oiled but it appears quite dry when he emerges from the church, chased by Dunlop.

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Quotes

Lightfoot: The rich get richer, the poor get poorer.
John Doherty: Where do you pick up these pearls of wisdom?
Lightfoot: Books.
Red Leary: [Mockingly] You mean you can actually read?
Lightfoot: I read *you* loud and clear.
Red Leary: You better believe it.

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Connections

Featured in A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries (1998)

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Soundtracks

"Where Do I Go from Here"
Composed and Sung by Paul Williams

User Reviews

Eastwood and Bridges

Two misfits and a love story between two loners. That in itself it's an intriguing premise but if you add to that mix, Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges as the two loners, then we'll have something we've never seen before. Lightfoot (a superlative Jeff Bridges) has a crush on Thunderbolt (an astonishing Clint Eastwood) at first sight. Thunderbolt seems to be aware of it, if only subconsciously but eventually surrenders to the kind of feeling he, probably, never experienced. A father with a son who hero worships him. Tragically romantic. Brutal and deeply felt, Michael Cimino's debut as a director is a feast for the senses. Highly recommended.