Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)

Director:

Michael Cimino

Writer:

Michael Cimino (written by)

Release Date:

2 September 1974 (Sweden)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Thunderbolt... the man with the reputation. Lightfoot... the kid who's about to make one!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Heist | Nudity | Carjacking | Female Frontal Nudity | Hidden Money

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	John "Thunderbolt" Doherty
Jeff Bridges	...	Lightfoot
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Eddie Goody
Catherine Bach	...	Melody
Gary Busey	...	Curly (as Garey Busey)
Jack Dodson	...	Vault Manager, Montana Armor
Gene Elman	...	Tourist at Schoolhouse
Burton Gilliam	...	Welder
Roy Jenson	...	Dunlop
Claudia Lennear	...	Secretary
Bill McKinney	...	Crazy Driver
Vic Tayback	...	Mario Pinski, Contractor
Dub Taylor	...	Station Attendant
Gregory Walcott	...	Used Car Salesman
Erica Hagen	...	Waitress

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Spain:18 | South Korea:18 | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | West Germany:16 | UK:18 (video rating) (1986) | Netherlands:16

Filming Locations:

Fort Benton, Montana, USA

Company:

Malpaso Company, The

Trivia:

'Michael Cimino' was given the chance to write and direct this picture for Clint Eastwood after Eastwood was impressed with a rewrite Cimino did on the second "Dirty Harry" script, Magnum Force (1973).

Goofs:

Continuity: 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.

Quotes:

Red Leary: Does he know everything?
[At the same time]
John Doherty: No.
Lightfoot: Yes.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso (1993) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Where Do I Go from Here

A fascinating character-based comedy drama masquerading as a buddy action movie.

I found 'Thunderbolt And Lightfoot' in the "action" section of my local video store, and a quick glance at the cover and blurb might make you think you're in for a buddy action comedy, like Eddie Murphy et al made in the 1980s and Jackie Chan is making now. This is not entirely correct. While it is essentially a buddy movie and there is "action" in it, it is much more character-driven and episodic than most movies in the genre, and has more in common with forgotten 1970s gems like 'Scarecrow' or 'Fat City', than your typical Clint Eastwood fare from this period. Michael Cimino, who co-wrote the ecological SF sleeper 'Silent Running', and wrote the first (and best) movie in Eastwood's 'Dirty Harry' series, debuts impressively as director here. Eastwood himself is very good as enigmatic thief Thunderbolt, even better is Jeff Bridges who steals the movie as his young protege Lightfoot. Some people dislike this movie because it appears to meander along for no particular reason, but I really enjoyed the interaction between Eastwood and Bridges, who really seem to be having a ball working together. The plot eventually comes together with a robbery involving the two and character actors George Kennedy ('Cool Hand Luke' and Eastwood regular Geoffrey Lewis ('The Way Of The Gun'). I still really wouldn't call this a caper movie (ala 'Rififi', 'The Killing', 'The Anderson Tapes', etc,etc.), it's not as straightforward as that. The robbery plot is almost an excuse for a bunch of enjoyable scenes between the actors, who are all excellent and really play off each other in an entertaining way. Also keep an eye out for bit parts by Gary Busey ('Big Wednesday'), Catherine Bach (Daisy Duke!), Dub Taylor ('The Wild Bunch') and others, especially an unforgettable bit with the legendary Bill McKinney ('Deliverance'), one of the highlights of the movie. There's no way I'm going to argue that 'Thunderbolt And Lightfoot' is a forgotten classic, but it is a lot of fun to watch, it is unpredictable and interesting and features some fine performances, and that is a lot more than you can say for most subsequent Hollywood movies of this type. Recommended to 1970s buffs and anyone who enjoys Jeff Bridges.