Captain Lightfoot (1955)

A pair of Irish rebels have swashbuckling adventures in 1815.

Director:

Douglas Sirk

Writers:

W.R. Burnett (screenplay by), Oscar Brodney (screenplay by)

Stars:

Rock Hudson, Barbara Rush, Jeff Morrow

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rock Hudson	...	Michael Martin
Barbara Rush	...	Aga Doherty
Jeff Morrow	...	John Doherty, aka Capt. Thunderbolt
Kathleen Ryan	...	Lady Anne More
Finlay Currie	...	Callahan
Denis O'Dea	...	Regis Donnell
Geoffrey Toone	...	Captain Hood
Hilton Edwards	...	Lord Glen
Sheila Brennan	...	Waitress
Harry Goldblatt	...	Brady
Charles B. Fitzsimons	...	Dan Shanley (as Charles FitzSimons)
Christopher Casson	...	Lord Clonmell
Philip O'Flynn	...	Trim
Shay Gorman	...	Tim Keenan
Kenneth MacDonald	...	Desmond (High Steward) (as Kenneth Mac Donald)

Storyline

In 1815, Michael Martin, member of an Irish revolutionary society, turns highwayman to support it, and is forced to flee into outlawry. In Dublin, he meets famous rebel "Captain Thunderbolt" and becomes his second-in-command, "Lightfoot." 'Tis a perilous life, with captures, turncoats, rescues, and romance.

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Plot Keywords:

rebel | turncoat | dublin ireland | irish independence | 19th century | 

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Taglines:

an unforgettably beautiful love story

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 March 1955 (USA)

Also Known As:

El patriota

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,300,000, 31 December 1955

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Inspired Michael Cimino to write the film "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" with Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges.

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Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: Due Date (2010)

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Soundtracks

Kate Kearney
(uncredited)
Traditional
Performed by Rock Hudson

User Reviews

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot.

This is not really a drama;this is not a story of sound and fury either. Sirk's swashbuckler is a bit tongue-in -cheek .He often makes a fool of his hero (Rock Hudson ,his favourite actor ,he will be featured in many other Sirk works including the stunning "magnificent obsession" and "written on the wind" ): he tries to help captain Thunderbolt to escape and ends up himself in prison;on the roof he unintentionally rings the bell.Barbara Rush (another Sirk's favourite:she will team up with Hudson again in " Taza" and "obsession")gets a good whacking.The political side remains vague and neither the Irish nor the English seem to take it seriously although it's not really a comedy.But the main interest is the splendid cinematography ,the marvelous landscapes :the scene when Lightfoot and Regis try to escape and end up in the river is masterfully filmed.There's something nonchalant ,which makes "captain Lightfoot" a distant cousin of "a scandal in Paris" (1946) in Sirk's filmography.

That said,it's entertaining but I do not think that it ranks with the director's best films.