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Captain Lightfoot

  • 1955
  • Approved
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
848
YOUR RATING
Rock Hudson and Barbara Rush in Captain Lightfoot (1955)
AdventureDramaHistory

A pair of Irish rebels have swashbuckling adventures in 1815.A pair of Irish rebels have swashbuckling adventures in 1815.A pair of Irish rebels have swashbuckling adventures in 1815.

  • Director
    • Douglas Sirk
  • Writers
    • W.R. Burnett
    • Oscar Brodney
  • Stars
    • Rock Hudson
    • Barbara Rush
    • Jeff Morrow
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.2/10
    848
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Douglas Sirk
    • Writers
      • W.R. Burnett
      • Oscar Brodney
    • Stars
      • Rock Hudson
      • Barbara Rush
      • Jeff Morrow
    • 14User reviews
    • 9Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos31

    Captain Lightfoot (1955)
    Rock Hudson in Captain Lightfoot (1955)
    Rock Hudson and Barbara Rush in Captain Lightfoot (1955)
    Captain Lightfoot (1955)
    Captain Lightfoot (1955)
    Captain Lightfoot (1955)
    Captain Lightfoot (1955)
    Captain Lightfoot (1955)
    Captain Lightfoot (1955)
    Captain Lightfoot (1955)
    Captain Lightfoot (1955)
    Captain Lightfoot (1955)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Rock Hudson
    Rock Hudson
    • Michael Martin, aka Capt. Lightfoot
    Barbara Rush
    Barbara Rush
    • Aga Doherty
    Jeff Morrow
    Jeff Morrow
    • John Doherty, aka Capt. Thunderbolt
    Kathleen Ryan
    Kathleen Ryan
    • Lady Anne More
    Finlay Currie
    Finlay Currie
    • Callahan
    Denis O'Dea
    Denis O'Dea
    • Regis Donnell
    Geoffrey Toone
    Geoffrey Toone
    • Captain Hood
    Hilton Edwards
    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
    Kenneth MacDonald
    • Desmond (High Steward)
    • (as Kenneth Mac Donald)
    Robert Bernal
    • Clagett
    Louise Studley
    • Cathy
    J.G. Devlin
    J.G. Devlin
    • Tuer O'Brien
    • (as James Devlin)
    • Director
      • Douglas Sirk
    • Writers
      • W.R. Burnett
      • Oscar Brodney
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Inspired Michael Cimino to write Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974).
    • Connections
      Featured in Rock Hudson's Home Movies (1992)
    • Soundtracks
      Kate Kearney
      (uncredited)

      Traditional

      Performed by Rock Hudson

    User reviews14

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    Swashbuckling adventure with British turncoats , romance , fights , kidnapping and duels
    This is a 1955 Douglas Sirk film for Universal about Irish adventures , concerning a romanticized version of a pair of intrepid adventurers , starring Rock Hudson in the title role of Captain Lightfoot , and it is full of adventure, romance , intrigue , ballroom dance , action , pistol duel and Ireland rebellion . Set in Ireland in 1815 , spanking Michael Martin (Rock Hudson , he was full-blood Irish, his real name was Roy FitzGerald) , member of an Irish revolutionary society , turns highwayman to support it , and is forced to flee into outlawry and to seek shelter in Dublin , capital of Ireland . In Dublín , he meets known rebel "Captain Thunderbolt¨ (Jeff Morrow, also an Irishman in real life) posing as an aristocrat , he is really leader of the Irish resistance against the English dragoons sent to occupy Ireland by the British Crown , then Michael becomes his second-in-command , "Lightfoot¨. As a couple of Irish rebels undertake swashbuckling adventures , abducting , rescues , attacks against fortress and many other things . The flick describes their dangerous life , with captures , betrayals , perilous feats , and romance . There takes place an unforgettably beautiful love story between Michael and Thunderbolt's daughter (Barbara Rush) . Meanwhile , Thunderbolt is gunshot wound , he hides but is discovered , being betrayed by a traitor (Dennis O'Dea) , caught eavesdropping and imprisoned . Lightfoot attempts to free him from prison , disguising as a priest . The real "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" story goes back to 1818 , about two notorious highwaymen , their bold and daring robberies, and hair-bredth escapes . Together with the life and recent death, in Vermont, of a man reputed to be Thunderbolt was arrested in Springfield , Massachusetts, was tried, convicted, and hanged about 1821 . It was Martin who, just before his execution , gave the full description of his former partner, Captain Thunderbolt, who by then was a simple, kindly , somewhat overdressed country doctor quietly practicing his medicine in Dummerston and falling down on his face at the Saturday night dances .

    A fine , impressive adventure and a warm , sensitive romance , including turncoats , riots , dance balls and many others things . Dealing with love , battles , death and societal constraints . The film often depends on melodrama and relies heavily on the silly love story between Hudson and Rush . The flick is made in Sirk style , including his ordinary trademarks and financed by his customary producer , Ross Hunter , and Universal International with whom he made nine films , many of which involved the collaboration of Rock Hudson, cinematographer Russell Metty or Irving Glassberg , and art director Alexander Golitzen . Weak screenplay based on novel , ¨Captain Lightfoot¨ , written by prestigious W.R. Burnett . The three principals in the cast , Rock Hudson as character name in title , Barbara Rush and Jeff Morrow , all shine in this studio vehicle for young star Rock Hudson, who is terrific in the title role , with style , sex appeal , and a good Irish accent . Jeff Morrow was especially good in one of his greatest roles as Captain Thunderbolt , Morrow had to take lessons to learn how to sword-fight from Basil Rathbone . Support cast is pretty well such as Kathleen Ryan , Finlay Currie and Denis O'Dea . To be said that inspired Michael Cimino to write the film "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" with Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges . Interestingly, this film was shot at the time Eastwood was an apprentice for Universal . We don't know whether Cimino's original inspiration came from the film or one of the books, or even from popular tales he might have heard somewhere around .

    Rousing and thrilling musical score by Heinz Roemheld and Herman Stein , though uncredited . Colorful and brilliant cinematography in magnificent Technicolor by Irving Glassberg . Filmed almost entirely on location in Ireland, this was one of the first Universal pictures to be filmed away from Hollywood . Being shot on location in Clogherhead, County Louth, Ireland and Powerscourt Estate , Enniskerry, County Wicklow, Ireland . The motion picture was professionally directed by Douglas Sirk . His first directorial stint in America was Hitler's Madman (1943) , but it is for his work at Universal International in the 1950s for which he is primarily known . Sirk got a great success , particularly the high-suds soap operas he lensed for producer Ross Hunter in the 1950s : Magnificent obsession (1954) , All That Heaven Allows (1955) and his last American film , Imitation of life (1959) . Sirk's favorite American film was the Western , Taza , son of Cochise (1954) , which was shot in 3-D , also starred by Rock Hudson and Barbara Rush . The true genesis of the Sirk cult was the realization of notorious flicks full of twisted melodrama and passion , such as : Written on the wind , Battle hymn , The Tarnished Angels , Interlude , All I desire , There's Always Tomorrow and A Time to Love and a Time to Die ; the latter is one of the best films made by the producer-director team of Ross Hunter and Douglas Sirk . Society is an omnipresent character in Sirk's films , as important as the characters played by his actors, such as Jane Wyman , Barbara Rush and Rock Hudson.
    helpful•9
    1
    • ma-cortes
    • Nov 12, 2015

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • March 26, 1955 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Irski buntovnik
    • Filming locations
      • Clogherhead, County Louth, Ireland
    • Production company
      • Universal International Pictures (UI)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,300,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 32 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.55 : 1

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