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 | friendship between men | homosexual subtext | preacher | cerebral hemorrhage | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Clint Eastwood turned down the lead in Charley Varrick (1973) in order to make this film.

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Goofs

After the rain at Lightfoot's work, the soil at the river is dry.

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Quotes

Lightfoot: [Hitchhiking: Thunderbolt and Lightfoot have accepted a ride from a crazy driver with a mess of a car] This guy another friend of yours?
John Doherty: Slightly advanced, isn't he?
John Doherty: [Exhaust fumes start billowing up in the back seating area] Hey, what's wrong with this wreck? We're gettin' gassed back here!
Lightfoot: This guy's a basket case. He's got the exhaust pipe in here.

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Connections

Referenced in Starman (1984)

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Soundtracks

Hallelujah! What a Savior!
(uncredited)
by Philip Paul Bliss
[Hymn sung in church in opening scene]

User Reviews

Michael Cimino's first is carried by Jeff Bridges

I really liked this movie. Cimino keeps the story simple, funny and pretty involving: A young hotshot (Bridges) inspires a has-been bank robber (Eastwood) to take another crack at the bank which nearly brought him down the last time he hit it, and along the way they are both sabotaged and helped by Eastwood's former buddies (Kennedy and Lewis).

In my humble opinion, Jeff Bridges is ace as "Lightfoot" in this movie. There simply would be no movie without him, or, well, it might, but it would've been boring as hell. Eastwood plays Eastwood, maybe a bit softer around the edges than Harry Callahan, and does his part well. Still, he is kind of drowned by Bridges, Kennedy and Lewis. They do other stuff besides just being tough and professional, and God bless the script and them for it. Bridges is so incredibly good in this, he jumps around, he tries to wind up Kennedy and tries to lure some enthusiasm out of Eastwood; I can not imagine anyone else but Bridges as Lightfoot. He steals the movie away (he's also does some drag-stuff here, classic). The scenes with the lady in the house, the tussles with Kennedy, the brunette and her friend, the lady on a bike with a hammer. You have a lot to look forward to here.

Cimino's picture is about a criminal who is tired and who just wants to take it easy, but a young dude, full of romantic ideas, tempts him back into the game. Along the way, the violence and mayhem that made Eastwood leave it all back then catches up with them and they have to fight for their lives.

The movie is a must-see for fans of Eastwood, Cimino, Kennedy and Lewis - but it belongs to Jeff Bridges.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 May 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

Filming Locations:

Choteau, Montana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,200,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$21,700,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$21,700,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Malpaso Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1