Thompson, Howard (May 24, 1974). [21][22] According to author Marc Eliot, Eastwood perceived himself as being upstaged by Bridges. Also of interest is the fact that Geoffrey Lewis appears in The Way Of The Gun!Second: Those interested in a companion piece to this film might consider watching `Thelma and Louise' which mirrors the on-the-road relationship of this film very closely. Fast, free delivery. They discover the schoolhouse has been replaced by a brand-new school standing in its place. Thunderbolt buys a new Cadillac convertible with cash, something Lightfoot said he had always wanted to do, and picks up his waiting partner, who is gradually losing control of the left side of his body. We got it.' Thunderbolt snaps his cigar in half (as it is no longer a celebration), and with his dead partner beside him, he drives off down the highway into the distance. Clint would say, 'Give the kid a shot. With the help of an irreverent young sidekick, a bank robber gets his old gang back together to organize a daring new heist. Also of note is the striking Montana scenery, quite unseen on film, this movie does an admirable job showcasing it. Lightfoot... the kid who's about to make one!. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot are abducted by the men who were pursuing them—the vicious Red Leary (George Kennedy) and the gentle Eddie Goody (Geoffrey Lewis)—and driven to a remote location where Thunderbolt and Red fight each other, after which Thunderbolt explains how he never betrayed the gang. Synopsis Thunderbolt… the man with the reputation. The film was written and directed by Michael Cimino. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot was filmed in Montana, mostly in Great Falls. In the film `The Way Of The Gun' the characters are called `Mr. Parker and Mr. Longbaugh' which of course were the real names of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid! "[26] Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times called it "a rambunctious and surprisingly touching movie", adding that "writer Michael Cimino, in a potent directorial debut, displays a clear, concise style and very impressive control. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot Synopsis: 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. And Mike would say 'I gotta ask Clint.' Certificate: GP Jeff Bridges was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.This was his second nomination. "From Buddies to Lovers". The film grossed $9 million in rentals on its initial theatrical release[18] and eventually grossed $25 million in the United States,[19] making it the 17th highest-grossing film of 1974. A hard but mediocre cop is assigned to escort a prostitute into custody from Las Vegas to Phoenix, so that she can testify in a mob trial. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is an overlong, sometimes hilariously vulgar comedy-drama, about the restaging of a difficult safecracking heist. Howard Thompson of The New York Times praised the film as "a funny, tough-fibered crime comedy with an unobtrusive edge of drama. Debuting director Michael Cimino, who also wrote the rambling, anti-climactic script, obtained superior performances from Eastwood, George Kennedy, Geoffrey Lewis and especially Jeff Bridges, outstanding as a young drifter who joins the gang. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot Clint Eastwood (Actor), Jeff Bridges (Actor), Michael Cimino (Director, Writer) Directed by Michael Cimino. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is a 1974 American crime comedy-drama movie. Arizona Deputy Sheriff Coogan (Clint Eastwood) is sent to New York City to escort an escaped fugitive back for trial. [7] Agent Leonard Hirshan brought the script to Eastwood from fellow agent Kamen. He and Lightfoot journey to Warsaw, Montana to retrieve the money hidden in an old one-room schoolhouse. The website's consensus is "This likable buddy/road picture deftly mixes action and comedy, and features excellent work from stars Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges and first-time director Michael Cimino. A gun-fighting stranger comes to the small settlement of Lago and is hired to bring the townsfolk together in an attempt to hold off three outlaws who are on their way. May 13, 2019 - Explore Gingerfire's board "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot", followed by 124 people on Pinterest. Michael said 'OK, let's go for another take.' Thunderbolt. San Francisco Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan must foil a terrorist organization made up of disgruntled Vietnam veterans. "[27] Gary Arnold of The Washington Post wrote that the film "takes about an hour to get down to business, and it's such a weirdly kinked-up, trumped-up exercise in formula moviemaking, with indiscriminate borrowings from this film and that film and almost schizoid variations in tone and style, that one begins to wonder if Eastwood's truest fans will find it slightly indigestible too. [34][35], Jeff Bridges received the film's only nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. "[25] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote that "one is left wondering what attracted these actors to a story that leaves every flash of humanity for a protracted robbery, shootout, or some manner of cruelty. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. I don't wish to be forward, but we'd like to exchange cars with you. But this morning I celebrated, because I stumped him with a movie scene he couldn't put together- with hidden money behind a chalkboard in an old schoolhouse, which of course is from Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. Bliss, Michael (1985). They flee in the car, with Red and Goody in the trunk, to a nearby drive-in movie in progress. June Fairchild scene from Thunderbolt & Lightfoot - YouTube '"[17] Charles Okun, first assistant director on Thunderbolt, added, "Clint was the only guy that ever said 'no'. But a lot of people are literally betting that they won't make it into town alive. Add the first question. The San Fernando Valley adventures of trucker turned prize-fighter Philo Beddoe and his pet orangutan Clyde. "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot". Lightfoot proposes another heist—robbing the same company as before—with a variation on the original plan; the variation being due to Lightfoot inadvertently killing their electronics expert, Dunlop, the man who tried to assassinate Thunderbolt in the earlier scene. Lightfoot eventually learns that the "minister" is really a notorious bank robber known as "The Thunderbolt" (Clint Eastwood) for his use of an Oerlikon 20 mm cannon to break into a safe. With Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, Geoffrey Lewis, Catherine Bach. The pairing Eastwood and Bridges is great, these aren't the same kinds of actors, and yet their on-screen relationship works well. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Hiding out in the guise of a clergyman following the robbery of a Montana bank, Thunderbolt is the only member of his old gang who knows where the loot is hidden. Instead, Lightfoot convinces the others to simply break into the vault a second time, using the same cannon. With Clint Eastwood as an older, wise thief and Jeff Bridges as his grinning apprentice, the picture is consistently entertaining and interesting. Lightfoot… the kid who’s about to make one! 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. After escaping another attempt on his life by two other men, Thunderbolt tells Lightfoot that the ones trying to kill him are members of his gang who mistakenly thought Thunderbolt had double-crossed them. Retired thief Thunderbolt (Clint Eastwood) and sweet drifter Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges) meet cute when Thunderbolt jumps into Lightfoot's stolen car to escape a gunman. Lightfoot, dressed as a woman, distracts the Western Union office's security guard, deactivates the ensuing alarm, and is picked up by Goody. Goody is shot and Red throws him out of the trunk onto a dirt road, where he dies. As the two men retrieve the stolen money, Lightfoot's behavior becomes erratic as a result of the beating. Thunderbolt dubbed Martin “Captain Lightfoot,” for his foot speed, and he schooled his new partner in his own personal highwayman’s code: Steal from the wealthy, not the poor. "[15] Leonard Maltin gave the film three out of four stars, describing it as "Colorful, tough melodrama-comedy with good characterizations; Lewis is particularly fine, but Bridges steals the picture. Was this review helpful to you? Never rob a lady, and; At all times use minimal violence. 'Thunderbolt and Lightfoot' comes to Blu-ray in a standard Elite keepcase that holds both the 50GB dual-layer disc and a 6-page color insert featuring an essay by Julie Kirgo on the film. The pair become good friends, but Sara never does tell him the true reason behind her being outlawed. Is Thunderbolt and Lightfoot any good? "Engaging 'Thunderbolt and Lightfoot'". This FAQ is empty. Nun Sara (Shirley MacLaine) is on the run in Mexico and is saved from cowboys by Hogan (Clint Eastwood), who is preparing for a future mission to capture a French fort. An idealistic, modern-day cowboy struggles to keep his Wild West show afloat in the face of hard luck and waning interest. [16], Eastwood did not like to do any more than three takes on any given shot, according to co-star Bridges. [13] The music was composed by Dee Barton but the end titles song "Where Do I Go From Here?" Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Along the way, he must rein in the wild antics of Lightfoot, and manage old tensions that resurface amongst his partners. Burton Gilliam is the expected moronic working guy, a welder who befriends Thunderbolt. [10] Reading it, Eastwood liked it so much that he originally intended to direct it himself. [20] The film did respectable box office business, and the studio profited, but Clint Eastwood vowed never to work with the movie's distributor United Artists again due to what he felt was bad promotion. Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges play the title characters.This was the first movie directed by Michael Cimino. AKA: 1974 Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Die Letzten beißen die Hunde. [14] The film was shot in 47 days from July to September 1973. Although Eastwood generally refused to spend much time in scouting for locations, particularly unfamiliar ones, Cimino and Eastwood's producer Robert Daley traveled extensively around the Big Sky Country in Montana for thousands of miles and eventually decided on the Great Falls area and to shoot the film in the towns of Ulm, Hobson, Fort Benton, Augusta and Choteau and surrounding mountainous countryside. What I'm really surprised about is how no one else seems to have noticed a couple of things about this film. "Charley Varrick (1973) – "This Film Should Be Played Loud", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thunderbolt_and_Lightfoot&oldid=1017529463, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot - Rent Movies and TV Shows on DVD and Blu-ray. Fueled by explosive action, fascinating characters and a powerfully moving climax, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is an adventure of the highest caliber and the directorial debut of the great Michael Cimino (The Deer Hunter). In short a good film, worth watching! Thunderbolt tries to evade the police, and a chase ensues. "[31] Thunderbolt has since become a cult film. The hardened artilleryman and his flippant, irresponsible young sidekick are the two wild cards in the deck of jokers. Jeff Bridges Delivers Uplifting Cancer Update, Says Tumor Has Drastically Shrunk, TVLine Items: Cowboy Bebop Casting, Michael Chiklis' Coyote Trailer and More, Punk Horror Comic ‘Home Sick Pilots’ Coming from Image, Favorite Drive-in Theater or Outdoor Movie Scene, United Artists 100th Anniversary Poll Part III. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot 115 mins | 90% | 1974 | R | HD Clint Eastwood is the leader of a safecracking team trying to pull off the same heist they engineered years before in this 1974 tale. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is a 1974 American crime comedy film written and directed by Michael Cimino and starring Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy, and Geoffrey Lewis.[6]. Adventure. The freeway exit for fictional Warsaw was, in reality, the Interstate 15 exit for Dearborn, an unincorporated community that straddles the Cascade/Lewis & Clark County Line. . was composed and performed by Paul Williams. No late fees. Its reviews were good. Eastwood and Bridges try to build an older-younger brother relationship during the film; it is lost, however, amid all the killings and explosions. Murphy, Arthur D. (May 29, 1974). With the help of an irreverent young sidekick, a bank robber gets his old gang back together to organize a daring new heist. Ratings, review and more on Cinafilm.com Today’s modern “event” movies are not cinema. 1-month free trial! Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? With the help of an irreverent young sidekick, a bank robber gets his … [36], Author Michael Bliss wrote that while Thunderbolt may appear to be a conventional violent action film with Eastwood in the lead role, the film is more like "a meditation on, than a representation of, the male camaraderie theme" using rhetorical devices such as symbol, camerawork, and allusive dialogue to add to that theme. Director: Michael Cimino. He senses that together, they could have had something. 45 of 67 people found this review helpful. Clint Eastwood is the leader of a safecracking team trying to pull off the same heist they engineered years before in this 1974 tale. "[28] John Raisbeck of The Monthly Film Bulletin stated, "John Milius' collaborator on the screenplay for Magnum Force, Michael Cimino makes his directorial debut with Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, a film as interestingly idiosyncratic if not as controlled as Milius' Dillinger. An ex-bounty hunter reluctantly helps a wealthy landowner and his henchmen track down a Mexican revolutionary leader. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is a 1974 crime film starring Clint Eastwood as the "Thunderbolt", a legendary retired bank robber who teams up with Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges), an up-and-coming thief, to recover the stolen money hidden after Thunderbolt's last job.The movie was the directorial debut of Michael Cimino (The Deer Hunter), who also wrote the screenplay. "Film Reviews: Thunderbolt and Lightfoot". [32][33], As a result of this film and Cimino's TV commercial work, producer Michael Deeley would approach Cimino to direct and co-write the Oscar-winning The Deer Hunter (1978). The scene where Thunderbolt recovers the money from the one-room schoolhouse was filmed at the rest stop just south of Exit 240, which is the exit for Dearborn. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. '"[14][17], Thunderbolt was released on May 22, 1974. [...] And if [Cimino] took too long to get it ready, [Clint] would say, 'It's good, let's go. "I would always go to Mike and say 'I think I can do one more. He pistol-whips them both, knocking them unconscious, and violently kicks Lightfoot in the head multiple times. Red takes off with the loot in the getaway car but is again pursued by police, who shoot Red several times, causing him to lose control of the car and crash through the window of a department store, where he is attacked and killed by the store's vicious watchdog. “Thunderbolt & Lightfoot” starred Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy and Geoffrey Lewis, and was released in May 1974. View production, box office, & company info. [19] Eastwood's acting performance was noted by critics to the extent that he himself believed it was Oscar-worthy. Use the HTML below. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is fun for the minor cast members as well. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Box Office Information. It was take four, Clint would say 'No we got enough. Thomas, Kevin (May 22, 1974). The schoolhouse hidden money was actually the school district warehouse where I had worked for a year. Gary Busey has a nice bit as a lawn sprinkler installer. Though the plot is different, the relationship with the landscape and the emphasis on two characters is strikingly similar. [3][7][14][15] It was filmed in Fort Benton, Wolf Creek, Great Falls,[14] and Hobson. Supporting character actors George Kennedy and Geoffrey Lewis round out rest of the heisters, and Gary Busey makes an early appearance in a small role. Red then forces Thunderbolt and Lightfoot to stop the car. [11] Cimino later said that if it was not for Eastwood, he never would have had a career in film. The drive in movie theater chase scenes were in a drive in close to the warehouse. I got an idea.' "[29] Jay Cocks of Time magazine called the film "one of the most ebullient and eccentric diversions around. When they reunite minutes later, after Thunderbolt spies Red at a bus station, Lightfoot is overwhelmed with joy. The life of a disc jockey is turned upside down after a romantic encounter with an obsessed fan. First: The title of this film, and its two main characters are an homage to a pair of famous 19th century highwaymen who called themselves respectively `Captain Thunderbolt' and `Captain Lightfoot'. Debuting director Michael Cimino obtains superior performances from Clint Eastwood, George Kennedy, Geoffrey Lewis and … Starring: Clint Eastwood Jeff Bridges George Kennedy Geoffrey Lewis Catherine Bach. Upon seeing a shirt tail protruding from the car's trunk lid (which is a strong indication one or more people are hiding in the trunk to avoid paying), the suspicious theater manager goes to investigate. ! A young ne'er-do-well, Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges) steals a car. As much an eccentric character study as a road movie, Michael Cimino's directorial debut follows the adventures of a quartet of misfits in their life of crime. Written by Lennear had a bit part in the 1974 film Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, playing the secretary who asks Clint Eastwood's character for his Social Security number. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot subtitles. But this time, he's teamed with female partner Inspector Kate Moore, with whom he's not too excited to be working. Arnold, Gary (July 8, 1974). Jimbo’s Take (4 / 5) Martin Scorsese is correct. This movie was released on September 2, 1974. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is a 1974 American crime comedy film written and directed by Michael Cimino and starring Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy, and Geoffrey Lewis. The robbery begins as Thunderbolt and Red gain access to the building. The script, also by Cimino, is packed with excellent moments, but somehow the whole never amounts to more than the sum of its parts. [7] His agent, Stan Kamen of the William Morris Agency, came up with the idea of packaging the film with Cimino, Bridges, and Eastwood. When Thunderbolt parts ways with Lightfoot early in the film, the look on the younger man’s face is close to heartbreak. As they drive away celebrating their success with cigars, Lightfoot, in obvious distress, tells Thunderbolt in a slurred voice how proud he is of their 'accomplishments', and slumps over dead. Red becomes increasingly agitated and Thunderbolt leaves the drive-in, encountering police at the exit. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot was released to DVD by MGM Home Video on June 13, 2000 as a Region 1 widescreen DVD and also by Twilight Time on February 11, 2014 as a Region A Blu-ray. While stealing a car, free-spirited drifter Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges) crosses paths with legendary thief Thunderbolt (Clint Eastwood) in the midst of his own escape. San Francisco Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan is on the trail of vigilante Police Officers who are not above going beyond the law to kill the city's undesirables. Using an anti-tank cannon to breach the vault's wall, as they did in the first heist, the gang escapes with the loot. Never kill anyone unless threatened with death. (1974). "[24] Arthur D. Murphy of Variety called it "an overlong, sometimes hilariously vulgar comedy-drama, about the restaging of a difficult safecracking heist. From Wings to Parasite, here's a look back at all of the Best Picture Oscar winners in the history of the ceremony. Be courteous, even charming, to those you rob. This isn't the last time Hollywood film criminals would be named after real life bandits. Classical art professor and collector Dr. Jonathan Hemlock, who doubles as a professional assassin, is coerced out of retirement to avenge the murder of an old friend. [12] Cimino patterned Thunderbolt after one of his favorite '50s films, Captain Lightfoot. Eastwood himself wanted to do a road movie. [37] According to Bliss, the film's structural paradigm describes a tripartite series of events: natural order followed by disturbance followed by a restoration of natural order.[38]. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot While imprisoned in a Confederate girls' boarding school, an injured Union soldier cons his way into each of the lonely women's hearts, causing them to turn on each other, and eventually, on him. Escaping on foot, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot hitch a ride the next morning and are dropped off near Warsaw, Montana, where they stumble upon the one-room schoolhouse—now a historical monument on the side of a highway—moved there from its original location in Warsaw after the first heist. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) Movie Reviews - Cinafilm has 206 reviews of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot from movie critics and film fans. "Second Try at Bank Heist". So the faster you get out, the better it'll be for your ass. St. John's Lutheran Church in Hobson was used for the opening scene. Michael Cimino wrote the script on speculation, with Eastwood in mind. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. 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. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot came about after Michael Cimino impressed Eastwood with his cocky personality and rewrites on Magnum Force (1973), the second Dirty Harry movie. Thunderbolt... the man with the reputation. This page was last edited on 13 April 2021, at 08:54. However, on meeting Cimino, he decided to give him the directing job instead, giving Cimino his big break and feature-film directorial debut. "'Thunderbolt': All Dressed Up and Going Everywhere — and Nowhere". See more ideas about guinea pigs, guinea pig cage, pet guinea pigs. In the city where the bank is located, the men find jobs to raise money for needed equipment while they plan the heist. MCU fans, here are some streaming picks to watch while you wait for the next episode of "The Falcon and the Winter Solider.". The Blu-ray isn't front-loaded with any trailers, and the menu consists of the box cover image, with menu selections along the right side of the screen. The hardened artilleryman and his flippant, irresponsible young sidekick are the two wild cards in the deck of jokers. Wild man Bill McKinney lets our heroes hitchhike in his car packed with raccoons and rabbits, but then drives like a maniac. The plot of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot concerns a veteran bank robber, Thunderbolt (Eastwood), who along with a young, irreverent, wanna-be criminal, Lightfoot (Bridges), assembles his old gang of crooks back together to pull off a repeat of their greatest heist. Elsewhere, an assassin attempts to shoot a preacher delivering a sermon at his pulpit. The preacher escapes on foot. Lightfoot, who happens to be driving by, inadvertently rescues the preacher by running over his pursuer and giving the preacher a lift. Siskel, Gene (May 27, 1974). [14] Eastwood was unhappy with the way that United Artists had produced the film and the scheduled two-film deal between Malpaso and UA was cancelled.[23]. With the help of an irreverent young sidekick, a bank robber gets his old … 'Thunderbolt and Lightfoot' has the ingredients of a high-dollar buddy comedy, but it also steers toward quieter, more mature territory that ultimately gives it greater cinematic electricity. Retired thief Thunderbolt (Clint Eastwood) and sweet drifter Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges) meet cute when Thunderbolt jumps into Lightfoot's stolen car to escape a gunman. Martin, Mick; Porter, Marsha (October 2001). "[30], On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 90% based on reviews from 29 critics. As much an eccentric character study as a road movie, Michael Cimino's directorial debut follows the adventures of a quartet of misfits in their life of crime. [19], Given that for Eastwood this was an offbeat film, Frank Wells of Warner Bros. refused to back Malpaso in the production, leaving him to turn to United Artists and producer Bob Daley. [9] Due to the great financial success of Dennis Hopper's Easy Rider, road pictures were a popular genre in Hollywood. Which I couldn't believe because Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges are right in his wheelhouse and he said he had never seen it! [8] Eastwood was available after turning down the lead role in Charley Varrick. Search for "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" on Amazon.in, Title: Wood, Robin (2003). Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) isn't perfect, but it has a lot going for it. "Two For The Road".