Thunderbolt And Lightfoot 40th Anniversary

[Jed Cooper]

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Thunderbolt And Lightfoot.  Weigh in with your thoughts and memories.  Is this a favorite of yours?  What were your first impressions?  Where did you see it first, on the big or little screen?  Do you remember who you were with and whether or not they enjoyed it?  How do you feel about this film today?

[Lin Sunderland]

I Like this movie. The first time I saw it was on TV and gave never seen it on the big screen. I think it needs to be seen that way but don't see that happening anytime soon.

[Jed Cooper]

I think I saw this one before becoming a fan.  I watched it with a friend on tv.  We got a kick out of Thunderbolt belting Eddie across the mouth before telling him, "Don't ever point anything at me, not even a twig, do you understand?!"  An overall entertaining film and enjoyable.  I always get a kick out of Bill McKinney's brief scene as a crazy driver.   

[Jed Cooper]

I Like this movie. The first time I saw it was on TV and gave never seen it on the big screen. I think it needs to be seen that way but don't see that happening anytime soon.

Thanks, Lin.  Yeah, there should be a double-bill of this and The Eiger Sanction.  That would be cool.

[Christopher]

The first time I saw it was on TV as a kid. And I think I even missed the beginning of it, so I watched the whole thing a little while later when I saw it was on. It's always been one of my favorites.

[Jed Cooper]

I just remembered something Elvis-related to this film.  The song playing over the end credits is Where Do I Go From Here by Paul Williams.  The King covered this tune in 1972 during the same sessions that produced Burning Love and Always On My Mind, among a few others.

[Christopher]

I love that song. In fact one of my first posts (if not my very first post) on the board was asking about that song. I'm not sure if I've heard Elvis do it or not.

[Jed Cooper]

I love that song. In fact one of my first posts (if not my very first post) on the board was asking about that song. I'm not sure if I've heard Elvis do it or not.

You could probably find Elvis' version on You Tube if you so desire.  Even if you don't like The King's version, I'm sure it'd be interesting to compare. 

[Jed Cooper]

Finally.  I had the opportunity to watch this last night.  It was great seeing it again and the trend continues with my appreciating Eastwood films I hadn't cared much about until recent viewings.  Aside from Pale Rider, I think this is the only other movie Clint is referred to as "preacher".  I was my son's age when this movie was released, 7 years old.  It would be a couple of years before I'd even encounter anything by Eastwood on TV and wouldn’t realize who he was until recalling it years later.  I didn't think much about it upon first viewing, which was probably local television when I was seeking out Eastwood films after discovering the trilogy he'd done with Leone and the Dirty Harry series.  Like many an Eastwood film, I've come to like this more over the years and I like it even more now.