Thunderbolt and Lightfoot - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[jesse]

The final exchange in the car between Thunderbolt (Clint Eastwood) and Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges), and the subsequent final shot of the movie, were filmed just a mile and a half apart (in the southbound lanes of I-15 near Montana's Tower Rock State Park). However, when travelling southbound, the final shot's location (where I-15 crosses the Missouri River) precedes the prior scene's highway turnout filming spot.

[duane]

According to "American Rebel: The Life of Clint Eastwood" (2009) by Marc Eliot, Hollywood talent agent Stanley Kamen gave the idea for this movie to Michael Cimino to write, on speculation, for Clint Eastwood in mind as a vehicle for him.

[sophie]

This movie grossed more than three million dollars in its first week of theatrical release in America.

[lynn]

While shooting in Montana, a visiting Utah theater exhibitor said to Clint Eastwood that showing moving pictures was just a part-time hobby for him, and that his real business was raising turkeys, whereupon Eastwood replied, "My business is seeing to it that I don't!"

[kyle]

Average Shot Length (ASL) = 7 seconds.

[duane]

The value of the money from the heist at the bank robbery was five hundred thousand dollars.

[albert]

Keely Smith flew in to one of the location sites during filming for a romantic rendezvous with Clint Eastwood.

[clayton]

According to Final Cut: The Making and Unmaking of Heaven's Gate (2004), Clint Eastwood did not like to do more than three takes for a shot. Jeff Bridges said, "I would always go to Mike (Michael Cimino) and say 'I think I can do one more. I got an idea', and Mike would say 'I gotta ask Clint.' Clint would say, 'Give the kid a shot.'" Also, First Assistant Director Charles Okun added, "Clint was the only guy that ever said 'No'. Michael said 'OK, let's go for another take. 'If it was take four, Clint would say 'No we got enough. We got it', and if Cimino took too long to get it ready, Eastwood would say, 'It's good, let's go.'"

[francisco]

Clint Eastwood and Geoffrey Lewis played brothers in Every Which Way but Loose (1978) and Any Which Way You Can (1980).

[steve]

The beer that Thunderbolt (Clint Eastwood) and Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges) were drinking at the lake side, was Olympia Beer, from Olympia Brewing Company in Tumwater, Washington. They are no longer in business. Olympia Beer is now made in Irwindale, California.

[michele]

According to several sources, including Steven Bach's "Final Cut", Clint Eastwood perceived himself to be upstaged by Jeff Bridges.

[javier]

Jeff Bridges' Best Actor in a Supporting Role Oscar-nominated performance was the only one in the category not in a Best Picture nominee that year.