History Film / ThunderboltAndLightfoot

* RealityEnsues: A pretty major beating, including several severe blows to the head, leaves Lightfoot a little dazed at first. But as time goes on his condition worsens, and he eventually dies of a brain hemorrhage.

* DeusExMachina: Played with. [[spoiler: After Red gets caught with the money, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot hitch-hike, coincidentally arriving right at the schoolhouse Thunderbolt left the original $500,000 in years ago, the schoolhouse having been relocated. Inside, they find the money. [[RealityEnsues Not that this helps Lightfoot]].]]

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:OK, sure, Thunderbolt has the missing money back, but Lightfoot dies as they drive down the road celebrating.]]

* RealityEnsues: [[spoiler: A pretty major beating, including several severe blows to the head, leaves Lightfoot a little dazed at first. But as time goes on his condition worsens, and he eventually dies of a brain hemorrhage.]]
* TwistEnding: [[spoiler:Lightfoot's death.]]

Lightfoot discovers that the preacher is really one of the members of a gang who robbed a security company a few years ago and were never caught, and that he had the nickname "Thunderbolt". After the two of them stop for ice cream, after they get back, the two remaining men chasing them – the vicious Red Leary (George Kennedy) and the GentleGiant Eddie Goody (Geoffrey Lewis) – catch up, and they want the money from the robbery. Thunderbolt explains that the money was in a one-room schoolhouse, but the building has disappeared and the other member of the team who knew about it is dead. Lightfoot has a suggestion: pull the same robbery of the same company over again, because nobody will be expecting it.

* TwistEnding: Lightfoot's death.

* TwistEnding: Thunderbolt's death.

* Truth in Television: A bank robbery with an antitank rifle sounds far-fetched but it really did happen on October 24, 1965 when Joel Singer shoot his way in the vault of the Syracuse, New York branch of the Brinks company, earning him $433,580 in cash and a place on the FBI's Most Wanted list.

While only a moderate box office success, this 1974 action-comedy film was critically adored, and allowed its writer/director Creator/MichaelCimino the clout to make his next movie, ''Film/TheDeerHunter''. Jeff Bridges was nominated for an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Supporting Actor for his role; Eastwood's performance was also highly praised, and he believed he also deserved an Oscar nom, though none came. Clint blamed the relative failure of this film (compared to his other pictures of the time) on United Artists' poor marketing. Though this was meant to be the first in a multi-picture deal with the company, Eastwood soon went back to Creator/WarnerBros and never made another film for UA.

* Truth in Television: A bank robbery with an antitank rifle sounds far-fetched but it really did happen on October 24, 1965 when Joel Singer shoot his way in the vault of the Syracuse, New York branch of the Brinks company.
Earning him $433,580 in cash and a place on the FBI most wanted list.

While only a moderate box office success, this 1974 action-comedy film was critically adored, and allowed its writer/director Michael Cimino the clout to make his next movie, ''Film/TheDeerHunter''. Jeff Bridges was nominated for an UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}} for Best Supporting Actor for his role; Eastwood's performance was also highly praised, and he believed he also deserved an Oscar nom, though none came. Clint blamed the relative failure of this film (compared to his other pictures of the time) on United Artists' poor marketing. Though this was meant to be the first in a multi-picture deal with the company, Eastwood soon went back to Creator/WarnerBros and never made another film for UA.

Lightfoot discovers that the preacher was really one of the members of a gang that robbed a security company a few years ago that were never caught, and that he had the nickname "Thunderbolt." After the two of them stop for ice cream, after they get back, the two remaining men that were chasing them – the vicious Red Leary (George Kennedy) and the GentleGiant Eddie Goody (Geoffrey Lewis) – catch up, and they want the money from the robbery. Thunderbolt explains that the money was in a one-room schoolhouse, but the building has disappeared and the other member of the team who knew about it is dead. Lightfoot has a suggestion: pull the same robbery of the same company over again, because nobody will be expecting it.

[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thunderbolt_and_lightfoot_7456.jpg]]

* TheSeveralStates: Filmed on location in Montana.

While only a moderate box office success, this 1974 action-comedy film was critically adored, and allowed its writer/director Michael Cimino the clout to make his next movie, ''Film/TheDeerHunter''. Jeff Bridges was nominated for an {{Academy Award}} for Best Supporting Actor for his role; Eastwood's performance was also highly praised, and he believed he also deserved an Oscar nom, though none came. Clint blamed the relative failure of this film (compared to his other pictures of the time) on United Artists' poor marketing. Though this was meant to be the first in a multi-picture deal with the company, Eastwood soon went back to Creator/WarnerBros and never made another film for UA.

While only a moderate box office success, this 1974 action-comedy film was critically adored, and allowed its writer/director Michael Cimino the clout to make his next movie, ''Film/TheDeerHunter''. Jeff Bridges was nominated for and {{Academy Award}} for Best Supporting Actor for his role; Eastwood's performance was also highly praised, and he believed he also deserved an Oscar nom, though none came. Clint blamed the relative failure of this film (compared to his other pictures of the time) on United Artists' poor marketing. Though this was meant to be the first in a multi-picture deal with the company, Eastwood soon went back to Creator/WarnerBros and never made another film for UA.

While a moderate box office success, it was critically adored, and allowed it's writer/director Michael Cimino the clout to make his next movie, {{The Deer Hunter}}. Jeff Bridges was nominated for and {{Academy Award}} for Best Supporting Actor for his role; Eastwood's performance was also highly praised, and he believed he also deserved an Oscar nom, though none came. Clint blamed the relative failure of this film (compared to his other pictures of the time) on United Artists' poor marketing. Though this was meant to be the first in a multi-picture deal with the company, Eastwood went back to Warner Bros. and never made another film for UA.

Lightfoot discovers that the preacher was really one of the members of a gang that robbed a security company a few years ago that were never caught, and that he had the nickname "Thunderbolt." After the two of them stop for ice cream, after they get back, the two remaining men that were chasing them – the vicious Red Leary (GeorgeKennedy) and the GentleGiant Eddie Goody (Geoffrey Lewis) – catch up, and they want the money from the robbery. Thunderbolt explains that the money was in a one-room schoolhouse, but the building has disappeared and the other member of the team who knew about it is dead. Lightfoot has a suggestion: pull the same robbery of the same company over again, because nobody will be expecting it.

At a rural Montana church, a preacher (Creator/ClintEastwood) is conducting a Sunday service when some men come in and start shooting at him. He escapes, with the aid of Lightfoot (Creator/JeffBridges), a car thief who happens to be driving by and helps him by running over one of his pursuers and giving him a lift.

A preacher (Creator/ClintEastwood) is conducting a Sunday service when some men come in and start shooting at him. He escapes, with the aid of Lightfoot (Creator/JeffBridges), a car thief who happens to be driving by and helps him by running over one of his pursuers and giving him a lift.

* WackyWaysideTribe: While escaping from Red and Goody at the beginning, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot are picked by a driver that has a raccoon and several rabbits on his car, DrivesLikeCrazy, is TheInintelligible, and that gets hostile with the two when he stops to do some impromptu rabbit shooting with a shotgun. It's implied that the man was acting crazy because of his car releasing exhaust fumes into the driver's area.

* WackyWaysideTribe: While escaping from Red and Goody at the beginning, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot are picked by a driver that has a raccoon and several rabbits on his car, DrivesLikeCrazy, is TheUntelligible, and that gets hostile with the two when he stops to do some impromptu rabbit shooting with a shotgun. It's implied that the man was acting crazy because of his car releasing exhaust fumes into the driver's area.

A preacher (Creator/ClintEastwood) is conducting a Sunday service when some men come in and start shooting at him. He escapes, with the help of Lightfoot (Creator/JeffBridges), a car thief who happens to be driving by, and helps him by running over one of his pursuers and giving him a lift.

Creator/ClintEastwood is a preacher. Some men come in during a Sunday Service and start shooting at him. He escapes, with the help of Lightfoot (Creator/JeffBridges), a car thief who happens to be driving by, and helps him by running over one of his pursuers and giving him a lift.

Lightfoot discovers that Clint was really one of the members of a gang that robbed a security company a few years ago that were never caught, and that he had the nickname "Thunderbolt." After the two of them stop for ice cream, after they get back, the two remaining men that were chasing them – the vicious Red Leary (GeorgeKennedy) and the GentleGiant Eddie Goody (Geoffrey Lewis) – catch up, and they want the money from the robbery. Thunderbolt explains that the money was in a one-room schoolhouse, but the building has disappeared and the other member of the team who knew about it is dead. Lightfoot has a suggestion: pull the same robbery of the same company over again, because nobody will be expecting it.