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Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

£150.00

Film

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

Additional information

Year

1974

Size/Type

UK Quad / (30″ x 40″) / Single Sided / Printed in England by Lonsdale & Bartholomew Ltd

Country of Origin

UK / British

Condition

Very Fine plus; originally folded (as issued)

Director

Michael Cimino

Actor/Actress

Clint Eastwood, Gary Busey, George Kennedy, Jeff Bridges

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“Thunderbolt… the man with the reputation. Lightfoot… the kid who’s about to make one !”

“”

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Incredibly rare Clint Eastwood poster in this landscape format that is genuinely scarce. An original 1974 British UK quad film poster for Michael Cimino’s “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot”. This folded (as issued) example is presented in excellent original unrestored condition and displays and presents very well with magnificent finished artwork by Birney Lettick. The imagery borrows references from the “Dirty Harry” poster series utilising the elongated gun barrel with a nod to Andy Warhol for the stylised $ as a background…A classic 70’s early Clint Eastwood poster that represents a very collectible piece of original film movie memorabilia.

Trivia: The dangerous stunt where Clint Eastwood leapt onto a speeding car being driven by Jeff Bridges and hooks his leg inside the car window while holding onto the door handle was performed by Eastwood.

 …more detail

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Film Description

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot Movie Poster

“He has exactly seven minutes to get rich quick !”

The very first shot of “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot” – a faultless composition, fifty per cent wispy Idaho sky, fifty per cent cornfield – establishes an elegant style which Cimino maintains throughout the film… The second scene – Clint Eastwood as we have never seen him before, wearing spectacles, his hair slicked back and dressed as a vicar delivering a sermon in a crowded country church – immediately makes one realize that the film may be quite different from any of Eastwood’s previous ones… But the third scene, in which the vicar is chased across a seemingly endless cornfield by an irate gun-firing George Kennedy establishes that all is not as it seems to be.

Eastwood is rescued by Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges), who has just relieved a car salesman of $3000 dollars’ worth of automobile, and a partnership is quickly created, with the veteran Thunderbolt asserting his experience and virility over the inexperienced Lightfoot… Casting off his vicar’s clothes Thunderbolt then takes his belt and endures agonizing pain as he uses it to pull his dislocated shoulder into place.

Thunderbolt is being pursued by Red Leary (George Kennedy) and Eddie Goody (Geoffrey Lewis) who are former partners of his in crime and who believe he has the half million dollar takings from their last bank raid… They mean business… While Thunderbolt and Lightfoot enjoy themselves with two young ladies named Gloria and Melody, Leary and Goody wait outside. ‘Are you sure that’s their car?’ wonders Goody. ‘That’s their hearse,’ says Leary.

The film was a triumphant debut for Cimino… His script combined wit and the naive philosophy of the motorized cowboys… ‘Leary, I had a dream about you last night.” “About what?” “I dreamt you said hello to me.’

At the beginning of the film when Eastwood recites his sermon for the benefit of his felonious friend, ‘and the lion shall lie down with the leopard’ (Cimino used it purposely to indicate the liaison between Lightfoot the lion and Thunderbolt the leopard), the younger man asks ‘What’s that – a poem?’ ‘No,’ replies Thunderbolt, ‘a prayer’. At the end of the film the younger man is still seeking answers from his senior partner… ‘Where you heading?’ ‘See what’s over the next mountain! We won, didn’t we?’ ‘I guess we did – for the time being.’

Cimino created the part for Eastwood and in doing so drew greatly on his actual personality… For those people who know the real Clint Eastwood, no film part better conveys the style, the warmth, and the dry delivery of the man himself.

 

 

Vintage Movie Posters Grading Criteria

Mint
A poster that has never been used or displayed and may show the most minor signs of age and wear. The poster should have no holes or tears.

Near Mint
A generally unused poster with fresh, saturated colors. May have minimal tears at folds. Has no significant holes, no paper loss, may have minor tears along edges, may have fine pin holes.

Very Fine
A poster with bright colour and crisp overall appearance. It may have very general signs of use including slight fold separation and fold wear. It may have pin holes or very minor tears. This is the highest grade allowed for a poster that has been restored either on linen or on paper.

Fine
A poster with good colors and overall clean appearance. It may have minor tears small paper loss and minor stains. It may have some fold seperation.

Good
An average poster with overall fresh color. May have tears, minor paper loss, minor hazing. Paper may be brittle due to age, may have minor stains. May have a small amount of writing in an unobtrusive place. May have medium or major restoration.

Fair
A poster with faded colors and brittle paper, showing significant signs of use. May have tears and paper loss. May have tape, writing, stains in image area. In need of restoration or had major restoration.

Poor
A poster that is worn, torn, and/or damaged. May have staining, cracking, dry rot, and/or large tears. May be heavily soiled, may have pieces missing. In need of major restoration.

All photographs and images used on our site are photographs of the actual poster/item you are buying, we do not use stock photographs.

Most Popular Poster Types

US Posters

LOBBY CARD
11 x 14″ printed on heavy stock paper. Used as display in theatre lobbies. Originally made in sets of eight. Some sets have a title card, which contains credits and artwork, essentially a mini-poster. The remaining seven cards are coloured photographic credits and poster artwork showing different scenes from the movie.

WINDOW CARD
14 x 22″ printed on heavy stock paper with the top 4-6 inches usually left blank for the local cinema owner to fill in the cinema and the date it was due to play. Largely discontinued during the 1970’s.

HALF SHEET
22 x 28″ printed on heavy stock paper. The image displayed is normally a smaller version of the main poster, although some do have different artworks and sometimes come in two versions.

INSERT
14 x 36″ printed on heavy stock paper. Inserts usually have the same artwork as a one sheet. Popular with collectors since they are smaller and easier to frame. Normally come tri folded or rolled.

STYLE Y/FORTY BY SIXTY
40 x 60″ printed on heavy stock paper. Rare since they were primarily used for major motion pictures only. Designed to be used outside the theatre, on an easel, normally at a drive-in movie theatre.

ONE-SHEET
27 x 41″ printed on paper. This is the most common size of poster, intended to be displayed in a glass “marquee” case. It is the most sought after size by collectors. Since the 1980’s most posters are sent to the theatre rolled and maybe slightly smaller measuring 27″ by 40″ and with the advent of backlit light boxes a growing number of modern movie posters are available double-sided and the more traditional single-sided.

THREE-SHEET
41 x 81″ printed on paper. These were printed on two or three separate sheets designed to overlap, few survive. Used for larger advertising spaces, normally posted on walls, perfect for huge movie theatres the drive-in, where people could see them from a distance. From the 1970’s on, three-sheets were sometimes printed in one piece and issued as “international” versions to be used abroad.

BRITISH Posters

BRITISH QUAD
30 x 40″ Most common poster size used in the UK. British Quads are horizontal and may have different artwork to the US one sheet. Like a US one sheet they normally come in two versions. Like a US one sheet they are usually supplied single-sided or more commonly now as a double sided poster.

BRITISH ONE-SHEET
27 X 40″, printed on paper. Very rarely used size.

ITALIAN Posters

ITALIAN LOCANDINA
13 x 28″ six inches shorter than the US insert, very nice size to frame. Italian poster illustrators are some of the best in the industry.

ITALIAN PHOTOBUSTA
18 x 26″ Glossy, high quality, used as lobby cards in Italy. Size may vary, either vertical or horizontal format. There are also double Photobusta or mini Photobusta.

2-FOGLIO (DUE)
(DUE): 39 x 55″ This is the standard poster size used in Italy. Italian poster illustrators are some of the best in the industry.

4-FOGLIO
(QUATTRO) 55 x 79″ Very large Italian poster printed in two pieces, often contains very beautiful artwork.

FRENCH Posters

FRENCH
47 x 63″ (GRANDE) or 24 x 33″ (PETITE) French movie posters normally come with different artwork to either the US or the UK. Like the Italian’s some of the artwork is extrememly beautiful.