If Clint Eastwood happens to be your favorite action hero, then we suggest you watch Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. Today, I’ll share with you where was Thunderbolt And Lightfoot filmed, along with some other surprising facts about this amazing film.
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is an American action drama flick that was released in the final week of May 1974. This rousing film was written and directed by Michael Cimmino. Whereas Jeff Bridges and George Kennedy featured in the lead roles alongside Clint.
The main story of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot revolves around the character of Thunderbolt, a middle-aged American man who executes high-level money heists. The plot thickens when the lead actor re-arranges his former crew and plans the biggest bank robbery in America.
The commercial performance of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot wasn’t as impressive as the makers hoped it to be. However, this action thriller flick was still nominated for an Oscar. Nevertheless, fans of Eastwood still enjoyed his on-screen persona and the typical acting style he’s known for.
You must be wondering where was Thunderbolt and Lightfoot filmed, right? In that case, let’s not waste any time and take a closer look at the filming locations of this crime drama film.
Table of Contents
Where Was Thunderbolt And Lightfoot Filmed? Let’s Know This Action Drama Film Closely!
Guys, let’s sort out the basics first. The story of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is set in and around the state of Montana, which is located in the western region of America.
Since Michael was inclined towards presenting authentic locations to his audience, he decided to shoot the entire film around the same state. Plus, the fact that this decision was made, Michael was writing the screenplay, which eventually saved a lot of time during the location scouting process.
As soon as the director was done with the script, he took care of some other tasks and then instructed the crew to look for filming locations. As I mentioned before, the production members were only asked to look for ideal locations in and around the state of Montana.
After a couple of weeks, Michael and his team were finally able to locate a number of ideal shooting spots in Montana. The locations were then reviewed by the director for the second time, and then he finally asked the crew to commence shooting.
The principal photography of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot commenced in the final week of July 1973 and continued until the end of September of the same year. The entire shooting process lasted for two and a half months, and during this time, all outdoor scenes were filmed in Montana.
Even the interior sequences of the movie were shot inside a well-designed studio which is located in the same state. As the filming permission was arranged in advance by the crew, they didn’t face any major challenges while filming in the outdoor locations.
During the final phase of shooting, the crew ran into major issues while capturing the interior scenes of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot inside a film studio in Montana.
Luckily, the issue was quickly resolved with the help of the director, as he arranged a backup team to deliver the required logistics in no time. After the shooting process was completed by the fourth week of September 1973, the filming crew immediately started working on the promotion of the film.
Let us now discuss in detail where was Thunderbolt and Lightfoot filmed.
Montana | USA
Michael and his team began filming in the city of Hobson first. This beautiful city is located in Judith Basin County and is sparsely populated. However, Hobson is known as the “Gateway to the Judith Basin” and is visited by a number of tourists, specifically during the holiday season.
So, the opening sequence of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, where we see the character of Thunderbolt for the first time, was filmed outside of St. John’s Lutheran Church. Unfortunately, this beautiful catholic church was demolished back in the ‘80s by a multi-national Corp.
Other important scenes of the film were captured near Lewis and Clark National Forest. The scene where the lead actor fixes his shoulder after a gunfight and hides inside a cabin was filmed near Diversion Lake.
The scene where the lead actor and sidekick get picked up by a mad driver was filmed in Augusta, Montana. Additional outdoor scenes of the movie were captured near Great Falls, Choteau, and Cascade.
The final sequence of the movie was filmed in the city of Helena, which is also the state capital of Montana. The ending scene of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, where the lead actor somehow arranges a motorboat to escape after the tremendous heist, was filmed on the outskirts of Helena.
The shooting process of Thunderbolt And Lightfoot stopped after sequences from the last quarter of the movie were captured in Helena. A well-equipped studio located in the downtown area of Helena was then used to film the remaining interior scenes of the movie.
And now, let me give you an overview of Thunderbolt And Lightfoot. Meanwhile, you can also read The Silencing, What Anime Characters Can Beat Goku and Sin City.
Plot Of Thunderbolt And Lightfoot | What’s it About
The basic premise of Thunderbolt And Lightfoot revolves around the character of Thunderbolt, a skilled con artist living in the state of Montana. At the beginning of the movie, the lead actor and his crew appear to be living in Montana after carrying out a money heist operation.
Almost 7 years later, after Thunderbolt assumes the previous case to be cooled down, he thinks of re-assembling his previous team of thieves. Soon, the lead actor gets in contact with Lightfoot, his former sidekick, and then instructs other members to reassemble in Montana. Soon, Thunderbolt and his crew plot to rob the biggest Western Union outlet in America.
Watch Thunderbolt And Lightfoot and find out the full story!
Final Words
I hope now you finally know where was Thunderbolt And Lightfoot filmed. If you’d like us to help you with anything else, feel free to leave a comment. Apart from that, if you’re interested in reading similar pieces, do forget to browse through other interesting blogs on Viebly.
