Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges made for a snappy pair in 1974’s “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot”, an action comedy that blended the buddy road-trip movie with the suspenseful heist flick. At nearly 50-years-old, the movie still holds up in large part thanks to its two charismatic leads and the collection of top-form supporting characters that pop up along the way.

After reading the script Eastwood decided he wanted to direct. But he ended up handing the duties over to screenwriter Michael Cimino, giving the director his big break (Cimino’s very next film, “The Deer Hunter” won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director). But story has it Eastwood held a lot of influence over everything from shooting locations to the number of takes allowed per shot. Cimino often said he owed his career to Clint Eastwood.

The brilliantly shot opening scene remains a favorite of mine. Nestled among wheat fields and dirt roads sits the small but quaint Spirit Lake Idaho Community Church. Inside, a country preacher named John Doherty (Eastwood) is preaching a message to his congregation as a car drives up and parks outside. A man gets out, checks the church sign, and then heads inside. After the man takes a few steps down the aisle he pulls out a gun and starts firing on the preacher. As the parishioners scurry for safety the clergyman tears through a side door and across a wheat field with the gunman in pursuit.

While that was going on an easy-going drifter named Lightfoot steals a white Pontiac Trans-Am and is barreling down the road when the preacher steps out in front of him. Lightfoot swerves, missing the preacher and plowing over the gunman. The preacher hops in and the two take off. And just like that an unusual friendship is born. As they cavort around Montana it’s revealed that the preacher is actually a wanted bank robber known as The Thunderbolt. And wouldn’t you know it, there are more people after him than just the cops.

It turns out that two of Thunderbolt’s former partners, the intense Red Leary (played by the great George Kennedy) and the easy-going Eddie Goody (Geoffrey Lewis) are on the hunt. They’re convinced Thunderbolt double-crossed them during a heist and they want some payback. It takes a pretty lengthy car chase, a little gunfire, and some fisticuffs before they iron out their differences and set their sites on a brand new heist.

From there the road movie gives way to a straight-up heist film as Thunderbolt, Lightfoot, Red, and Eddie stake out a bank, organize the robbery, and plan their escape. Through it all Cimino hones in on and has a lot of fun with the group’s off-beat camaraderie. It helps to have four terrific actors working to bring out their characters’ very different personalities. And along the way we’re treated to some fun young faces. Catherine Bach (“The Dukes of Hazard”) has a quick scene as an alluring young woman named Melody. And Gary Busey makes a ‘blink or you’ll miss it’ appearance.

“Thunderbolt and Lightfoot” has a number of strengths. But it lives and breathes off the charisma and chemistry of Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges. They’re funny, relatable, and all-around entertaining whenever they’re sharing the screen. Despite its action-packed opening and a banger of a finish (involving a giant cannon no less), the story moves at a relatively leisurely pace. It has some good humor and a surprising amount of subtext about the shifting America of its day. It all comes together in one satisfying package that’s still a lot of fun today.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS