"Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" (1974)

For the first time in years, I watched the 1974 Clint Eastwood movie, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot last night. It co-starred Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy and Geoffrey Lewis. Gary Busey, Catherine Bach, Dub Taylor and June Fairchild had smaller roles. Screenplay and direction was by Michael Cimino.

I had the movie on VHS (I may still have it but it maybe is somewhere in the garage) and is one of my favorite Eastwood movies. The locations used were in Montana and were nicely shot.

I watched the movie on Tubi/Pluto TV and it was a nice print and, surprisingly, uncut. There were no commercials either! Best of all, it was free!

I remember seeing Thunderbolt and Lightfoot at the Roadium Drive-In in Torrance, California in 1974. 

June Fairchild, R.I.P.

Above, June Fairchild during her days as a Gazzarri dancer.

The Los Angeles Times reported, sadly, that actress June Fairchild has passed away.

They reported:

June Fairchild was a Manhattan Beach prom queen, a go-go dancer, an actress who appeared in more than a dozen films and, for a time, an addict and alcoholic who slept in a cardboard box on skid row in Los Angeles. 

Fairchild, 68, died Tuesday at a Los Angeles convalescent home. The cause was liver cancer, her friend Dawna Sodders said.

Four years ago, I wrote a blog about June Fairchild that had attracted the attention of nearly 4,000 readers. Several fans posted comments to that blog post, including one from her niece. It was pleasing to hear that her life was taking a turn for the better at the time.

Fairchild first came to my attention in the 1971 movie, Pretty Maids All In A Row. She later appeared in the Clint Eastwood movie, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot and Cheech and Chong's Up In Smoke.

Although her movie career was limited, she did garner a fan following, including me.

R.I.P., June!

To read more, go here.  To contribute to June Fairchild's memorial fund, go here.

June Fairchild, Cinema Cult Starlet

Above, June Fairchild in "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" (1975).

Back on February 24, 2010, I posted a blog about actress June Fairchild.

Although she had bit parts in some major movies, I wrote then that she has a devoted fan following. Several fans have commented on my posting, including one from her niece.

Today, I received a comment on the 2/24/10 posting from fan James M. Tate, who has started Facebook fan page for June Fairchild titled, June Fairchild, Cinema Cult Starlet.

I thought I would post the link here.

If you are a Facebook member and a June Fairchild fan, feel free to join!

"Pretty Maids All In A Row" Coming To DVD

The folks at the Warner Archive Collection told me this morning that the 1971 dark comedy Pretty Maids All In A Row will be released on DVD.

The message I received:

Pretty Maids All in a Row will be released through the Warner Archive Collection on 10/12.

The movie stars Rock Hudson, Telly Savalas, Angie Dickenson, and Roddy McDowall. And, it was directed by Roger Vadim.

From IMDB:

In a California high school, a married teacher is the athletic coach and faculty advisor. He starts to have sex flings with his female students and eventually has to kill several of the girls to keep them quiet. Based on a novel by Francis Pollini.

The movie was produced and the screenplay was written by Gene Roddenberry, of Star Trek fame.

The movie came out in 1971, right when I was in high school. I've a VHS tape of the movie and it is interesting to view to see the styles of that period. It is almost like looking through a time warp of one's high school years.



Pretty Maids All In A Row also featured a starlet by the name of June Fairchild (right). I posted a blog on her a few months ago and recently heard from her niece (see June Fairchild).

The movie is also interesting as Hudson played the lecherous and murderous coach. It shows how good an actor he was, in view of his ultimate real-life fate.

UPDATE: A friend tells me that two acquaintances had bit roles in the movie. They're twins, so I have to see if I can spot them. Small world!

June Fairchild

Above, June Fairchild in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1975).

 

Back in th 1970s, there was an actress who had bit roles in several movies including Pretty Maids All In A Row (with Rock Hudson), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (with Clint Eastwood) and Cheech and Chong's Up In Smoke. 

Her name is June Fairchild. Born in 1946 in Manhattan Beach, she had small roles in prominent features, but ended up in Los Angeles' skid row due to alcohol abuse. She surfaced in 2001 in a L.A. 

Times article about her plight. Right after the article appeared, she was arrested for a parole violation.  

Right, Fairchild during her skid row days. 

She is reportedly the person who came up with the name "Three Dog Night" for the early 1970s rock band. 

She surfaced at a theatrical screening of Pretty Maids All in a Row at the 2007 LA Grindhouse Fest and spoke about the movie before it was shown. 

Recent reports say that Fairchild is doing better and has her own apartment. 

An article in Starpulse in August 2007 said that Clint Eastwood heard about Fairchild's plight and wanted to get in touch with his former co-star to give her a helping hand. 

Although she had a few roles before alcohol got in the way, Fairchild seems to have a devoted fan following. Perhaps if she sees this, she can check in and let her fans know how she's doing. 

UPDATE (9/21/10): 

It is rumored that Pretty Maids All In A Row (1971) is to be released on DVD. I checked around and found no confirmation of this. If the movie is ever to be released on DVD, June would be great to do a commentary extra.