Phantom Thunderbolt

I had a conversation with a fellow IMDb member where the name Ken Maynard cropped up , an actor I'd never heard of but was relatively popular back in the day . Checking his biog on this site makes interesting reading and is one of those rags to riches back to rags again mainly caused by an inbuilt self destruct button . As someone who doesn't like Westerns it's not too surprising I'd never heard of Maynard since his resume revolves around the genre

This film PHANTOM THUNDERBOLT is I'd hazard a guess somewhat typical of the actors output . One of these films that were popular at Saturday morning matinées that has its tongue planted firmly in its cheek . A man rides in to town warning the townsfolk that a stranger with a violent reputation is on his way and everyone had better board up their windows and doors if they know what's good for hem . Then the stranger rides in to town howling and firing his pistols and not only is he a misunderstood anti-hero he's someone who knows a fine dry cleaners in 19th Century frontier towns

After this scene which feels it belongs in a slightly more camp version of BLAZING SADDLES the film continues in the same vein . It's a comedy with very unsophisticated humour and scenes that are laughably unrealistic . On the surface it's rather dreadful stuff but for some reason remains watchable probably because it doesn't take itself seriously in any way . On the subject of Maynard he does have a likable on screen persona and perhaps he's a better actor than he's given credit for since it's difficult to see how he is anywhere as mean and nasty as his reputation suggests . Mind you Hollywood is the dream factory and all too often some dreams become nightmares

I believe in comparing apples to apples, and not to oranges. So with that in mind, I want to point out that I am a fan of old westerns, including old "B" westerns, of which Phantom Thunderbolt is one. So my comments and this grade are made in comparison with other low-budget "B" westerns of the early 1930s, and not compared to what we all expect in a contemporary movie.

This movie is absolutely awful. It has to be the worst film of its kind that I've ever seen, and I've seen quite a few. An average grade school student could write a more intelligent script. The acting of the entire cast is atrocious. Even that of the star, Ken Maynard. About all that can be said for him is that he can ride a horse pretty well. Clearly the director had absolutely no sense of how to entice a believable performance from any of the actors.

Don't waste your time. There are many more old "B" westerns available in the public domain that are much more worthy.

In a town where people like to signal their arrival by shooting their guns high high up in the air! Comes a stranger who warns of the mean mean man heading up this way by the name of 'Phantom Thunderbolt'. The townspeople are predictably alarmed (except for of course, the undertaker, who starts fondling his tape measure), When Thunderbolt DOES arrive, he's actually not as bad as all that. You see, the warning stranger is actually his friend, and he just likes to do that to bring attention to himself (smart guy!). Soon, thunderbolt does do some good by ridding the town of some problematic folk. The bankers are impressed, and want Thunderbolt to be sheriff. He'll do it under one condition.. He must first get to kiss the town's only girl! The bankers agree that it's a fine idea to sell her off for this proposal (!!) and soon, Thunderbolt is fighting badasses in town so that the town will have a squeaky clean image for a chance for the railroad to come through! This is a pretty fun film, though instantly forgettable. Ken Maynard is fun as the hero, and Francis Lee is quite good too.