Thunderbolt

In 1929, talking pictures were still a novelty and some pictures in Hollywood were still coming out silent. So, it's not very surprising that this Josef von Sternberg movie comes off as a bit old fashioned. It's lack of incidental music* makes it seem a bit too quiet...but that was true of all the sound films of the day. Likewise, some of the acting is a bit stilted...and this was not at all unusual for 1929. So, I try to cut this and other movies from 1927-30 a bit of slack.

The title character, Thunderbolt Jim Lang (George Bancroft), is one of the most-wanted men in the country. He's been responsible for many bank robberies and deaths and the police are desperately searching for him. But their only lead is his old girlfriend, Ritzie (IMDB incorrectly spells it 'Ritzy' and she's played by Fay Wray). But she's sick of him and wants to go straight--and has taken up with a nice guy, Bob (Richard Arlen). But Thunderbolt has promised that if she takes up with ANYONE other than him, he'll get them...and he does this in a most peculiar way...while he's in prison! Huh? How does he do this and how does it all end? See the film and find out for yourself.

The film has some very good things going for it--particularly the mobster talk throughout the movie. It's all very tough and fun. Bancroft's performance is also quite entertaining (not necessarily GOOD but entertaining). Still, the movie's plot is very tough to believe though it is still entertaining to see today...even with its old fashioned style and bizarre scenes with Thunderbolt inexplicably in his cell with a pet dog!

*Instead of the usual background music, it's a quiet film--normal for 1929. But in all the death row scenes, there is often some sort of spiritual being sung...and wow were they annoying and overdone!

This film begins with the news that an elusive gangster nicknamed "Thunderbolt" (George Bancroft) is wanted for bank robbery and is considered armed and dangerous. That being said, as the film continues it is also revealed that Thunderbolt has a girlfriend named "Ritzi" (Fay Wray) that he is obsessed with. The problem is that Thunderbolt has become, not only extremely possessive of Ritzi, but somewhat abusive as well. So, because of that, Ritzi has since fallen in love with a gentle man named "Bob Moran" (Richard Arlen) who simply adores her. Needless to say, Thunderbolt becomes quite livid when he learns that Ritzi wants to break up with him because she has found another man. So much so that not even the death penalty can prevent him from getting his revenge. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that I was pleasantly surprised with the menacing performance George Bancroft put in for this particular role. Absolutely outstanding. That being said, however, it's also quite obvious that all of the actors labored to some degree from the transition from silent films. An unfortunate byproduct of its time. Be that as it may, I still found this film to be entertaining for the most part and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

The High-Light of this "First-Year" of the All-Talkie Hollywood in Renowned Director Sternberg Film is the Harlem Night-Club.

This Takes Place in the First Half and while the Remainder of this Gangster-Romance is Peppered with a Few Interesting Flourishes,

None Equate the Impressive Opening and Once the Movie Gets to Prison the Film is Absent Sternberg's Signature Touches.

In Face the Movie Grinds to a Halt and is just Uninteresting Banter and Prison's Inanimate Existence.

The Dialog Deliveries are Pause Laden, Rhythmic Readings that are Stiff, Laborious, and so Wearily Dated as to be Painful.

Fay Wray is Hardly a Presence, Richard Arlen is OK, and George Bancroft (Oscar Nominated) is Domineering but Hardly Special.

Overall, a Curiosity and Film Historians Should Give it a Look for Context and the Director's Complete Filmography.

But Casual Movie Fans and Seekers of some "Old-Stuff" are Likely to be Bored to Death and Very Disappointed.

Nobody would argue that 1929 was a year of classic movies. Amongst the flotsam and jetsam however there's APPLAUSE and a few other good ones..... and this as well - almost. What a difference a top director and screenwriter can make!

This isn't a gangster film, it's an intelligently written character study and in-depth look into the mind of a mobster. You find writer Jules Furthman's name on virtually every other classic Hollywood picture of the 20s, 30s and 40s. His style was quality and his skill was creating believable engaging stories with real genuine characters. His story was further adapted by H Mankiewicz - who wrote the scripts for the probably the other half of the classics from this period. Needless to say - this is well written with fascinating and deeply faceted characters.

Josef von Sternberg directed this which by the look of it was his fiftieth talkie. Surely it's impossible that this was his first sound film? Being made in 1929, it's still a little experimental, not quite everything works so this is not one of his best pictures. Nevertheless he creates a brooding almost surreal atmosphere with real tension. That style intensifies significantly in the latter part of the film on death row which has an almost dream like feel about it.

The story is tense, the characters are believable, the production is innovative but this is not a perfect film. To enable clear sound recording, some but not all of the actors speak very slowly which sounds especially weird when the actor they're talking with is speaking normally. Actors had their own individual vocal coaches then with different techniques thus the inconsistency and maybe not being a native English speaker, von Sternberg probably didn't notice the subtle differences.

As great a director as he was, von Sternberg was given the impossible task of trying to make Fay Wray seem like a proper actress. Not even he could do that and predictably she's absolutely dreadful. As always she just projects that limp, whining and insipid expression to convey whatever emotion she's trying to express.

Whether she's pretending to be a hard as nails gangster's moll or a reformed, sweet and vulnerable fragile young thing she's that same bland, shallow character. Not only can't she act but in this she doesn't appear to be able to speak English - what on earth is that accent! She's meant to be a girl from the streets so why is she doing history's worst impression of Queen Mary? That two men could be besotted with this dull sour-faced non-entity completely stretches all credibility.

If you can get past the really rather stilted production here - almost stage bound in it's presentation, this is quite an entertaining film that sees the authorities on the trail of the most wanted "Thunderbolt" (George Bancroft). He is elusive, though - and their only route to him might be through his ex-girfriend "Ritzie" (Fay Wray) - but she isn't playing ball for reasons of her own. It's only when "Thunderbolt" makes good on an earlier threat he made to her about seeing anyone else, that the police see some light. The performances are fine, not great but the writing is really quite good - plenty of quirky vernacular and it moves along well despite the frequent silent movie style direction and scene framing from Josef von Sternberg. There is also quite an enjoyable contribution from a blues ensemble and though certainly dated, this is still worth a watch almost 100 years later.