Thunderbolt

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.

During the early days of talkies, dialogue writers were in great demand, and many who made the move to California were involved in the Broadway theater industry. The first regular theater critic for The New Yorker, Herman Mankiewicz, was soon in high demand in Hollywood after synchronized sound was introduced to cinema. A prime example of Mankiewicz's style was his screenplay in the early talkie, June 1929 "Thunderbolt." In 1927 Paramount Pictures hired Mankiewicz to write scenarios for its silent films. The studio asked him to work his connections for New York City writers to compose film scripts when talkies arrived. "Most of the newer writers on Paramount's staff who contributed the most successful stories of the past year (1929) were selected by 'Mank,'" wrote film critic Pauline Kael. Herman was the subject in the Netflix 2020 biopic, "Mank."

Mankiewicz's famous telegram to Ben Hecht describes how desperate movie studios were to hire good writers. "Millions are to be grabbed out here and your only competition is idiots. Don't let this get around."

Mankiewicz was the highest-paid writer in Tinseltown. Kael described, "His heroes weren't soft-eyed and bucolic; he brought good-humored toughness to the movies, and energy and astringency. And the public responded, because it was eager for modern American subjects." In "Thunderbolt," adapted from a Charles and Jules Furthman story, Mankiewicz's script focuses on Jim Lang (George Bancroft), nicknamed Thunderbolt, wanted by the police. His girlfriend, 'Ritzy' (Fay Wray), is seeing banker Bob Moran (Richard Arlen) behind Jim's back. Lang is captured and is headed for the chair. In jail, he discovers who Ritzy's boyfriend is and frames Bob in a cop's murder. When arrested and sentenced, Bob finds himself in the jail cell next to Thunderbolt.

"Thunderbolt" was the type of movie designed for director Josef von Sternberg for his first talkie. The silent movie director of 1927's "Underworld," which introduced the gangster genre, was excited to be making talkies. He said he was "no longer at the mercy of movie house organists."

Sternberg especially loved to mix music with his actors' dialogue. In a classic nightclub scene, singer actress Theresa Harris, in her film debut, belts out a song while Thunderbolt and Ritzy are in an argument. Between Harris' numbers, the jazz band plays in the background while tension builds between Lang and nearby loud customers. The tense sequence reveals the inner turmoil of Thunderbolt. Film critic Andrew Sarris notes, "'Thunderbolt' is, in some respects, as much a musical as a melodrama." Sternberg was praised overseas for his film, receiving a telegram from German director Ludwig Berger, stating "I saw your film 'Thunderbolt' and congratulate you with all my heart. It is the first fully realized and artistically accomplished sound film. Bravo!" "Thunderbolt" was the second talkie for actor George Bancroft, his first was the now lost 1929 'The Wolf of Wall Street.' The actor earned a Best Actor Academy Award nomination for his role as Thunderbolt.

The future was bright for Mankiewicz, working alongside his younger brother, Joseph, who wrote the titles in "Thunderbolt." Herman is known by today's movie fans as the first screenwriter for 1939's "The Wizard of Oz," and for his collaboration with Orson Welles in 1941's "Citizen Kane."

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!

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.

For some reason I thought this film was a talkie remake by Josef von Sternberg of his great silent Underworld. Although George Bancroft is again the star here (and won an Oscar nomination for best actor) this is an entirely different storyline.

Bancroft stars a a tough hood in love with Fay Wray. But she's trying to go straight with Richard Arlen, who works in a bank. A man hunt captures Bancroft and convicts him to death row. But even from the cell, Bancroft is able to frame Arlen for a murder during a ban robbery. Arlen is sentenced to death row and ends up across the hall from Bancroft. Will there be fairness? Will there be redemption? As in Underworld, Bancroft is terrific as the obsessed and all-powerful thug. His voice is great as he growls and groans and threatens. Wray looks stunning, and Arlen is good as the innocent man.

For a 1929 talkie, this film has its stagnant moments when the editors didn't know when to cut. But it also features some terrific work by von Sternberg.

The entrance scene into the jazz club is a barrage of trellises and picket fences... quite beautiful... and also boasts a really nice song from Theresa Harris (who usually played a maid). There's also a wondrous scene where Arlen has been hurt and is being tended by his mother (Eugenie Besserer). While's she's applying iodine, he pulls his hands away and the bottle smashes. Both try to clean it up and the scene ends in a giggling tickle fight. Totally unexpected and totally wonderful.

Fred Kohler plays a convict. Tully Marshall is marvelous is a jittery warden.

The ending is probably expected but is beautifully done.