Thunderbolt

1929
Passed
1h 25m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

A criminal known as Thunderbolt is imprisoned and facing execution. Into the next cell is placed Bob Moran, an innocent man who has been framed and who is in love with Thunderbolt's girl. Th... Read allA criminal known as Thunderbolt is imprisoned and facing execution. Into the next cell is placed Bob Moran, an innocent man who has been framed and who is in love with Thunderbolt's girl. Thunderbolt hopes to stave off the execution long enough to kill young Moran for romancing h... Read allA criminal known as Thunderbolt is imprisoned and facing execution. Into the next cell is placed Bob Moran, an innocent man who has been framed and who is in love with Thunderbolt's girl. Thunderbolt hopes to stave off the execution long enough to kill young Moran for romancing his girl.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

933

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 2 wins & 1 nomination total

Photos63

+ 57

More like this

7.5

Underworld

7.5

The Docks of New York

6.9

6.4

6.8

7.9

5.9

6.2

7.3

5.7

6.9

7.2

Storyline

Edit

Did you know

Edit

Trivia
One of the earliest of over 700 Paramount productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by MCA ever since. However, because of its extreme age, and primitive sound recording techniques, there is no record of it ever having been locally televised. On cable TV it received what may have been its first and only telecast on Turner Classic Movies in August 2016.

Quotes
Warden: Listen Doc, you just gotta see that this man lives. Do something. I've got to execute him tonight.

Alternate versions
Made in both sound and silent versions.

Soundtracks
Thinkin' About My Baby
(uncredited)
Written by Sam Coslow

User reviews16

Review

Featured review

6/10

A bit old fashioned...but that's what you'd expect from a 1929 film.

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!