Thunderbolt
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, without knowing of their relationship. Thunderbolt hopes to stave off the execution long enough to kill young Moran for romancing his girl.
From the archive
I've been researching newly public domain films from 1929 and earlier, so I'm uploading the best possible copies that I can find. Thunderbolt was director Josef Von Sternberg's first sound film. It was described by a critic at the time as "a musical comedy plot striving to masquerade as drama." While not a commercial success, it led to an Oscar nomination for lead actor George Bancroft, as well as critical praise for the direction.
Why this is free to watch
Thunderbolt (1929) is hosted by the Internet Archive as a public-domain or openly licensed work, which means its copyright has expired, lapsed, or was released by the rights holder. No signup, no payment and no advertising interrupts playback. Nitrate streams the file directly from the Archive and hosts no video itself.
- Director
- Josef von Sternberg
- Starring
- George Bancroft, Fay Wray, Richard Arlen, Tully Marshall, Eugenie Besserer, James Spottswood, Fred Kohler, Robert Elliott
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