Judge — July 13, 1929 — page 21: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

JUDGE LOA tT first sight Thunderbolt” would A seem to be a careless repetition of the gang- ster demi-god characterization so precise and excitingly presented by the play “Broadw and the movie “Underworld.” Before its conclusion, however, the cast, the director, and the dialogue into wild, harsh dissonance, and whether the di wished it or not “Thunderbolt” becomes ma burlesque, loud-mouthed comedy, in the best Bret Harte, Mark Twain, Jim Tully, Maxwell Anderson tradition. and sound I am informed that the star performer, George Bancroft, and the director, Josef Von Sternberg, wrote the story and that Herman Mankiewieez, one of the few eastern writers who has dug into Holly- wood’s hierarchy with any permanent success, wrote the story. With three of the smartest playboys of the gold coast responsible for the plot, we ean rea- sonably conclude that they decided to turn’ the ngster formule story upside down and make “Thunderbolt” about as serious and restrained production of “Carmen” presented by the trustees of an insane asylum, Had the conspirators been one degree t could list this talkie as a grand bit of irreverent unholy humor. Forced to turn their gall into milk by a lame conclusion the movie is worth while only for the impious ¢ manifested in the death-house scene, and the impressive effects Von Sternberg al- ways achieves with his came Von Sternberg’s one weakness is that he has pra his movies are carefully es aracter studies. In “Thunderbolt” a bank teller steals a gangster's gal, the gangster frames him for murder, and the two men other in death-house cells while the prison orchestra plays “William Tell” and a quartet of prospective corpses sings “Broken-Hearted” and “Sweet Ade- line.” The most accurate performer in the cast is Tully Marshall, who, as a choleric, pedantic warden, fusses over his condemned men like a prize-fight manager haranguing a bunch of pugs. It is pos- sible the unholy wise-cracks of the godless ‘¢: Ider, you ly no story sense cuted, episodic bh ace cach ne GIWG r=MOVIES sters were meant to portray the unmoral code of the modern killer; if so, the lines were too funny, too well done. As usually happens in a story making faces at itself, the movie cast seemed hopelessly bewildered, and cach member, with the exception of Bancroft and Marshall, just went on being movie. It only added to the general fun. Fay Wray, as the gang ster’s gal, achieved an effect somewhere between Ophelia and Little E Richard Arlen, forced to be a nice young man in a story full of gibbering comedians, just gave up and looked very pure and glum. Maxwell Anderson and Jim ‘Tully wrote a broad comedy called “Outside Looking In.” It was ville and lowly in spots, but its spirit of lusty erence, perhaps the only American literary her was approached accurately by “Thunderbolt.” It didn’t quite come off, but it came close enough to make it interesting. E*« eLLENT dialogue and Idle Rich” a very pleasing gentle talking. cot edy. The lightin camera effects are very con- ventional, but the dialogue is so well written the lack of movie technique is of little importance. The most polished member of the cast was a young man by the name of Ober, closely Love, who seems to h: in good time with the good cast make ‘The onded by Bessie come out of movie oblivion dof the talking machinery. The story resembles the plot of a Pulitzer pri play—in fact, itn have been, but after petition- ing the ultra-snobbish staff of the Capitol Theatre ushers for a program I gave up trying to learn this tt. After four y sof shoving in and ‘ew York movie houses I have come to the the Capitol boasts of the most stu- and inefficient staff of servants in w's Lexington is by far the most and comfortable house in the city. As both are owned by the same company, [wouldn't know what that proves. enterta The Movie Guide “A Man's Man"—A flat comedy of “Bulldog Drummond” —By fur the best Hallywood life, with William Haines talking movie to date; Ronald Colman sutly out of place “Four Feathers” —The worst features Beau Geste and Chang combined beautifal ph nt native seen — The censors defeated Mary ces earnest and meritorious Boer to make s strong talkie, Werth peeing, “ANDI —The first gown moving crook melodrasma, with Morris stealing the bonors. “Broadway Babies” —Next week “Thunderbolt”? —In this ime “Drag” —Next week, Marx Broth- ical comedy “Coceanuts”—The Fo ets trying to be good i plot that makes it diffeult. “Fall of Eve” ext week. “Idle Rich” —1o this isu