292 Thunderbolt

[MichaelB]

THUNDERBOLT
(Josef von Sternberg, 1929)
Release date: 24 July 2023
Limited Edition Blu-ray (UK premiere)

Pre-order here.

George Bancroft (Angels with Dirty Faces) and Fay Wray (King Kong) star in the first sound film from legendary director Josef von Sternberg (Shanghai Express), made just prior to his celebrated series of collaborations with Marlene Dietrich.

Murderer ‘Thunderbolt’ Jim Lang (Bancroft) is arrested and imprisoned with the help of his former moll, Ritzie (Wray). Whilst on death row in Sing Sing, Jim enacts his revenge by framing Ritzie’s lover, Bob (Richard Arlen), for a crime he didn't commit.

With a screenplay from Herman J Mankiewicz (Citizen Kane) and Joseph L Mankiewicz (Suddenly, Last Summer), and adapted from a story by Jules Furthman (Blonde Venus), Thunderbolt is a classic pre-Code crime thriller.


INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES

• High Definition remaster
• Original mono audio
• The Guardian Interview with Fay Wray (1990): archival audio recording of the famed actor in conversation at the National Film Theatre, London
• Tony Rayns on ‘Thunderbolt’ (2023): extensive discussion of von Sternberg’s classic by the writer and film programmer
• Video essay on the film by film historian Tag Gallagher (2023)
• Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Pamela Hutchinson, archival articles, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and full film credits
• UK premiere on Blu-ray
• Limited edition of 3,000 copies for the UK

All extras subject to change

#PHILE292B
BBFC cert: TBC
REGION B
EAN: 5060697922653

[patreig]

Any hope for Shanghai Gesture?

[rapta]

I feel like Indicator might get An American Tragedy too, but I figured they'd announce it alongside Thunderbolt (instead we get Jet Pilot).

I wonder if they may eventually get Underworld and The Docks of New York through Paramount too...they've probably enquired at the very least. They may even include The Last Command since Eureka's rights may have expired by now.

[Peacock]

Obviously it would be nice if they released films which weren’t available rather than Criterion/Eureka/Kino titles but I know that‘s a lot more effort.

[MichaelB]

Final specs:

[MichaelB]

Obviously it would be nice if they released films which weren’t available rather than Criterion/Eureka/Kino titles but I know that‘s a lot more effort.

You left out "expense", which is the major hurdle. It's much, much cheaper to license an existing high-def master than it is to create one from scratch, and the marketplace has made it repeatedly clear that there's an upper limit to what it considers reasonable in terms of RRP.

That said, Indicator's in-house restorations have been steadily increasing year on year (none in 2016/17/18, low single figures in 2019), with a record number out this year. In fact, barring a late schedule change, all the 2023 titles that have yet to be announced are original restorations.

[ryannichols7]

thank you for porting the Pinkerton commentary!!

I am very much in favor of Indicator releasing these editions, even if they have US discs. lots of these films deserve better, and while I haven't seen this one yet, having Pinkerton and 46 minutes of Tony Rayns sounds utterly fantastic. but that said..

In fact, barring a late schedule change, all the 2023 titles that have yet to be announced are original restorations.

I have to wonder if you mean restorations down by Powerhouse or done by others as well. curious to see

[MichaelB]

In the case of October to December, I mean that they're all Powerhouse creations.

[MichaelB]

Thunderbeaver.