Phantom Thunderbolt (1933)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Alan James

Writers:

Forrest Sheldon (story) &
Betty Burbridge (story) ...

Release Date:

5 March 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

A whirlwind of action!

Plot:

A cowboy called The Thunderbolt Kid comes to the aid of a town that is being threatened by outlaws who don't want a railroad to go through the town.

Plot Keywords:

Cowboy | Horse | Tarzan The Horse | Henchman

Cast

Ken Maynard	...	Thunderbolt Kid
Tarzan	...	Tarzan, Ken's Horse
Frances Lee	...	Judy Lane
Frank Rice	...	Nevady
William Gould	...	'Red' Matthews
Bob Kortman	...	'One-Shot' Mallory
Frank Beal	...	Tobias Oldham
William Robyns	...	Wingate's partner (as Bill Robyns)
Wilfred Lucas	...	Eaton (railroad president)

Runtime:

63 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #3107) | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Paramount Ranch - 2813 Cornell Road, Agoura, California, USA

Company:

K.B.S. Productions Inc.

Movie Connections:

Remade as One Man's Law (1940)

"And I'm a warnin' ya, he's most dangerous when he's smilin'. That's a sure sign he's riled."

By the time it's all over, the story of the "Phantom Thunderbolt" winds up being pretty lame, but it's about as much fun as you can have with a turn of the talkie era Western. Ken Maynard provides the thrills as the Thunderbolt Kid, arriving in the town of Coyote Gulch right after partner Nevady (Frank Rice) heralds his arrival with six guns blazing. Thunderbolt is quick to deliver, cleaning up Miss Judy's restaurant with the carcass of One Shot Mallory (Bob Kortman). Unfortunately, their mix up features an old style unrealistic fist fight marked by wild swings and push punches, but still good for a dunk in the town horse trough.

At least town undertaker McTavish sees an opportunity for business with T-Bolt in town. Check out the sign in his shop window - "Our Customers Never Complain".

With a quick gun and quick fists, the town fathers look to hire Thunderbolt to rid Coyote Gulch of bad man Red Matthews (William Gould) before the railroad president gets to town. They're in competition with nearby Spotted Horse for a railroad depot, and that town has hired the Matthews gang to insure that Coyote Gulch doesn't get picked. The Kid agrees to the take the job for three kisses on the installment plan from pretty Miss Judy (Frances Lee).

Pay attention when Maynard's horse 'Tarzan' is instructed to nudge the barrel downhill with him inside. The closed end of the barrel is facing One Shot Mallory and another henchman at the start of the run, but the next shot shows the open end going down hill with Maynard visible.

Another head scratcher occurs when the bank president begins to award the railroad contract to Coyote Gulch because it looks like a lawful town. Just then Red's gang hits town with guns roaring, but instead of changing his mind, Eaton (Wilfred Lucas) joins in the fisticuffs himself, proclaiming it's the most fun he's had since he's been there! Obviously story continuity wasn't uppermost in the minds of the film makers.

For his part, the Thunderbolt Kid remains undecided about sticking around until Miss Judy plants a big one on the Kid's smacker. With that, he agrees to stay in Coyote Gulch, but by then he must have been as confused as bank man Eaton - he never got his third kiss!